Those universally affiliated with the arts are finding themselves in the meantime rinse-and-repeat cycle. Musicians’ gigs are cancelled, art shows have folded, galleries have shuttered, and disposable income has dried up. All of this leaves artists who depend on their art for their livelihood feeling hung out to dry. The arts, in general, have been loaded into the tumbling cycle of the unknown. But artists are still awash with inspiration, even as incomes evaporate.
Please consider, when all this lint has lifted, committing in 2020 to purchasing a few pieces of original art, dancing to live music, springing for some single downloads, visiting a museum, attending a music or art class, commissioning a portrait, and/or attending a dance or theater production.
Locally, the Lyons Arts and Humanities Commission (LAHC) has had to postpone a number of events, including their “Bell of Renewal” sculpture unveiling (until August 23), the weaving in of new additions into the heARTS of LYONS outdoor sculpture collection, the upcoming tandem shows at Town Hall and the Lyons Regional Library, and the painting-the-transformer-boxes project. The Arts@RiverBend event has been cancelled.
The theme of the delayed Town Hall show is “Plein Air: Bringing the Outdoors In.” Sally White King is still on deck for the upcoming solo show, “Unbearable Light,” at the library. Dates and times for drop-offs and tandem opening receptions are to be determined. But in the meantime . . .
Since many of you painters, writers, photographers, poets–artists, generally. speaking–have been treading water during this global time-out, the LAHC, in conjunction with Western Stars Gallery, would like to unveil this incentive to create.
Western Stars is donating roughly thirty canvases (limit one per person) for visual artists and writers of all ages, mediums, and abilities to creatively respond to this “Plein Air: Bringing the Outdoors In” call for work to hang in the eventual LAHC art show at Town Hall. We will iron out later when and where to drop off your completed, ready-to-wall-hang pieces.
Artists are welcome to respond to the “Plein Air: Bringing the Outdoors In” suggestion, or to put their own wrinkle on the theme, perhaps depicting a vision of hope they have clung to through these surreal circumstances.
To pick up sanitized canvases, please text us (Western Stars) at 401-301-1212 and let us know how many canvases you would like us to leave out front (with your name(s) on them). If you have gesso on hand and would not mind painting over and re-using some pre-painted canvases, please let us know that as well.
Tune in to the LAHC Facebook page for updates, grants info for artists and musicians, and other arts opportunities. In the meantime, may we all cling to the hope of knowing this will eventually all come out in the wash.