Make Art, I Challenge You
An assignment and a deadline can be great motivators
Arts Alliance of Stratford, of which I am President, has hosted a monthly arts networking meeting on the first Tuesday of every month, since its inception in 2007.
When my wife Anne and I joined the organization in 2012 the monthly meetings were essentially a social affair. Our then-President would call the meeting to order, and tell those in attendance about opportunities to exhibit in whatever art show we were organizing. Sometimes there was other business like cajoling any non-members at the meeting to join. The business portion of the meeting concluded right about the time pizzas were delivered and wine bottles were opened. Pizza, wine, and conversation ensued until the designated time to end the meeting arrived. Month after month, that’s how the meetings went.
In 2014, our President submitted his resignation. Recognizing that without someone at the helm, the organization would likely collapse, I stepped in. “I’ll do it for 2 years and then someone else can take over,” I told myself. Needless to say, I’m still President in 2023.
I would like to tell you that under my leadership I had a bold plan to shake things up and make the organization match a new and improved vision. NOPE. For a while I pretty-much kept the monthly meeting format the way it had been since we joined. But Melissa A. Benson, our former Treasurer had other ideas.
During a board meeting Melissa asked “Why isn’t there any art at our monthly meetings?” It was a really good question. We’re an arts organization and art had no role in our meetings. I asked her if she had something in mind.
Melissa proposed an Art Challenge based on a theme which would be announced at the end of each monthly meeting. Those in attendance would have a month to prepare artwork to present at the following meeting. She then added an extra twist: the artwork would be created on playing card-sized sheets of paper called by their acronym ACEO (Art Cards Editions and Originals). For those not at the meeting, the challenge was also posted on our website.
If this idea sounds strange to you, I assure you it’s a thing. And a lot of artists create tiny works of art using this system.
The ACEO challenge was launched in mid-2017. The very first theme was Illuminated Letters. For the challenge to work we needed at least 9 artists to present their tiny artwork. We also asked the artists to donate their artwork to the organization. If we got more than 9, cards, attendees who had not brought cards were asked to be the judges and select the best 9 cards. The judges’ decision was final. Melissa had a framer who cut a mat board with 9 small holes in it in a 3X3 grid for the cards to show through and framed them. The idea was to sell these collections at our events as fundraisers. We did sell several so it was a solid idea
Other themes for the ACEO challenges included Abstract, Water, Cats, Tea, and Landscapes.
Eventually the ACEO challenge ran its course. Some of the artists grew weary of working on such a tiny canvas and when we received more that 9 cards to consider, those who weren’t chosen for the final 9 selections might have felt excluded. It was time to introduce a more inclusive monthly Art Challenge.
Since the start of the pandemic, our monthly meetings meet online and we no longer require that artists work in a specific size. The art challenge is also open to visual art, music, dance, spoken word and poetry.
What began with the challenge Melissa introduced has become a popular feature of our meetings. We all have busy lives and sometimes creative people don’t make time to create. But give them a theme, a deadline and an opportunity to show off what they made, and they will make it a priority to make the time.
Below is some of my artwork for selected challenges with links so you can see how other artists interpreted the themes.
Our March challenge theme was March Comes In Like A Lion. Here in the northeast of the USA, March is very blustery. Perfect for kite flying.
The theme of an October challenge was Trees to celebrate the changing color of the leaves. One of our town parks is an actual forest which presents many opportunities for inspiration. This was a fallen tree we passed on the trail.
February’s theme was The Heart of the Matter, with a nod to Valentines Day. I chose this red pepper to paint because its shape is similar to that of a human heart.
April’s theme was Rain. I knew there would be many images presented of people walking in the rain holding umbrellas. But my interpretation was what does the rain leave behind? Anne suggested the reflections of people in the puddle.
If you would like to purchase giclée prints of any of the artwork I featured in this article, leave me a comment specifying which image. Alternatively, you can contact me through my design website.
I am happy to take on commissions, nude, clothed, portrait or pets.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider buying me a coffee. It would be very much appreciated.
