Posts Tagged ‘art sale’
City Nights
A short chronicle - by Will Beckett, and featured on the new site Arts on PEI – of the semi-monthly City Nights events hosted by Charlottetown, PEI artist-run organization This Town is Small.
painter’s progress
Studio work table. - Stephen B. MacInnis - 2011
written by Stephen B. MacInnis
The challenge for an artist is to get their work in front of the public. There are many ways to do this online, and lately the best method for me is a WordPress blog. I prefer the blog method over a website. I find a website very static, and as an artist with limited computer skills, and who is always working and producing new work, a blog is the perfect fit.
I’m a stay at home dad as well as an artist and my daughter is often in my studio with me. I enjoy her contribution to my work space, I let her do things such as telling me what colours to use, or she sometimes adds a drawing to an abstract piece I’m working on, and I will blog about stuff she does and says. She enjoys painting and drawing, and she enjoys talking about art. Lately, she has been talking about photography, so I gave her a camera and let her loose. I’ve been posting some of her photo essays, and they have proven popular.
I treat my blog as a studio diary. I show what I’m working on and discuss what I’m thinking about. It takes awhile to figure out what to blog about, and so lately I’ve been working on organizing my blog. On the weekends I will include content my daughter has provided. Wednesdays I do a list of ten random things I like. I also show the process of painting, and have been showing the steps to creating a painting from start to finish. I show the work I am doing, but I also like to show what is going on in the studio.
I’ve been experimenting with different ways to promote my blog. I find Facebook and Twitter to be very effective. I also link to my blog from any other sites my work might be on, but I am still looking for different ways to reach a greater audience.
city nights experienced
written by Gail Hodder
So, here we are, all friends, at our local watering hole; The Al!bi Lounge. Five visual artist hovering at the beginning of the evening. Excited with the anticipation of the night to come. In the next several hours we will not only get to talk about our artwork, but people will witness the process and the craziness that partakes to achieve the end result.
A shot of tequila is decided on. Celebratory and calming. We set up our easels, our paints and other relative flotsam. Computer and projector, wire and tools, plasticine and palettes. Each of us thinking of something clever to work on and claiming our space at the Lounge. The dance floor is a consideration. There must be room for dancing!
We begin our artmaking. Some more hesitant then others. Showing our art in public is normalcy, creating in public, not so much. But our audience is interested and approach with inquiries. As I make inquires back, I find out that most are art enthusiasts themselves, interested in learning more. Questions of materials, sources, schools, techniques. Others ask familiar skeptical questions, “What is it?”, “Why?” Our answers are practiced. We make them feel at ease with their skepticism.
The night ensues with more wine and more audience and our artwork takes shape. We slip into a comfortable rhythm of greeting our friends and acquaintances who have come out to encourage us. We pause to explain or chat. We own this place for the evening. We have become the performers.
Dancing breaks out as the DJ continues to spin his techno, hip hop, funk. The beat and energy is contagious. It’s getting late now. Our energy doesn’t waiver, but is only heightened. When the lights come on and the end is threatening, we drop our art making implements and join the dancers. They seem surprised, but we are well on our way to catching the groove and we blend in, in an arm flailing, hips swaying, belting out the words celebratory dance. Wahoo’s all around when the music stops.
We discuss when we might perform our art-making again.
We leave exhilarated wanting more and more and all the time.
Wishing the night not to end.
*** check out what city nights is all about here! Don’t forget to sign up for our next event by April 10th!
this town is small presents: City Nights
Photo Credit: PJ Stephen – twitter.com/thepeej
City Nights is an ongoing program for members of this town is small. We welcome all artists, emerging and professional and will try to accommodate all mediums. No idea is too crazy for us to discuss!
If you are interested in playing music, modeling, or creating art at a City Nights event or becoming a member of this town is small please contact Becka at this.town.is.small@gmail.com
The night of Decemeber 16 marked the second presentation of City Nights @ the Alibi Lounge in downtown Charlottetown. City Nights is a small town program designed to showcase Island Artists while developing Charlottetown’s artistic nightlife and arts’ scene. By providing an atmospheric space to create and sell for one evening, City Nights mashes the art of electronic music, visual art and the public.
Six artists, Sandi Hartling / John Dohe / Mauricio Aristizabal / Becka Viau / Chrissy Cerminara / Betty-Jo McCarville, and two DJ’s, Tim Kelly / Andrew Drake, participated in the event resulting in a night of incredible energy and creation. Sandi Hartling worked from a digital picture taken from the crowd while other media used included collage, pastel, painting and drawing.
Photo Credit: PJ Stephen - twitter.com/thepeej
City Nights is an ongoing program for members of this town is small. We welcome all artists, emerging and professional and will try to accommodate all mediums. No idea is too crazy for us to discuss!
City Nights will happen every two months! Sign up for the February Event Now!
If you are interested in playing music, modeling, or creating art at a City Nights event or becoming a member of this town is small please contact Becka at this.town.is.small@gmail.com
Photo Credit: PJ Stephen twitter.com/thepeej
Communities that work together feel good!
ask the buffalo - Ben Allain, 2007- 2010 (oil and acrylic on wood board)
written by Becka Viau
this town is small is not the only group of its kind in the Maritimes! Although small town is structured as an artist-run centre it has a similar collaborative community approach to a group based out of New Brunswick called Feelsgood.ca. Based from a blog site the group organizes events and promotes emerging artists’ work of all genres. It is nice to know that Small Town is not alone and that other communities have benefited from a similar approach to community engagement and support for the arts.
Feelsgood.ca is gearing up for their 2nd annual Folly Fest, a celebration of local art, music, and community, set to happen at the Queen’s County Fairgrounds in beautiful Gagetown Village, NB, July 9th and 10th, 2010. Festivals are a great way to promote solidarity between various genres of artists, building community support for the arts and exporting local culture into the national realm.
Ben Allain, originally from Summerside PEI is an active member of the feelsgood.ca crew… and he is currently having a Christmas Bonanza sale of his playful and romantic artwork with 15% of all sales directly supporting the Feelsgood.ca Folly Fest 2011. Art makes a great gift ( for christmas or anytime!), and it is nice to know that by supporting an Island Artist you are also supporting a great collaborative community event. Check out the Sale info below!
The Great and Big Holiday Artwork Bonanza!
right through mid-January
Fifteen percent of sales will go toward Follyfest 2011‚ put on by the
fun fine folks at FeelsGood.ca.
Eighty-five percent of sales will go toward Benjamin’s second annual
The Great and Big Holiday Artwork Bonanza.
There are a hundred-and-some drawings and paintings and photographs‚
some dating from 2006 and made new. er.
No Interesting Offers Refused. Please send a message to inquire.
Thank you for sitting down and looking.
Happy December
(For details on the sale‚ please view the “description” portion of the
photo album’s main page.)
