What is Art?

Reflections on our recent Open House

 

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!

Where Everyone Knows Your Name

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.

New, New New at our Open House!!

If you’ve not yet been introduced to the Canton Arts District or have only been to Second April Art Galerie and Studios during First Friday you should plan on stopping by this Friday during the Open House.  Second April is THE place to be during First Friday but its also worth a more leisure and thorough look at other times.   We’d like you to know also that this place is an ever evolving hub of creativity, art and inspiration!   The artist’s of the Studios and Annex have planned this evening to showcase new work, introduce new artists and show of new looks in their art spaces. 

Time:         5:00- 9:00 pm

Date:          April 30, 2010

Where:     324 Cleveland Ave. NW Canton, Ohio 44702

330-451-0924

Studio Open House

 

You are invited!!

I apologize for being negligent in keeping up with this blog.  The artists of Second April though have not been negligent in creating new work, redecorating studios and just generally doing a great job of getting the second floor and annex in great shape for our Open House scheduled April 30th.  You are all invited and believe you will be rewarded with lots of treats for your eyes as well as your stomach!  Food, art and fun!  What more can you want??  Bring a friend and see what all the Arts District in Canton has to offer.

The Lightbearer

Art Gallery and Theater

 

The Ohio ProJect Theatre

 

& The Kathleen Howland Theatre Present…..
The Lightbearer

by Shane Riggs
A comedy about life’s little dramas
Directed by Jay Spencer
Featuring: Kimberli Rowley, Era Lynn Tripp, Stephanie Hester, Marie Graelis & Cheryl Smith

The Lightbearer is the story of women who have been friends for 50 years and who meet every week as church volunteers.One week one of the friends is unable to join them which brings thoughts of change and memories of days gone by.

The Kathleen Howland Theatre

324 Cleveland Ave. NW

Downtown Canton, Ohio
Tickets are $10.00 each and can be purchased at 2nd April Galerie, by calling 330-451-0924 or online at www.secondapril.org/lightbearer

2nd April galerie & Studios

324 Cleveland Ave. NW

Canton, Ohio 44702

330-451-0924

www.secondapril.org

 

Check out our upcoming shows at

The Kathleen Howland Theatre!

www.secondapril.org/theater

February 19th & 20th – 8:00pm
February 21st – 2:30pm

Paint-a-thon!

 

Shorty Awards Paint-A-Thon for BZtat

Artist BZTAT Holds Fundraising Paint-a-Thon

 (Canton, Ohio) February 2, 2010 -Thanks to her loyal fans on Twitter, Canton, OH artist BZTAT (AKA Vicki Boatright) is a finalist in the Shorty Awards.

 “Hollywood has the Oscars. Broadway has the Tonys. Now Twitter has the…Shorty Awards.” ~The New York Times

The Shorty Awards Ceremony where the winners will be announced will be held in New York City on March 3, 2010. In order to raise money for the trip, BZTAT will be holding a special fund raising event.

On Thursday, February 18, 2010BZTAT will engage in an exclusive “Paint-A-Thon”, painting animal themed artworks non-stop from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm at Second April Galerie in Canton, OH.

All works created in that 12 hours will be auctioned off in a silent auction to raise money for BZTAT to attend the Shorty Awards Ceremony in New York City on March 3, 2010.  Interested individuals can bid on the artwork either on location at Second April Galerie or online via Twitter.

Bidding on BZTAT artworks will begin at 7:00 pm EDT and conclude around 9:00 pm EDT on Thursday, February 18. BZTAT will have assistants tweeting photos of the works on Twitter as she creates them and after they are completed. Follow #bztatptg on Twitter to get the latest updates.

If you would like to submit a bid on Twitter, please send a tweet with your bid amount and #bztatptg written in the tweet. Your profile must be visible in Tweetgrid  for us to receive the bid. All bids must be in $5.00 increments. A 10-minute warning will be tweeted to announce the conclusion of the auction 10 minutes before bidding stops.

It is recommended that interested Twitterers follow the action on Tweetgrid  to get real time updates. (We are not responsible for any technical difficulties that may occur as a result of Twitter or associated application interruptions.) Bids will also be taken on site at Second April. Winning bidders will purchase the work by contributing to the Shorty Awards Trip widget located on the left sidebar at www.bztat.com. Any shipping costs will be the responsibility of the winning bidder ($15.00 in Continental USA, varies for other locations).

Even if you do not wish to bid on the artwork, you can still participate and help re-tweet the action! Non-deductible contributions to the Shorty Awards Trip can also be made through theChip-In widget located on the left sidebar at www.bztat.com. Any size contribution is welcome.

The Shorty Awards honor the best people and organizations on Twitter. These unique awards are for the Twitter community, by the Twitter community. Online voting is public and democratic, culminating in an awards ceremony that recognizes the winners in 26 official categories as well as those in brand new crowd-sourced ones.

BZTAT is a finalist in the ART category. This is quite an honor, considering the millions of people using Twitter around the globe and the many artists who use the micro-blogging site to promote their artwork. “I am very thankful to those who nominated me and voted me into the finals!” says BZTAT.

BZTAT has made an international name for herself and her pet portraits through the use of her personal Twitter account, @BZTAT (http://twitter.com/BZTAT), and that of her cat, @BrewskieButt (http://twitter.com/BrewskieButt). In just one year, Vicki has used her paintings of cats and dogs to build a Twitter following of 4,500 for her spokescat (fondly referred to as The Brew to his fans) and about 2,900 followers for herself.

BZTAT and The Brew not only promote her artwork on Twitter but also network with other artists and animal lovers from around the world, promoting various animal causes and bringing visibility to the Canton Arts District in Canton, OH (http://cantonartsdistrict.com/).

Date: Thursday, February 18, 2010

Time: Paint-A-Thon by Artist BZTAT:  9:00 AM-9:00 PM; Silent  Auction: 7:00 PM-9:00 PM

Where: Second April Galerie, Canton, OH; Twitterverse

Contact: 330.451.0924 or secondapril at sbcglobal.net for information about Second April Galerie.

Life is an Adventure!
BZTAT
Vicki Boatright
Art Adventures Studios

“Sometimes I see it and then paint it. Other times I paint it and then see it.” Jasper Johns