A fete of art
Life is awesome when you get to pull out all the stops and declare a fete of grand proportion. At this fete, the rented city dump truck pulled the stage into view and the tents were set up as the rain came down. The wet weather wasn’t really noticeable once We Are Jeneric stepped onto the stage. They tooted their horns and bellowed an anthem of joy in honor of The Foundry’s grand opening.
A good old hoopla was in order for The Foundry as it is complete and ready to fulfill the dreams of it’s creators. Tours, food and drink were just some of the building blocks to such a great celebration. I’d like to think that I pushed the celebratory mirth in the air a little further by wearing a pink feather head dress and partaking in the late night dancing. Later it was time to talk to Alana Sparrow and Jessie Matulis about the mission of the Foundry.
The Foundry’s mission is to drive art growth and enrich it’s surrounding economy. Showcasing artists work is only a fraction of what it will bring to our area. The founders have devised ideas that are circled around the goal of becoming more than an artist. Creatives who are problem solvers with original solutions. Fresh perspective should be a requirement in life if you want to grow.
One avenue will be to provide an environment that will develop one’s skills further through conversation among fellow virtuosos. It is important to do so as sometimes even the skilled can isolate themselves and ask “Am I doing this correctly?”. The Foundry will also incorporate workshops with visiting artists who will then showcase their work.
The idea that The Foundry wants to bring to it’s audience is that promoting and displaying your art can be a viable career. The rhetorical question of the day is “What price do I put on my art?” which leads to the better question of “why do I put a price on my art?”. Once you attach value to something the message could get lost. The aim here is too push the boundaries and shift perception of how and why and what it means to be an artist. Exploiting your strengths while managing your weaknesses is what business minded people try to do. And hopefully at the end of the day: create for yourself first and foremost while simultaneously marketing your skills.
