A VISION FOR ART: A REVIEW OF MY RECENT ART SHOW
A Vision for Art is an annual art exhibition fundraiser benefiting the fine arts programs at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville on their St. Mark’s Campus.
This is the first time I’ve applied to and exhibited at a show I’ve never attended. A dear family friend told me all about the show and encouraged me to apply to A Vision for Art. I’m so glad I did! I am honored to be accepted into the carefully curated exhibition, which brings thousands of guests from across the region during the five-day event. A Vision for Art was established in 2018 and now includes over 40 established and emerging artists.
In preparation for the Vision for Art show, artists from around the southeast worked alongside students in each grade level to paint a painting. These paintings were then available for purchase via an online auction during the event. I painted with the first graders in February, and seeing their freeness and creativity was such a joy. I also got a kick out of the autograph session at the end of the class. One child asked for my autograph, and the others lined up. They may be worth something someday!
The kids and I had a great time, and the painting turned out well too!
I included over 12 medium and large paintings in the show, with extras to replace the work that was sold. After painting the collection, I framed most of them in white or natural floater frames. We carefully packed them in my car and drove them back to Jacksonville. When we arrived at St. Mark’s, the staff and volunteers helped us unload the car and add the price tags to each piece. After we left, they performed their magic and carefully hung all the artwork.
It was so fun to come back to A Vision for Art on Friday night and see my work beautifully displayed along with the other artist’s work in the show. Clearly, they’ve done this a time or two, as the room looked gorgeous!
The Vision for Art event kicked off Friday evening with an Opening Night Celebration. The party took place in St. Mark’s beautiful tented courtyard with party lights, white tablecloths, and fresh flowers. This lovely event included cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and an elegant catered dinner. The guests were provided early access to purchase artwork and had the opportunity to mingle with the artists.
A Vision for Art continued with a four-day exhibition open to the public.
The staff and volunteers rotated the artwork each day to keep the display fresh and replace the sold work. On Saturday morning, the community could browse with a cup of coffee and a continental breakfast. The show continued on Sunday afternoon and again on Monday and Tuesday evenings, where visitors could ‘sip and shop’ and enjoy the new artwork displayed.
I enjoyed seeing the work of this talented group of artists at A Vision for Art. It’s always a pleasure to meet the other exhibiting artists. I talked with artists from South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and I look forward to keeping in touch with them on Instagram and maybe in real life.
Seeing an art show is always inspiring, and it made me ready to go back home and paint some more!
Want to read more behind the scenes in my studio? Or see my artwork?