First Friday!

As always I enjoyed the energy, enthusiasm and interest from the people coming downtown for First Friday.    This past First Friday had a magical feel to it with the snow falling and the ice sculptures glistening!  The crowd was happy, relaxed and enjoying themselves!

I share my space with two fabulous artists- Terri Howard who creates intricate, beautifully drawn decorative gourds.  Sarah Schumaker livens up the space with her jewelry, pottery and mixed media paintings and collages.   I enjoy painting portraits of animals (pets and horses) wildlife, floral, landscapes and abstract oil paintings.   I also enjoy helping out various animal related rescues and therapies at http://www.art-for-horses.com

Second April Art Galerie

I’ve heard people compare organizing artists to herding cats.  I’d have to agree because artists are usually independent and self employed.  They have their own schedules, projects, priorities and it may appear we can’t get on the same page with anything BUT I can say this….. we may not have our schedules all in sync but we do share a common goal at 2nd April.  Every artist is there for the purpose of selling their art.   We have numerous artistic visions to share and a multitude of styles and mediums to please and challenge a wide variety of preferences.  Many of the artists are starting up classes.  Many have working studios that you are welcome to stop by.  Some of us welcome groups for artists talks, demos and tours.  Todd and Brennis do an outstanding job in th gallery on the main floor and the live theatre on the lower level.  On the second floor each studio is an independent artist space and a mini gallery of their work.   We have potters, painters, fiber artists, digital photography, jewelry, gourd art, abstract, realistic, impressionistic, fantasy, whimsical…. of I could go on and on!

We are thankful for our neighboring galleries and art studios and for the variety of good restaurants within walking distance.  Are you looking for a fun, interesting day out?  Please consider the Canton Art District.  Its likely an artist will be at work somewhere in the studios or annex or you can always call beforehand to be sure.  I welcome painting demos and artist talks for groups.   With some prior notice we could probably accommodate your wishes.  Let us know what you are thinking!

Sue Steiner 330-957-0204 or call the gallery at 330-451-0924.  Thank you!

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Will has caused quite a bidding war on eBay as facebook friends bid back and forth to raise funds for a deserving cat rescue and also become the owner's of his oil painting! I used this term 'Trash to Treasure' with the very first Save A Face painting because I wanted to demonstrate how something one person views as 'trash' is another's treasure.  The pretty black and white kitty Will and his siblings were dumped into a t … Read More

via Art by Sue Steiner

PS  We had an amazing First Friday last night.  Need some inspiration and artistic energy infusion?  Stop by Second April Art Galerie and Studios and meet the artists and visit their spaces! 

This video is from  Chalk the Walk 2009.    Every month the arts district has a special theme for the First Friday Events that happen year round.

Tonight is June’s First Friday!  I hope you can stop by the gallery and studios.  Live Music, Art and fun people!  Food vendors, restraurants and activities for all ages.  See http://www.cantonfirstfriday.com for a complete listing of all events and attractions. 

 Here’s a sampling of what goes on under our roof.  

 Lots of new art to see and buy Second April Art Gallerie!  Jewelry, pottery, First Friday t-shirts and original, locally created art off all kinds by a whole group of talented artists!

Enjoy the coffee bar while listening to live music.  Browse the gallery on the main level, pick up a theater schedule for future reference and come upstairs to see the individual artists studios.

I’ll be doing a painting demo on the second floor in White Horse Studio. 

Essence Studio has a new look at a new studio on the main floor!  

Journey Studios of artist Su Nimon has Canton Prints and fiber and textile wearable art.

Dana Muntean studio offers animal art, painted furniture, mural and faux finishing.

The Dreg Spot is a favorite spot because of the electrifying digital images he creates. 

Lynn Digby and Michele Waalkes Studio features beauitful oil portraits, landscapes and fiber art.

Bad Girlz Designs features jewelry, photography and paintings.   

Shannon West’s intricate and lively floral themed abstract art will brighten up your home or office!

Studio 207 has brought in Sarah Schumaker and Terri Howard in addition to Sue Steiner to bring together a collection of gourd art, beautifully colored and richly textured mixed media, abstract floral and landscape paintings and pet portraits.

Jeff Lowe and Carolyn Jacob are both photographers but one works in striking  black and white and the other in vivid color.  Both are worth seeing.

The AGOG Teen Gallery and The Bored Room house the up and coming talent of our high schoolers. 

Rod Hardy, wood carver, muralist also offers detailed pen and ink home or office portraits.

There are more artists…. talented and varied….. stop by for a fun, interesting evening!

View From My Studio

 ’The View From the Studio Door, How Artist Find Their Way In An Uncertain World’  by Ted Orland

I am reading this book and in it the author states artists face 3 big problems:

1. Art plays no role in our culture.

2. Artists have little direct contact with their audience.

3.  Artmaking is indulged, but rarely rewarded. 

Wow.  As an artist I read this and think, why should I even bother creating art ?  

To be honest I have to paint.   I don’t mean to be dramatic but I think now, since I’ve discovered painting,  I would wither and die without it.  Its like I don’t even have a choice.  Its what I can do and I think, maybe not all the time, but sometimes, I do quite well. 

I’ll have to continue reading the book.  These 3 statements  kind of floored me so I stopped reading to write this blog.  What do you think?  Do you think art has no role in our culture? 

Do artists have litttle direct contact with their audience? 

I know positively that is not the case with me.  I sell my work thru my studio and online.  Most of the people who buy from me either met me online or at my studio.   I love this aspect of having an art studio at Second April Art Galerie.   I love it so much in fact I moved my working studio from my home to my ‘White Horse Studio’ on the second floor of 2nd April.  My studio overlooks Cleveland Ave. and I love it.  I can gaze out the window…  I am even pretty certain people can see me from the street working at my easel.   I feel like I am tapped into the art community.   I feel a part of things and I feel people have an interest in what goes on in the gallery.  Maybe thats just me projecting my feelings of the place because I love it but I don’t think so.  I hear and see the people who come in. I am not alone in feeling this is a special, invigorating  place. 

I suppose in the day of gallery representation the artist did not meet their audience.  My hunch is that the way in which artists sell has changed with the accessibility we now have to our ‘audience’ by way of the Internet.  Every artist has a web site, a blog, a twitter account, facebook pages and the likes.  Everyone is the star of their own show.  Everyone has the chance to build their ‘audience’ by social networking.   Its an interesting juxtaposition I struggle with.  How do I get exposure for my art AND have the time and mental space to create my art?  Everyone and his brother now blogs… we are all blabbing so much about ourselves that no one can hear above the racket.  I get tired of it but I can’t stop either because now I have an audience!!!  I force myself to take computer breaks or else it will drive me nuts but I also am a computer fanatic.  I am addicted to facebook.  I’ve got more blogs than anyone should have and  just today I was advising a talented but computer illiterate artist the benefits of blogging.   I even offered to write up a blog for him.  I couldn’t stand that someone talented and interesting would not have a blog.   I want him to have an audience because I know it would make him happy and people would love him. 

I do kind of miss the days of being squirrelled away all by myself just painting what I want when I want.   I’d spend the whole day completely absorbed in my painting.  If I had that again I’d be hungry for the interaction with other artists and my ‘public’.   The complete absorbtion on good days felt focused and wonderful but is isolating and solitary too.  In fact thats when I began my blog– so I did not feel so isolated.  I shared my daily paintings to the vast sea of the internet and thought someone somewhere saw what I did that day.    Look world, what I did today!

Am I rewarded for my work?   Well depends on what he means by rewarded.  I get paid.  I haven’t had the time to submit work to shows this year so I’ve not won many awards this year.  Did get first place recently though in one I did enter.   My rewards are tangible and intangible.  Yes, its nice to get paid.   My art career started later in life.  I am self taught and feel quite protective of my art and have decided my motivation at this point in my life is not money driven.  Being motivated by money isn’t a bad thing– thats why most people work.  But my art feels like it was something plucked from the sky and dropped on me when I was 40-ish years old.   So I still feel like I am in the exploratory stage of my art.  I am my own apprentice, learning on the  job.    I don’t mean technique– although I am always interested in learning technique.  I mean exploring what it is to me.    My art is really the only thing thats been all about me (except when its a commission).  What do I see?  What do I want to convey?  What emotions does that evoke in me?  So so selfish!!!  Me, me me!!!    No wonder we artists all want to blog and blab all over about ourselves!  Look at what I did!!  the Internet has become the worldwide refrigerator door of the world for all of us to hang our art on. 

I am veering, which I am prone to do.  Sorry, I got caught up in myself. 

Since I blabbed about myself, now its your turn.  How do you feel about those statements above?  Has art no place in our culture?  Have we lost touch with our audience?  Are we merely indulged, rather than rewarded?  I want to know your thoughts.  Passing the microphone and spotlight to you ………  I’ll share this on facebook and twitter if you will.

Art is ageless and timeless … from the cave drawings to present day art, it has a way of living on and connecting people.   Art crosses age boundaries and connects generations.  Art is age defying.

One of the things I enjoy most about having a studio at Second April is I get to meet and interact with people of all ages. Art connects people of all ages. I think art keeps you young because it taps into that drive we all had as children to create. It is play for adults. Many of the artists of the Studios and Annex of Second April offer classes or workshops that help you tap into your innate creativity. Just last week a private party booked the gallery and had a collage class. Lots of laughter and fun was had by those who attended.

The Annex has two studios occupied by some very talented teen artists. They as a rule open their doors during First Fridays so stop in and support them. I believe giving teens an outlet like this is invaluable and I want to encourage the kids as well as the parents any way I can.

The gallery brings in people of all ages too. Yesterday I had a young girl in my studio who came to the studios with her mom because she likes art. I got to talk with her for a few minutes and offer some encouragment.  I could tell right away she was connecting to what I was saying. I told her to just keep it up and to find what pleases her when creating. With all the styles and variety of art you will never ‘please’ everyone but most art is pleasing to someone. So please yourself… whether it is a piece you buy to enjoy or you create to express yourself.  

This week there have been lots of teens in the gallery putting up artwork- floor to ceiling artwork! I love seeing their work and talking with the students. I feel happy for them as they get an opportunity to showcase their creations. And I love talking with them as they talk about what they’ve created. This show featuring Jackson High School students will be up thru June First Friday.

As a society that values youth, we spend an awful lot of time buying things that advertised to keep us youthful on the outside.  Why not do that which keeps you young on the inside and collect and create art?  

If you believe that art galleries are stuffy, stand off-ish places with outrageous prices  let me dispel that myth.  Second April Art Galeries and Studios is far from stuffy or stand off-ish and they sell  a variety of art that makes great gifts or home decor for reasonable prices.  Some of the art is high end but they also have lower price points.  One of my favorite purchases from Second April were beautiful, little pottery dishes that were for 5.00 each.  I gave them out one year for teacher gifts.  Everything is created by local artists so not only do you feed your creative spirit but you give back to the  community.

I think all the artists would agree our recent Open House was a wonderful success.  We had hoped to highlight all the unique, creative art work available on the second level of  2nd April Art Galerie at a time other than a First Friday.  Usually First Fridays are busy, busy, busy and not as conducive to conversation and lingering.  We wanted to give people the opportunity to really soak in all the great things going on in the studios and annex of Second April.    We wanted to give them a chance to chat with the artist if they wanted.   I was able to gather from some of the people through my studio that this was exactly what happened.  Some of the people who came had only been to the gallery on a First Friday and were not aware we are open 6 days a week!  In fact the gallery has a very active schedule of events from live theatre preformances, to free live music during Folk Fridays to private parties to art shows and special events!  Downtown Canton is a fun place! 

As a group on the second floor I think the Open House confirmed that the surrounding communities are interested in supporting local artists and we need to do more of our own thing!  Please subscribe to this blog or go to http://www.secondapril.org to the events calendar and sign up for updates.  The photos above are just a sampling of the studios.  I only made it partway down the hall before things got busy.  I invite you to come down to the gallery anytime Tues.-Sat 10:00- 6:00pm and see for yourself!

Who would of thought an art gallery would be the place for people to congregate?  Since I’ve been at Second April I have noticed that people use the coffee bar as a gathering place to see friends and check in with what is new.  Brennis and Todd have a knack for putting people at ease and creating a friendly, inviting environment.   Not only do they give local artists a place to sell their work but they give the community a much needed place to gather and connect.  I love buying gifts and art at Second April because I know it is directly improving our communities and enriching people’s lives.  That is what art is all about.   If you’ve not been to Second April Art Galerie in downtown Canton, it is worth a visit.