After an initial seven-week run, “Main Street Illustrated: A Collaborative Exhibit by Gathering Artists†has been extended through Dec. 7. The works in the exhibit portray the businesses and architecture of Main Street in various artistic mediums – photography, woodwork, fiber art, paint and collage – as seen through the eyes of many different local artists.
Visitors “can compare various types of art and styles of the different artists,†says Pat Williams, a member of Gathering Artists and coordinator of the exhibit. “Hopefully, the visitors will look at the works and realize how attractive and interesting the buildings are, and then walk down Main Street and actually look at the buildings in a new way.â€
Bethany Rogers, executive director of Heart of Danville, and Mary Girard, local historian and conservationist, contributed historical facts and photographs to the exhibit, providing addition visual and historical context not always found in traditional art exhibits.
This is the fourth collaborative exhibit at the Arts Center from Gathering Artists, a group of regional arts and craftsmen who meet monthly at the Arts Center to network, discuss upcoming exhibit opportunities and encourage both each other and the artistic growth of the community as a whole.
“I am proud to say that we have maintained our original desires to have a group where we can ‘talk art,’ safe from negative criticism, and where we could find encouragement and inspiration,†says Fox Hutt, another member. “The group continues have free membership, open to anyone who is interested in visual arts and fine crafts. We have managed to keep things simple and not get bogged down with the complications of money or traditional club structure.â€
As is the case in most arts communities like Danville, for several of these artists, creating and selling art is their full-time job and their livelihood. Most of the pieces in the exhibit are on sale, ranging in price from $95 to $395.
“Horizon: Contemporary Landscape†a juried exhibit of works also on sale from local and national artists, is still on view through this Friday. On Saturday, that exhibit will come down, making way for “Trees of the Season.†That annual exhibit, showcasing thematically decorated pines from local individuals and community groups, opens Wednesday, Nov. 20.
REMEMBER: This exhibit is free and open to the public!
Wednesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
We are located at the corner of 4th and Main in downtown Danville!
