What Are YOU Afraid of?

Things have been moving along at the City Art Center as we are always striving to exhibit challenging and thought-provoking art in the City of Delaware! We are planning out the next several months and hope that you will continue to stop in to see what's going on. Also, come by and give us some feedback as well as sign up to get involved! We can use your help and support! Our Gallery Hours are currently: Fridays 4-7pm & Saturdays 2-7pm.

Our current exhibition is "What Are You Afraid Of?" and is running through the end of the month. We had a great turn out last week at First Friday! So many people contributed to our "What Are You Afraid Of? Wall as you can see below! Some really interesting fears!


Our Featured artists are:
David Senecal
Jacob Eden
Janet Grissom
Kristin Drake
Here are some shots of the space, but you should really stop by and see it yourself!



We are planning to have a closing party (costumes welcome!) on the evening of Saturday, October 29. More details will be posted soon as they become clear. Hope you can make it.

What's up next? You ask...

...Well, just in time for the family-focused, feasting month of November,
none other than
The Talented and Fabulous Artist: Jenny Fine!

The Saddest Day, number 5.

Artist Statement: Jenny Fine
I photograph my family. Through the lens of my camera, the landscape of the family farm and the interiors of our homes become a stage on which our costumed bodies perform tenderness. Over time, the camera has become a tool for facilitating intimacy between my family and me; a way of expressing the things that feel difficult in life but, through the camera, are made possible. The reoccurring themes in my work explore the familial narratives told to me during my life in rural Alabama. The resulting images function as an emotional narrative about memory, family, loss and the often difficult and complex relationships that surround love. Through the use of contemporary and historical photographic processes, moving image, and installation, I create images and environments inspired by my family’s narratives.

The Artist will be presenting a performance the night of the Opening Reception, First Friday, November 4, 2011, from 6-9pm.

We are now accepting volunteers for that performance. If you are interested, please email Jessi Walker at: artcompartment@gmail.com
To be eligible for consideration as a performer, you will need to be available both evenings:Thursday, Nov. 3 as well as Fri. Nov. 4., we will need to get your clothing size in order to arrange for a costume, and note that performers will be wearing masks. We could also use help assisting the performance (sound, props, etc).

We are also very excited to host Delaware Artist, Diane Almendinger with her intensely beautiful paintings for our One-Year Anniversary Exhibition!
Mark your calendars for the First Friday in December, this is the 2nd day of the month. We are lining up some festive performers as well to celebrate our first birthday!

Our Life Drawing Sessions are back! If you are interested in participating in a self-guided, life drawing session, we meet at the CAC on Tuesday Evenings at 7 pm. The model is provided, however you will need to bring your own mark-making supplies. No registration is needed, it is $8 to drop-in per 2+ hour session. If you are interested in modeling, let us know, we can always use new models.

Make sure you check out our Facebook Page, where we post art happenings and information that will feed your creative brain as well as more photos from our events and exhibitions! (You do not have to be logged in or subscribe to Facebook to view the site)


Stay Well and Be Creative!

Fall Forward

Drawing Interest: A Survey of Drawings, Doodles, and Sketches
Quite the project! We were so excited to receive so many submissions from the community and beyond!!! There were submissions from not only Delaware, but Columbus, Normal, IL, and even Australia!! Many of the doodles & drawings came from local students: elementary through college! Artists and non-artists alike willingly contributed as well! We are so glad to have this level of creative participation from the community!
The aspect of the show that I personally enjoyed most was the accumulation of artifacts, not just drawings. There was a sense that each submission was an object that corresponded with a moment in each artist's world, it seemed to be a collection of twinklings of personal histories.
Stay tuned as we plan to host another show next year with a similar concept of community involvement. The submissions will be available this Saturday 2-7pm for pick up. The entries that were shipped will be returned in the next week.



It was impossible to stop discovering new amazing details throughout the show each time one looked! The images below are some examples of work that received many comments during our gallery hours. There was so much praise for all of the talent in the show and in our community!

This was a collaboration between father and son artists, combining various characters - We Love It!!!


There will be many more photos posted on our Facebook Page!

This weekend (9/30 & 10/1), we are taking time to plan out the next year as well as installing our next big show!! The doors will be open, however, we are in-between shows. You are welcome to stop by and pick up your drawings or even witness the behind the scenes at the CAC. We always welcome volunteers and if you have a project, workshop, or show idea, we would love for you to share it!


Our next show: What Are You Afraid Of?
will be opening next Friday October 7 from 6-9pm.
This exhibition will be featuring a group of artists that work in subject matter that explores the darker side of life and fantasy. The overall theme of the show is Fear! and it might be more of an experience than you expect!!!

Some of the Featured Artists:
David Senecal
Jeff Eden
Janet Grissom
Kristin Drake

We will also be opening our doors on Halloween for a Trick or Treat Special Event of a "Mad Artist Labratory!" in which everyone from the community is invited to tour our Spooked-Up Art Center for a real treat!
Ever wanted to create a Haunted House? We invite YOU to help out on Saturdays in October (2-7pm) in building and painting the sets and decorations for this event. We need your creative input, time, and/or skills to pull this off. We are also accepting donations of materials that can be used for our "Mad Artist Labratory"

Summer Reflections

Wow, did summer fly by or what? We had some great energy stirring in the CAC this summer, some really fun and interesting exhibits that we are quite proud of!!!

We kicked off the summer in June with our Ground Works Exhibition showcasing many of the talented artists that are involved with the CAC.

In July, we mixed it up a little with another group exhibition: Hello Science featuring artists that demonstrate their "conversations" with science in their work. We had a remarkable gallery talk surrounding that show with all of the artists present and a full house. It was great to see that kind of active participation from the community!

Speaking of community being engaged, we had record turn-out for visitors in the month of August with A History of Everything and Nothing by Columbus artist Susan Li O'Connor! The cascading paper curtain and organic tunnel structure sparked the curiosity of people by the dozens! It was fabulous to see the responses the site specific installation of nearly 4 thousand paper mailers (donated by Columbus College of Art & Design) transforming our gallery space! The conversations that took place in the midst of this exhibition were inspiring!
See Below for some photos from this exhibition:




We've had so many questions about how this work was created and just as many about how it was removed! So to satisfy your curiosity, we're attaching some photos of the de-install process as well!!


Special Thanks to Susan, who not only shared her creative ingenuity with the CAC and our community, but worked so hard to get this show installed in a small window of time(in the intense heat!)!!! Thanks to all of the volunteers that helped her out as well!

During the month of August, we began collecting material for our September show: Drawing Interest. This was a wide open look at Drawings, Doodles, and Sketches from a diverse range of individuals from the area. It was so exciting to see the different drawings coming in to the art center to be shared for this exciting show. We received drawings and doodles of all kinds, from artists' renderings to kids' drawings and doodles on the edges of notes, not to mention many submissions from Ohio Wesleyan University students. There are all sorts of creative experiments and expressions, this is a true community display of talent and participation. Drawing Interest is open through this weekend, so today and tomorrow are your final chances to see this exhibition! (Gallery Hours: Fri. 4-7pm & Sat. 2-7pm) (Photos to come soon)

Thanks to the volunteers from OWU this month who helped out with the gallery!!! We hope that you will continue to be involved with the CAC this year!!!!

And the biggest thanks goes out to our community, much of whom are continuously reminding us of what we mean to them! The City Art Center is operated by 100% Volunteers and it is our greatest reward to hear feedback and your supportive comments about what we are doing in the lovely City of Delaware! We hope to keep serving the Delaware area with interesting art exhibitions, platforms for conversations, art studio spaces, creative demonstrations, classes and workshops!
We want you to be involved and share your ideas! How can the CAC function in new creative ways for the community? Email those ideas to: cityartcenter22@gmail.com (include in the subject line: IDEAS for CAC) remember we want your ideas, but we also want you to help us see them through!!!

Before we close this segment, I would like to give a very warm welcome to our newest board members:
Tammy Wallace (Ross Art Museum) & Scott Culbert (Delaware Attorney)
So glad to have you guys on board!!!

Don't forget to keep up with us on Facebook!!!

Gallery Talk Tonight!

Please Join Us for our Gallery Talk!!!

Our current exhibition: "A History of Everything & Nothing" by Susan Li O'Connor
What a great show!!! So many people have been in to see this amazing installation with such a great response! The show runs through the end of August. Stop in & check it out!




Below are some highlights from the last gallery talk for our "Hello Science" Exhibition. What a success! So many people came out!

Right on the Mark

Tonight: Opening Reception for Susan Li O'Connor's

A History of Everything and Nothing
At the City Art Center from 6-9pm

We hope you can join us to celebrate this fabulous site-specific art installation!
The show is up for the month of August
Gallery Hours: Thurs. 1-4pm, Fri. 4-7pm, Sat. 2-7pm

UP NEXT:

The CAC is accepting submissions for unframed drawings for the September Exhibition until August 29

What we are looking for*:
portraits
landscapes
doodles
sketches of: your pet, family, clouds, clowns, rhinoceroses, toes, water, pears, or anything else you like (or don't like)
plans for your ideas
pictures of your thoughts and dreams
automated drawings
*These are loose perimeters for the project and the submissions are not limited to this list

How this show is going to roll:
We are looking for unframed drawings & doodles because the idea is to fill the CAC with drawings that will be pinned to the walls
(Upon submission, the artists agree that their work may be pinned in the corners)
If you want your drawing to be labeled with your name. please print or sign the drawing (we are not making labels for each drawing)
We are hoping to cover every inch of wall space with drawings!

Who can submit their work:
people who can only draw a stick figure
people who cannot draw a stick figure
local artists
regional artists
international artists (why not?)
local or regional or international non-artists
sort-of-maybe artists
collaborations between artists and/or semi-artists (we love collaborations!)
children
adults
animals that can draw

What kind of paper should one use:
all kinds of drawing paper will be accepted
we are also interested in what kind of paper you might come up with such as:
hotel stationary
junk mail envelopes
company letterhead
post-it notes
notebook paper
backs of memos
cocktail napkins
Also acceptable: anything you could come up with that can be drawn upon!

What kind of pencil or pen can be used:
anything that makes a mark

How do I submit my drawing(s):
Up to 5 Drawings (Doodles, etc) will be accepted per person
No Entry Fee (However, these shows do cost $, so a $5-10 donation would greatly help us out!)
Options:
Drop off in person during our gallery hours (Th. 1-4pm, Fri. 4-7pm, Sat.2-7pm)
*or other arrangements can be made for drop-off, see below for questions contact

Mail or Ship to:
City Art Center
c/o Exhibitions
22 E. Winter Street
Delaware, Ohio 43015

Please Note: This exhibition includes drawings which may display some elements of nudity

Questions regarding this exhibition may be directed to: Jessi
email: artcompartment@gmail.com



Proposals for Upcoming Art Exhibitions Can be emailed to: cityartcenter22@gmail.com
Write "Proposal" in your Subject Line.
Please include your Exhibition Proposal, outlining your idea for the show, list of artists, etc
10-12 Digital Images (max in one email is 12 MB) that demonstrates your show concept
Artist Bio(s)
Proposals for winter exhibitions are being reviewed at the end of August


Local Artists need a space to display your work? The CAC is working with the Strand Theatre to find artists to show work in the lobby of the theatre. Work needs to be framed for this space. Contact Jessi: artcompartment@gmail.com

History In the Making!

The upcoming exhibition for August in the works! Area Artist, Susan O'Connor, is preparing for her site specific installation " A History of Everything and Nothing" but needs your help! She needs materials: Your recycle-able paper products!!! Please Donate any clean paper products that could be used in her work. She will transform the remnants of your life and work into beautiful and thought-provoking three-dimensional forms for this show! See below examples of her previous work displayed at CAC back in April.

Also, Susan could use your help Monday - Thursday, Aug 1 -4 in the installation process. If you are available & interested in helping out, please email your availability and contact info to Jessi Walker: artcompartment@gmail.com or stop by the CAC to fill out our volunteer form.

This Exhibition Opens the First Friday of August, Reception Open to the Public: 6-9pm
We hope to see you there!!!

Things are Happening in Delaware!!!

Please join us the 3rd Friday for a gallery talk with many of the featured artists in the CAC July exhibition: "Hello Science". These artists are making work that is intermingling art with science. The work is very diverse and thought-provoking, spend an informal evening with the artists and learn more about what goes into their work, pose questions, and engage in thoughtful dialogue surrounding the works. The months slip away quickly, so don't miss your chance to see this fantastic exhibition with the bonus of interacting with the artists themselves. Feel free to bring a beverage and or snack to share!!!

Other things happening in Delaware this Month:
Second Friday at Dusk, Main Street Delaware & Sustainable Delaware are presenting a superb documentary: The Economics of Happiness behind the BeeHive Bookstore between Sandusky Street & Franklin St. Bring your own chair and dryer sheet (suggested to keep the bugs away). Popcorn & Whit's Frozen Custard will be available for purchase.

Columbus-Based Band (but originating in Delaware): Ugly Stick will be performing at the Backstretch Friday, July 8...their sound is described as "cowpunk", you can't miss this!

Saturday, July 16 from 9-3 pm in the Northwest Neighborhood (downtown to the fairgrounds approximately) is FREE-CYCLE Day! This is a great opportunity for everyone, but especially artists!!! The residents of this neighborhood will be setting out good-condition items in their lawn to give away for free to someone who could use them. Eliminate unused items from your home! Reduce landfill expansion! Get to know your neighbors! Save money! Note: there is a printable sign to stick out with your items to signal to others that the stuff is free for the taking! See the link to the Sustainable Delaware website.

Speaking of Recycling!!! Our next exhibition " A History of Everything and Nothing" by Susan Li O'Connor will be opening Friday, August 5, 2011. Susan is collecting clean, paper/cardboard for recycling in her site-specific art installation. Please donate your paper-based recyclables to the CAC this month and you too can be a part of the "history" of this project! We will also need some volunteers to help out the first week of August with the installation. Please contact Jessi: artcompartment@gmail.com if you are interested & available in the evenings of August 1 - 4.

We are on Facebook! Check us out and see more photos from the current exhibit!