One of the things I'm looking forward to at this Friday's Gallery Walk, aside from the Turkey Hill ice cream for Strolling of the Heifers, is the "Words & Images" show opening up at the Windham Art Gallery.
I love the spirit of this thing. Local artists and writers got together over the winter and worked to create collaborative pieces. Some are paintings and poems side by side, some are images inspired by a short story, some are, well who knows ... I'm curious to find out. Some of the collaborations involve old friends who decided to create something together, but others involved total strangers who met for the first time to work together. What a way to get to know someone!
Every year, I try to identify a particular trend or theme in the local arts community as I write my Year in Review piece for the Ovation section in December. It became clear early on that "Collaboration" was a strong contender for this year. This exhibit only seems to strengthen the case.
Not that there aren't collaborations every year. That's one of the hallmarks of this arts community - the extent to which artists are engaged and willing to embrace other artists. We're not perfect here, but we're more perfect than other areas, and this year seems to be a strong one in terms of collaborations.
I know in my own relationship with art - whether it's literature, music, theater, visual arts, whatever -- part of the value of engaging with the art is the inspiration I get from experiencing it. That's a separate value from the enjoyment I get from it, and it's the seed of why creative endeavors are important. At its best, art is not a passive experience.
For all those reasons -- as well as sheer curiousity and passion -- I will be at Windham Art Gallery this Friday ( "Words & Images" also spills over into a nearby artist's studio). Why don't you join me and see what your neighbors are doing together.