J. Perrault: Our First "Whine & Critique"

Since the death of Tom Buechner and with "Open Studio" being mothballed, artists in the community had found themselves increasingly drifting apart. It was decided to have a monthly get-together, a time for artists to share a glass of wine and a piece of art. The piece could be finished, unfinished or something the artist is 'stuck' on. The goals are to network and help each other move forward.

Our first W&C was held at 171 Cedar Arts Center. The Center's director, Lynn Rhoda Dates, generously opened up the second floor art studio for two hours. About 18 artists attended ( I did a head count - but forgot what it was) and almost all brought a piece of work. The next W&C will be held in the studio of Bridget Bossart von Otterloo. All artists polled thought it would be interesting for other artists to host the monthly event, sort of a 'book club' format. We want to see each other's studios, perhaps gain some tips on set-up and working.

Any artist is invited. All are welcome. Please bring a beverage of your choice or a dish to share. It's very informal. Pieces are displayed. The artist is asked to say a few words on the piece, then everyone jumps in.

Lessons learned from the first W&C:

We need to start talking about the art earlier, leaving the socializing for afterward.
There needs to be a time limit on the critique of each piece.
Two hours wasn't enough. Three is better.

Two pieces of art seemed to gather the most attention. Barb Blumer brought in two small paintings she'd done using eye shadow. Barb started the pieces for fun, to see if it was possible, and wasn't expecting the (positive) reaction. Marty Poole brought in a large interior he found himself stuck on. Marty presented his problems and requested comments. He got a lot of them.

We didn't get to all of the work. Thus the idea of a timer. Comments on the night have been very positive. It's apparent there were a few rough edges - but hey, it was our first one. They're scheduled for the third Mondays of the month. We have an email list but it isn't complete. If you're intererested in attending and not on the email list, please contact West End Gallery (607) 936-2011 or email me and we'll get you the details.