According To : The Artist at Large
Women Photographers/Visual Artists - WPVA: Works
"Now it is gettin down to bizness", did I say that ?. The women of WPVA had accepted the idea of organizing an exhibit at Banfill-Loche Center for the Arts, in Fridley Minnesota - on the lovely shores of Rice Creek this month ! This building is so intriguing because it gives one the chance to do an exhibit the way artists love to do it. Almost no strict rules, ( in the sense of boundaries, exclusions, entries ), except that it should be good art, we have tax supported funds for arts and the environment in Minnesota. The building is inherently charming in and of itself, built as a tavern in town in the late 1800's. It is said to have a ghost in the basement. What a trippy thing to openly acknowledge. I need to get ahold of Echo Bodine, the ghost whisperer.
The executive director, which is the paid position at Banfill-Loche, does the stuff to make the show roll, - how lovely. Someone to actually fall back on, to show up and do the daily work that it takes to organize a show in total. The postcard, press releases, meeting with the artists for a planning meeting regarding who would be responsible for what - now you have the picture. It is intense times for WPVA, as one member said " In the throes of transition ". I had to step way back from organizing the exhibit because of the group's reticence of having an actual curator of the show. I can see that. I am fairly new at the prospect of going out to organize a particular group of artists. My exhibit directorship at Robbin Gallery was intense too, but I did a lot of good. This one needed a bump - so I did that, we managed to schedule three exhibits since my involvement less than a year ago.
I am not really a photographer. I take pictures of my work( paintings ), sometimes not really good photos. When I really wanted someone good to do that, I hired someone in my studio who did a less than acceptable job of it. The other time, I had the opportunity to have really good ( and expensive ) photographer shoot my work who was paid by the University Gallery where we were showing a capstone project at Metropolitan State University. That was fortunate, however, when it came time to send out photos of my work, the disc could not be found. I find it from time to time in my studio, but hey, why can't I get ahold of it when I need it most ? Because logically, I am smitten by all things related to art that has not happened yet : The in-progress painting on the easel, the interesting article on Odd Nerdum, the Sorolla painting that I was compelled to paint during a workshop -" Paint the Masters". No, as a result of painting for several years, it is the next new thing that inspires, not the old stuff.
Plein Air painting holds a place in my heart because of 2 things; The art is new new new ! The outside vista's change change change, and my audience changes too. That part is key. On a trail during a paint-out, I had not only fellow painters commenting, but also walkers in that park in Richfield. What a place ! In Minnesota, the seasons are so varied, except of course, the long long long winters, we jump out of doors to find fresh painting subject matter as quickly as we can... So, this is the very best for me.
This exhibition WPVA: WORKS at Banfill-Locke will have photos, paintings, one sculpted piece, and there will be readings, comments, artistry on the edges in the written word. The promotion will abide around the show, we will have numerous beneficiaries - the community at large in Fridley, New Brighton, St Paul, Shoreview and maybe even a few from Brooklyn Park. The guests, will be fewer from the artists guest list, maybe we could get the old WPVA artists to come to the opening reception.
The beginning of a start of the work that they do - The WPVA- It sounds a little like WPA - no, it is not of that era. Not even close. We all are pretty late bloomers in the art department however, starting after children raised, husbands setting in solidly in their jobs, pension if any secured, retired teachers, and then myself - a solitary soul, coming up the way of a single mom struggling at every corner of every day, deciding in very early forced retirement to pursue that job that would feed my soul, not my pinched penny pocket book. Huzzah ! I found a niche, or so I thought.
Groping it seems now, doing the art dance of finding where you fit in. I keep going, I keep wondering, how in the world ?? No, that is not why, not the photoshopping, the lugging of art, the building artful relationships, but the intense gathering of beautiful paintings from subject matter that matters to me and only me. That is the trick of it. Not even to involve media per se, but to only be in my mind's eye with the painting I am creating. The end of the story. Everything else is just guff, get the drift ?
posted by SuziSez @ 4:25 AM
