Making Room
There’s always that moment when you’re planning an event and wonder: Is anyone actually going to show up?
The Westfield Art Association hosts several artist meetups throughout the year. The venue may change, but the goal stays the same: give artists a casual place to meet, share experiences, resources, tips, and ideas.
This time, I experienced it differently. As a member of the marketing committee, I had a hand in planning the event. There were several new faces, which excited me, so I made a point of welcoming as many people as I could.
About ten minutes in, there were more than 20 artists in the room, original art on display, music playing, and everyone settling into conversation. I stepped back for a minute and watched it all come together.
That's exactly why we did this.
One of the artists I met was recently retired from teaching. When we talked about getting more involved with the association, she said, “Please use me.” She mentioned a two-day lecture she was participating in the following month, and I remember thinking how lucky I felt to be surrounded by so many interesting and creative people.
Another thing that came out of the evening was the realization that there was a need for a smaller group within the association — artists who are actively trying to grow their art as a business. A few of us started a WhatsApp group to share works in progress, get feedback, and keep each other motivated.
It feels very representative of this group: community over competition.
We show up for each other's exhibitions, share each other's work on social media, send open calls that might be a good fit, and genuinely want to see each other succeed. There is room for all of us.
When I first joined the association, I was intimidated. There were so many “real” artists with big, beautiful paintings and drawings. I don't love the word imposter, but I sometimes felt like one sitting there with my paper collages.
Now I actually like that my work looks different.
I'm not trying to make the biggest painting in the room or fit into a particular idea of what an artist is supposed to look like. I like that someone can walk into a room full of artwork and know which pieces are mine.
That feels like progress.
In the spirit of community, I also wanted to share a few of my favorite local artists from the Westfield Art Association: Jennifer Wilner, Robin Valentine, Kelly Renee, Mia Feldman, and Elena Rivers.
I hope you’ll take a few minutes to click through their work and discover something you love. There are so many talented artists in this group, and I’m always happy to share their work.
P.S. This meetup was generously hosted by Carlos (and Luke, pictured below) at the beautiful Galeria West in Westfield. We’re lucky to have spaces like this in our community that are willing to open their doors and bring artists together.
