New Gallery in the Mall Aims to Provide 'Art for Everyone' Through Classes, Shows, Collaboration by David Dinsmore
“T
he idea behind this is in the name,” said Scott Baird, who recently helped open the doors to Community Art Gallery. The keyword: community. That was the vision Baird shared with Sebrina Lynam – not to mention other local artists, creators and makers – when looking to establish a place in Shawnee Mall that could serve a variety of roles in the local art scene that tied into the same goal. “One of our mottos is ‘Art for Everyone,’” Lynam said. The journey to opening the gallery, however, in some ways typified an oft-cited quote attributed to Norwegian artist, Edvard Munch: “Art comes from joy and pain … But mostly from pain.” Baird marked the first step of the path to Community Art Gallery as the closing of Studio 112 And a Half on Main Street nearly two years ago. “It left us floundering,” Baird said. “We kept giving (the local art) scene CPR … until we could breathe new life into it.” Some of those efforts came from other local collaborations and movements like Shawnee Sidewalk Artists and Ars Prima. This work led to demonstrations and interactions with the community at events 18
www.shawneeoutlook.com
ABOVE: Community Art Gallery in Shawnee Mall serves as a gallery for local artists to display their work, but it also provides classes to those looking to tap into their own imagination and a studio for those looking for a place to stimulate inspiration and creativity with fellow artists.
like the third Friday Downtown Block pARTy hosted by Safe Events for Families for the last few years. Local artists like Baird and Lynam would share their work and invite people at the events to join in on the fun. Yet, they said they did not feel there was a central location that not only served to display local artists’ work to the public but also provide a conduit for people looking to exercise their own artistic ex-
pression, whether they are new to the visual arts or established creators. In mid-March, Shawnee Mall lent an unoccupied space to local artists for a show, and the success of that event led to discussions about establishing a permanent place at the mall to support and foster local art. “No artist will survive without showing,” Baird said. “Otherwise, you’re just doodling in the dark.” Lynam and he started discussing a place where artists could gather to discuss and share their work. They envisioned a place where community members of all ages and skill levels could meet for classes to learn new techniques and concepts. This could be a place where locals could select unique pieces to display in their homes that would be a departure from the mass-produced decorative options found at ubiquitous chain stores. They pictured kids having their birthday parties there and making art with
