Last Thursday I was invited to attend an art reception at the Artists Guild Gallery in Delray Beach. The intimate gallery featured a collection of mixed media works, photography, collages, ceramic statues and acrylic paintings to name a few. The art work was judged in two categories based on adult and juvenile contestants, and one by one, once all the pieces were taken into consideration, the winners stepped forward to claim their prizes. It was an inspirational moment, especially for a beginner artist like myself, to see artists who had poured their heart and soul into canvas be rewarded with the acclamation they so deserved. Before too long, I felt the itch to dive into some paint with a brush and perhaps recreate the excitement I saw on their faces through my own attempt to be creative.
The people who came to view the art turned out to be just as interesting as the pieces up for judging, I soon found out. Some of them dressed very fashionable, looked as if they could have been arriving at the gallery to pose for a portrait. And as the accomplished artist who invited me to the reception poignantly pointed out, much of the beauty of an art reception lies in the people who attend and the conversations they have. “After all,” she said, “people are the ones who create the art.” Listening to the people who took the time to come out and view the art revealed intimations about their lives, that when strewn together, amounted to an eclectic collage of differing experiences, triumphs, tragedies, love lost, hopes of finding new love, loss of loved ones, and plans to visit far away places. All of which, good and bad, having the potential to produce the most wonderful art one could ever imagine.
And leave it to this wise accomplished artist who revealed this enigma to also point out that the punch bowl at the reception was just as artistic as the paintings on the wall. Way to go Eva!
© 2012
The Tempo 