A lot of non-dedicated spaces exist as art galleries. Here in my current hometown of Mansfield, OH, our coffee shop & indie bookstore continuously host art by local artists. That says something about this area, I believe.
Some friends of mine own a salon downtown. These same guys have, for a while now, been patrons-of-sorts. They regularly encourage me, offer feedback on my creations & pass art supplies & knowledge my way. I’m so grateful.
During this past holiday season, I displayed some paintings & handmade ornaments in their shop. That morphed into an idea: What if they allowed me to show in their nontraditional space? Treat it like an art gallery? As in, regularly change out my pieces, say, once per month for all of 2019?
This would keep me creating on deadline. Structure’s good sometimes. A series of fresh pieces on a monthly basis.
My friends readily & whole-heartedly agreed. (It could be that they’ve been nudging me to show my pieces there for a while now…)
Their business caters to an existing clientele. It’s not exactly a public space. For a wider audience, I figured I’d share my pieces here each month. That’s another way to hold myself accountable to this New Year’s commitment. Also a solid way to revive this site I’ve been aggressively neglecting.
I reckon another part in sharing this is to challenge other artists. No official “Art Gallery” where you live? Or maybe there are such galleries, but, for whatever reason, they’re not a good fit for your art?
Stretch your perspective; get creative. That is, after all, something you’re great at.
Shoot, hang your pieces on a wall in your own home, snaps pics & post them online. Blogs are free. I’m starting to remember this fact. This very blog scored me the sell of a sculpture to Fox Studios & an amazing commission via a design firm in Seattle for a project in South Korea. I’ve even sold a few pieces thanks to simply posting pics on my Facebook page. Dude, unexpected. And easy.
Assuming I keep this commitment throughout the year (you know how fickle/flaky us artists can be sometimes), a range of subjects & styles will spill out. Ya know how some artists have a particular style, technique, media, what have you? Yeah, not me. All depends on what materials I have available, what I feel I need to express/purge through my art at any given moment, whatever inspiration comes.
I fought this niggling for years. Felt a need to nail my style down, focus, find that singular visual vocabulary that’s identifiably me. Well, at some point here recently, I kinda got over that. Somewhere in all my pieces, there’s my metaphorical fingerprint, right?
I’m betting you’ve got one, too.
If you like anything you see, let me know.
I hope to see your work. I also hope to hear your ideas of how artists can get their work out there in creative ways.
If we don’t do it for ourselves, who will?
LUCAS HARGIS 