Busy Girl With Thoughts On Her Mind

This blog stands to be one of my favorite parts of my job.  But as a fragile (but gorgeous, lovely, warm, caring for artists in any way we can, even if not usually via representation if I do say so myself, and genuinely loving the amazing people who come through the doors every day, patron, buyer, artist, the merely curious or those wanting inspiration) startup, there is rarely time, and when I write I want to do it well.  So I am putting up reminders of the subjects I want to get to, and will in time.  Here is one.  For now, something to ponder.

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/11/07/the-cost-of-being-an-artist

Carrie Mae Weems

A brilliant artist whose work had me by the throat at the Cleveland Art Museum while visiting there this summer.  Enjoy.

That old chestnut: what is art? No, what is an artist? Ask your 4 year old.

I have been putting a lot of thought and work into a less pleasant but necessary part of being a gallerist in the art business:  emphasis upon business.  There is an aspect of any business, including mine, that has to do with really identifying the business, in all its details, from the finances to the glorious, fun part.     It is frankly hard work. But gratifying, as without the business stability the fun part does not get to be.  More on this soon.  I think it is an interesting process to go through, and some of it will be worth sharing.

But lets get back to the glorious part.  One thing that happens at The Gallery is that people love it a lot and come in for inspiration, often on a regular basis.  In that sense, a gallery can work like a museum.  This is both good and bad for The Gallery as a business, but for me the human being, it is wonderful.  Moving, inspiring gratitude, a validation of what we are trying to do.  I love my patrons, of whatever "type."  They make my days.  (Still:  please buy art!  I have to ask, always.  But you are always welcome, regardless.  I do mean the ask though, for those who can.)

One such regular visitor, a fine artist himself though he wrestles with the very question in the article he sent me below, offers this, by another artist:  "A Rant About Art."  By artist and writer David DuChemin.  Brief and provocative.  DuChemin takes aim straight for, and from, the heart.  Highly recommend.

This is not about children, but there is a reference in it.  And when my own youngest was a mad producer of art at age 5 (he is all growed up now, a wise young adult) he said to me, Mom, there is no bad art.  Well I don't know if I agree.  I know there is art I respond to, and art I don't.  And that is ok.  And is only part of the question explored, briefly but well, here:

http://davidduchemin.com

Best always, Amy

I Had So Much To Tell You, But Then This.

I did!  But then this crossed my path today, and made me happy.  So I want to share it with you.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/12/will-kate-painting-gift_n_3915196.html?ir=Parents&utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

Transcendental In A Million Ways...

Greetings Friends.

I love to be able to blog and share my more personal thoughts about this grand new path.  Many of you know I spent years teaching philosophy, and then switched to a second career: 2 decades as a mental health therapist.  When people ask how I keep "reinventing myself" I feel odd, though the question is always well-intended.  In ancient times philosophy, psychology and art were not really considered 3 disciplines; the Greeks, for example, did not tear things apart and specialize, though perhaps now we have reason to do so.  That last is an argument for another day.

What I feel is that I have synthesized rather than reinvented.  It all comes with me into what I do now.  And the article below, for which I must credit my beloved artist Lillian Almeida, seems to capture that. The arts bring us joy, self-discipline with fun (potentially!,) can heal us and inspire us like almost nothing else.  After 20 years as a psychotherapist, I feel sometimes I am just working the other end.  The joy end, the deep reach into the self at the conscious and unconscious level, to see what unique emerges -- to see what each bright light that we each really are truly has to say.  And it is community, because always we are saying it both to ourselves and to each other.

I love my job.  I love working with artists and all the amazing people who come in every day whether to buy or for inspiration.  You all inspire me, too!  Enjoy this, it speaks worlds.  And listen to the words of the children at the end of the article.  Best to you all, Amy

http://dailynightly.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/01/18005192-principal-fires-security-guards-to-hire-art-teachers-and-transforms-elementary-school

Upcoming Very Special Event!

The Gallery at the Watershed proudly presents an unusual talk, by an artist out to make a difference by educating and building.  

On Sep. 27 at 7:30pm Yuliya Dimitrova-Ilieva will present “ The Cherga as a Metaphor for a Monument of Courage, Memory, and Life.” This research-based design project is about a design of a monument for the saviors of the Bulgarian Jews during the Holocaust. 

During WWII, Bulgaria saved ALL Jews residing in the country.  Bulgarian government officials, leaders of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, and ordinary citizens prevented the deportation of the Bulgarian Jews to Nazi death camps.

Come to learn more about this little known story and Yuliya’s design.  One question to consider, WHY is this such a little known, yet tremendously important, true story?

Yuliya holds a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Painting from University of Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria and a Masters of Landscape Architecture degree from University of Oregon.  Yuliya won a top UO prize for this project of the heart, Spring 2013.  Important to learn about!  

Hello!  After 5 very full, glorious and yes truly challenging months, I am ready to start blogging, deck out the blog, and -- yay -- write again.  So much to tell.  For now, I am saying hello, and letting you know of two wonderful receptions for artists who are showing together this month until September 7.

The reception welcoming beloved Portland artist Jeff White back to Eugene after many years away is tomorrow, Friday, August 9, 7-8:30 pm.  Jeff is a jewel of a man as well as a great artist.  Here is a piece to whet your appetite:

Second, the reception for both Michael Orwick, award-winning Portland-based Plein Air painter, AND his daughter, Elena Grace Orwick, is on Sunday, August 11, 4-5:30 p.m.  Michael's work is stunning, and you need to know this is Elena's FIRST SHOW EVER.  At 9 years old, this only child of a mature and successful painter has been painting all her life, and won our hearts with her work, her color sensitivity, her images and her poise.  Her work is for sale, but we will not be taking any commissions; it is all for college or ice cream or whatever she likes.  Help us welcome a budding artist to her first major exhibit!  This is a true thrill and an honor, for us.

Instead of showing you the works of Family Orwick, I will leave you with Elena's Artist Statement, very special, all her own words:

My name is Elena Grace Orwick. I would say I'm 8 and ¾s but my birthday is 8 days after this show opens, so am I 9?
How was I inspired to paint? My dad always loved to paint, and day after day I would sit and watch as he built his creations – step by step - until it was done. When he was done with a painting, he would always ask me: “What is it?” I always thought it was odd to ask - it obviously was a river, lake, mountains, forest or a sunset…
“I see beauty in everything and everyone."	I would just say what I saw, one by one… and then one day, I thought why does he keep asking me when he knows I know the answer? I thought to myself, everyone sees differently – some might see a blur, stripes, colors or abstract shapes, but I see beauty.
That's it - beauty. I see beauty in everything, everyone. Why do I see everyone's beauty?  Because everyone is special, and that is what inspires me to show and share my art.
Elena lives in Beaverton, OR with her parents, Bulgarian baba (grandma), dog and cat.  In addition to her passion for art, she enjoys music, sports – esp. soccer and basketball, theatre, dancing,travel and exploring the great outdoors. Michael Orwick Jeff White

The Gallerista Diet

Hello Eugene and Surrounding Friends!

Why start here with the Gallerista Diet?  Because we have spent half a year getting ready to open, are a week away and my Curator, the brilliant Robert Canaga, says that is what I am (unintentionally!) on -- a mixture of excitement, adrenaline, the busy work of starting a new career, a new business, and following my bliss.  More about that later.  Anyway, the whole thing is making me physically littler and littler, so small you can hardly see me, but for the most fun of reasons.  Right now I am so excited and bubbly my friends are calling me Ms. Champagne!   Every day an adventure, meeting and working with the most fantastic people, and having been in the most amazing art classes for over a year now...  Creativity x 100, as my friend Carla Axtman put it (an amazing photographer herself!)

Yes, as a girl I did a lot of art, and as a teen I so wanted to go to art school.  I went to a small high school located in an old frat house on the Case Western Reserve Campus, and walked by The Cleveland Art Institute every day.  I would stop and stare with true longing.  But at that time, I was not solid in the way I see so many high school kids today.  I didn't have the courage of my dreams.  Later, I followed many other wonderful dreams, first studying and then teaching philosophy, then a career switch when my three boys were little to become a psychotherapist which I did for two decades, and now not so much (to me) a reinvention as an evolution:  doing art and owning an art gallery.

I go no further before I tell you that this gallery is not about my own art.  Our mission:

  

Sharing exceptional contemporary artists, art, 

and art education with the world community.

To that end, I would like to share with you our represented artists, from all over Oregon.  Eventually we do hope to present artists from other states, other parts of the world, and we will do "calls to artists" periodically. But I could not be more proud of this group:

Lillian Almeida, Robert Canaga, Jill Cardinal, Kirk Lybecker, Renee Manford, RandyOrtiz, Michael Orwick, Sarah Sedwick, Angelita Surmon, Randall David Tipton, Jeff White

We are thrilled by the truly warm welcome from the Eugene/Springfield art community, as well as Portland's, Ashland's, and beyond.  I never realized the kindness of the arts community, until I began taking art classes.  And now, as a gallery owner, it has delighted me. It is our hope to be the best, contributing, supportive members we can be of this exceptional group of artists, art lovers, galleries, museums, and all of you.  Already, we have been given so much; so much to give back. We do hope to reach all of Oregon and (to infinity and) beyond. 

Follow this blog for photos of the gallery as it was under construction, tidbits about our artists, ourselves (what makes our own socks roll up and down in the art world and in life!)  and much more.  If you would like to support us, share this blog and our facebook page (see below) with your friends.  Above all, stop in and visit us and the artwork!   And finally, for now, our first events and our contact info:

Soft opening:  Monday, April 1, 11-5.  This is a quiet opening but friends and family welcome to visit!  Do!  After Monday our regular hours are Tuesday - Saturday 11-5 or by appointment.  Evenings and weekends will hold extraordinary events, from one day art classes (calendar to be published soon) to an ongoing Art History Lecture Series (by UO/LCC faculty and other experts) to tributes to the non-visual arts, to all sorts of things.  The Gallery is available for events; do get in touch if you are interested. 

Grand Opening Open House:  Saturday, June 1, 4-8 p.m.  Catering by Rye!

Yours in gratitude, Amy

Amy Isler Gibson, Owner and Manager (amy@tgatws.com)

Robert Canaga, Curator (robert@tgatws.com) 

321 Mill St., Suite 6 (3rd & Mill; street parking pls.)

Eugene, OR  97401

w: 541-844-1668  f:  541-844-1348  c:  541-729-0551

facebook.com/tgatws

www.tgatws.com

http://galleryatthewatershed.blogspot.com