River Arts Collaborates with G.R.A.C.E to Spark Creativity

Finding Artistic Inspiration and Stimulation

“ ‘Outsider Art’ has a certain feeling of spontaneity and innocence, a childlike quality. There is an abandonment of the rules of perspective, composition, and juxtaposition that leads to a freshness. Being an artist means getting back in touch with how we once saw the world as a child. We need to see the world with a child’s awareness and curiosity.”

— Don Scott

Elaine Baldwin’s work on paper combines bold black images upon a field of contrasting watercolor.

On the back of this piece by Lawrence Fogg he wrote; “Back in later 1800 you could have seen this picture. There was little money and no cars. I think only horses and mules. That may be why stone walls were beside the roads”. Fogg painted Vermont scenes. He often painted on slate. This piece is on canvas board.; titled “Back in the later 1800 you could have seen this Picture”. Create a piece of art in response to this image!

A piece by Amanda Daniels. Amanda created a highly imaginative and personal landscape. Her work disregards perspective and uses colors with complete freedom.

This piece is by Ken Bridges. Ken works on cardboard using craypas. He uses bold colors with personal symbols throughout his works..

This piece is by Dot Kibbee, a long time G.R.A.C.E. artist who lived in Hardwick for most of her adult life. Her work is characterized frequently by animals, flowers, and the changing Vermont landscape. Most of her work was painted on Masonite boards, and feature intricate floral borders with soothing pastel colors.

Create a piece of art in response to Dot's painting of a swan: maybe you choose to use a similar color palette, paint on a board, or create a border around your work. Consider incorporating an animal.

River Arts is excited to announce a new collaboration with Grass Roots Art and Community Effort (G.R.A.C.E). G.R.A.C.E is focused on empowering individuals through transformative art experiences, which lead to creative growth and self-discovery. At the core of G.R.A.C.E is a commitment to unite diverse communities through the process of art making and exhibitions.

We want everyone who walks through the doors at River Arts to feel our core value, Art for Everyone. In collaboration with the G.R.A.C.E, River Arts hopes that more members of our community will find joy and depth in works of art considered “outsider art”. We believe that everyone can use creative expression to convey meaning. From a scribble to a masterpiece, every level of art making is valuable.

We have all spent hours studying works by old and modern masters seeking ideas for color, style, content, perspective, and composition. We would like to present a different selection of art to view; to use as a departure point from which to create an original piece of art. Perhaps there is an approachability to these pieces, or perhaps there is an honest wonder and joy that is conveyed. We hope that by sharing these pieces from G.R.A.C.E’s collection, River Arts can help spark inspiration and embolden our more timid community members to explore creative expression.

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How it works:

Similar to how River Arts Open Studio Figure Drawing operates, each week, Curator and Artistic Director Kathy Stark will share a selection from G.R.A.C.E’s collection of outsider artwork. This weekly virtual prompt to create will be shared by River Arts on our Facebook Page.

We encourage you to use each piece as inspiration and a departure point for your own original creation.

Paint, draw, collage…perhaps you’ll be inspired to write a poem or a melody that captures the spirit of the piece. All mediums and experience levels are encouraged to participate. Finished pieces can be submitted for display on River Arts and G.R.A.C.E’s social media platforms. Participants may be invited to participate in a group exhibition or be featured in an “artist of the month” in the future.

If you would like to participate, you can send your completed artworks to:

Devon Thomas, Americore Vista at G.R.A.C.E
americorpsvista@wonderartsvt.org
Phone: 802-533-9370

For questions about the collection and more information about G.R.A.C.E, please contact:

Kathy Stark, Curator & Artistic Director of G.R.A.C.E
kstark2102@hotmail.com
Phone: 802-472-6857
https://graceart.org/