Community Art and Connection

Its been six months since community art club started in January and the last one is scheduled for October. Hopefully I will apply/receive more funding - Im part of the community fund with the CO-OP and hopefully this will fund the art club in Garforth for another year. I feel its gone well and I just wanted to write a bit about some of the things I learnt so far.

Art by Lewis

One thing I’ve accepted is that organisation is something I have always struggled with, I feel more comfortable with how I work now, and making time a priority in my work is very helpful.

Time is also something art club facilitates. Obviously kids love art but spending time as a family and making art together is not something people usually do. There are more and more people who are coming alone, to sit quietly and just make their own art. There is a good vibe in art club.

I was reminded on a recent Sunday session, that art activity encourages connection. I talked with a lady about how she always loved to draw as a child but stopped and she was so happy to start drawing again. It made her happy and as we spoke, it gave me positive energy as I listened to her explain that she wanted to make time for her own art making.

Observational drawing

Materials are really important to support this connection. They are are open to endless possibilities and the people that use them develop an affiliation through inquisitive action. The evidence of this action is then presented in the formation of artistic expression. Even if the idea of ‘audience’ is never entertained, the maker still develops these connections. If the maker does choose to share what they make with an audience, that takes the connection to another place as others share their subjective response to what they are looking at. This sounds complex, but it is basically what happens when we make art.

Art by Amy

Community art club has a very simple but very bold objective, that is, that the people who attend develop a connection to their own creativity and make time for that ‘practice’ in their lives. I did a survey in May and it was really positive. The main response was that art club gave families and individual’s time to make their own art, only one or two made time at home since starting but for me that is a big step. As a working artist, time, energy and effort are the biggest factors that influence my practice. Its hard, but I believe that everyones life can be enhanced for the better through personal artistic practice.

Art by Mark