Everyone’s heard of Army brats, kids who grew up on military bases. I guess I could call myself an Art brat, someone who grew up under the same roof as an artist.
There was always an art studio in our house and a wonderful array of oils, chalks, India inks, camel hair brushes, stretched canvases, handmade frames and the ever-present faint smell of turpentine.
I took it for granted that art was an important part of life, that creativity was meant to be expressed.
My parent’s friends often designed their own Christmas cards and invitations.
Their homes served as a backdrop for original paintings, photography and sculpture. Not only did that environment offer a great selection of art supplies, it also encouraged self-expression through the arts.
We have the same creative energy in Lake Highlands, but like the Hidden Pictures feature in “Highlands for Children” magazine, it is hard to see.
It wasn’t until I joined an informal local group of women in creative fields that I realized how much talent is here.
One outstanding example is Pamela Leutz, a bookbinder/book artist whose exquisite work has been featured, among other places, in “D Magazine” and “Texas Highways,” and yet is not widely known in her own community.
Local artists are grateful for Art Encounter, the cooperative art gallery in Northlake Shopping Center, which continues to have a good following. But we need more.
We need local restaurants, retail shops, and public facilities to display artwork. You can hardly go anywhere in Austin without being surrounded by art that is for sale. Kathleen’s Art Café on Lovers Lane is one of the most popular spots in Dallas, in part because of the interesting art on the walls.
Why not here? Why not showcase our local artists in ongoing displays at branch libraries, schools, retail stores and offices? We need more local art classes for children and teens interested in painting, weaving, pottery, sculpture, and design.
Lake Highlands offers beautiful settings for an outdoor art show. Norbuck Park, Flag Pole Hill, McCree Park and the grounds of many of our churches and schools would work. I’m not proposing another craft fair, for we already have plenty. I mean a juried art show.
Art festivals are not just good fund-raisers – they showcase a community. One of my favorite shows is held each summer in Winter Park, Colo. It is a high-quality show presented on a small scale.
Each refreshment booth is operated by a different local non-profit organization that raises funds from the event. The local historical society hosts a booth with spinning and weaving demonstrations and a good selection of guidebooks.
A bigger annual show, the Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts, showcases more than 100 artists. Each food booth is run by a local restaurant, which is a big drawing card.
Jane Cherry Case, a water-media painter and veteran of many juried shows, has these suggestions for any sponsoring organization: find a level area with adequate parking facilities, have a strong publicity plan that includes advertising, and set a rain date.
She has paid booth fees from $45 to $375. And she has sold items ranging from $2 to $1,600.
The biggest shows are not necessarily the best for artists. A poorly located booth at major festivals such as Montage, ArtFest or Main Street in Fort Worth can mean a long weekend with few sales.
Speaking of art shows, Jose Vargas, a visual artist, has invited more than 50 artists to participate in a show called “El Corazon” (The Heart) at the Bath House Cultural Center, Feb. 5-26.
The shape, texture and color of hearts will be expressed through paintings, photography, sculpture and paper mache. A reception for the public to meet the artists will be held Feb. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Bath House. Dennis Gonzales will perform Tex-Mex conjunto (combo) music.
