Friday, March 17, 2017

Shamrocks and Shenanigans for ALL

"Leap" acrylic painting by Karen Swanson,
"Green Fields"oil painting by Megan Perkins, and
"Celtic Love III" assemblage cross by Shanda Woodward

It's Saint Patrick's Day and Garland Avenue in Spokane is getting on its Irish!

Later tonight is a Pub Crawl, that from reservations made already looks to be successful, but earlier is Little Dog Art Gallery's last art reception. The gallery show Gaelic on Garland (et cetera) is up until end of business Tuesday, March 21st. But tonight is cause for celebration, setting aside the commercial aspects of selling art, and celebrating the creativity of the artists who have shown their work here.

Looking at Karen's painting of an Irish dancer, I think of how rigidly such dancers hold their bodies from the waist up, their arms straight at their sides, hands immobile, while their legs and feet are constantly in motion with intricate stepping and leaps.

It makes me reflect on how owning and managing an art gallery is similar to Irish dancing. The public persona is cool, professional, calmly answering visitors' endless questions, providing insight in to the various artists' approaches and back stories. But the other component of the gallery dance is the blurring footwork that goes on: seeking and meeting new artists, getting their information and photos, coming up with show themes, contacting prospective and proven art buyers and collectors, making sure communication with everyone is clear, designing and hanging the artwork, shuffling business forms and reports, bookkeeping, making sure everyone receives their commission checks, endlessly coming up with publicity ideas, printing, mailing, collaborating with other galleries and art organizations, THEN all the social media to maintain with regularity.

Dance, dance, step, leap, don't fall on your face (too often), point your toe, leap, hop, even distribution of weight!

Yes, indeed! Running an art gallery keeps one on their toes, Irish or otherwise!

Eire Go Brach!

1 comment:

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