SUPERNATURAL FEATS, SECRETS and a PHILANTHROPIC COOL CAT Magic is the art of appearing to perform supernatural feats. This is what artCentral artists do. They appear to perform supernatural feats! Each time an artist lights up with an image, a thought or an impulse and transmogrifies that urging into a tangible and perceivable creation another supernatural feat is accomplished. Magic is made. |
The secrets of artCentral, our vibrant non-profit, creative arts community, have been a long time in the making and the keeping and the sharing.
Way back in 1985, Sandy Higgins saw magic-in-the-making when she first happened upon a rag-tag consortium of emerging artists in a cavernous old Carthage emptied-out store. Lowell Davis, Jerry Ellis, Larry Glaze, Bill Snow and Bob Tommey (artists we recognize today as regional “greats”) were happily ensconced inside, rapturously making their art and plying their secrets into supernatural feats, while they were hidden away, beyond the public’s view.
Sandy decided, “These magic makers need to be seen, their creations displayed.” She passionately believed she was the one to help this happen. She did. Voilà! Sandy’s vision was born as C.A.S.T.—Carthage Arts Support Team—located first on Central Avenue before moving to the Geranium House at Red Oak II and finally becoming artCentral at home in our beautiful, historic Hyde House on the hill.
Every day, whether working at Hyde House or at home in Paradise, I live in a world of art-filled supernatural feats and secrets of wonderment. Upstairs in artCentral’s Boardroom Boutique, Jerry Ellis’s large watercolor, “Geranium House” is proudly on display, while the terrific hand-rubbed collages and prints of Josie Mai continue on exhibition in all of Hyde House’s galleries through May 20th.
Downstairs at home in Paradise, the magically-colorfully-whimsically painted, cool cat “Lawrence”, by artCentral artist Tyla Raredon, resonates vibrantly with the stained glass windows and the global collection of artful feats and secrets on the tall walls of our spacious salon. While several works come to us from afar—a quilted faux camel bust from India (to be used in this autumn’s “Art of Quilting” exhibition) and a landscape scroll with boaters painted in China over fifty years ago by Edward Lee before his East to West immigration—we locally sourced Tyla’s dear “Lawrence” this time last year at artCentral’s Annual Membership Exhibition.
Love-at-first sight was our instant response to “Lawrence”, since he stands proudly posturing and erect with his secrets hidden behind his no-nonsense magician’s gaze, just like our ancient white cat Ding. “Lawrence’s” purchase transaction came with a bonus. As though under a spell, Tyla dedicated and donated her artist proceeds from our check to the Spare Cat Rescue program here in Carthage. (Cool cats and cool artists can be natural philanthropists spreading magic all around them!)
Oh, my! That old cliché rings so true once again, “What goes around comes around,” or as Joni Mitchell sings, “And the seasons they go round and round, the painted ponies [and cats] go up and down” especially in our community of fine artists.
Lately David and I have been talking a lot about this, for artCentral’s 2018 Annual Membership Exhibition, opening June 1st, is coming back around in just three weeks. The call for artist entries is out!
All you artists of artCentral, for all the details visithttp://www.artcentralcarthage.org/2018-annual-membership-exhibition-middot-artist-submission-information.html. Bring us your best! The Hyde House walls will be ready to celebrate your talents!
Once again McCune-Brooks Healthcare Foundation is providing the generous underwriting that makes this collective supernatural feat an exciting reality. Cash awards will go to works of excellence selected by our two celebrity jurors. Juror Elizabeth Simmons is the innovative executive director of McCune-Brooks Healthcare Foundation that makes so much good go round and round in the arts as well as health care throughout this region. Juror Andy Thomas, well everyone knows he’s our magic-making local artistic treasure who certainly knows his way around a set of brushes and a palette laden with oils. Besides living right up the street from artCentral, he’s painted a few famous paintings of our Presidents and hundreds of other memorable works, too!
Both our jurors are très art savvy! Lucky me, I get to be the one who holds the secrets of their selections until their revealing at the Annual Picnic on artCentral’s beautiful lawn, Friday, June 1, 2018, 6:00-8:00 pm. Dinner is yours for a five dollar donation.. Everyone is invited to join in the magic and the merriment as we feast and celebrate the supernatural feats and resplendent secrets of artCentral’s amazing artists!