Art in the Local Scene

It's 2019.

There's a lot going on that I could write about but the season's spirit encourages some positivity so I'm going to talk a little about the arts.

This past semester I took a Creative Writing course under the tutelage of my favorite Literary Luminary, Professor Wanda Fries, down at SCC. She is a fine poet, author and musician in her own right. Ever since I became eligible for Medicare I'd been meaning to take advantage of the free tuition for people like me at our state colleges and universities. They have been so kind as to not have labeled me a septuagenarian or senior student. Instead I was referred to as a Donovan Scholar which is way more dignified as if putting a little lipstick on this pig could be beneficial. But I appreciated it and it is the first time that I've been referred to as a scholar.

I love to write but I have never considered myself to be very creative and I wanted to know what characteristics and talent one has to have to be an artist. It may be that people that write as I do long to be referred to as being an artist. I did not achieve that status but I remain a wannabe artist. I did learn a few things that I didn't know. For instance, who knew there were at least 3 million different types of poems. What I learned about poetry is that writing it is like working a word puzzle with structure being a necessary part of working that puzzle. That's right. It's not just making words rhyme. Who knew, right?

Gurney Norman

We worked often in short stories which we had to read in class so all of the other more talented members could hear your paltry attempts to write a story that made sense and be able to judge you and make snarky remarks. OK. That last part is not true. My classmates were very polite, encouraging and made great suggestions so I really tried to accept their well meant criticisms without responding in a weird way. I learned one of the things about the artistry of writing stories and that is the necessity of placing yourself in the moment that you are writing about and using word pictures to draw your perception of the story's environment. In my writing I am usually working from a premise then attempting to make cogent arguments about its validity. The artist is not as concerned with your accepting a premise as he is in encouraging you to see what he sees. The art itself is the premise and it is expressed in these word pictures. As with poetry, structure is important and must conform to not only what you wish to say but also to the person who will be reading your work. Confession: every artist wants to see his or her product in print and receive validation for the effort involved. While my writing is primarily message driven I am still seeking validation from my readers and I am disappointed when I don't receive it. It is not necessary that my reader agree, just that he or she reads. And a few comments wouldn't hurt.

I am impressed with the support for the arts in our community and I have been fortunate to meet many of our local artists. When I was their age or even a bit younger I couldn't wait to get away from this place. Nothing like we have now existed then and most of us never thought we'd live to see it but we have an explosion of all kinds of artists from painting to ceramics to writing and to music. I am proud to say that some of my friends were instrumental in bringing the arts to the forefront in this area. I didn't help much but they poured their hearts into the task. Our Master Musician's Festival is one example. Gabrielle Mattingly and others worked their butts off to put on a show on a flatbed trailer and this year Tiffany and the Board have landed one of the premier performers (my favorite) for this year's edition.

Giving artists room to grow and be acknowledged has been been rewarded with a flowering that was unexpected. Venues for exhibitions and performances are something that we didn't have when I was a young man and now there are performances to choose from on almost any given night. Places like our Public Library, The Carnegie, The Center for Rural Development, McNeill Music Center, Watershed Arts Alliance, The Shine House and other places for exhibitions are proof that if opportunities are given they will be used. Mayor Keck is on board for finding a way to open the Virginia Theater which will be a great space for the arts and humanities. Somerset Community College hosts the Harriet Simpson Arnow conference each year and this year promises to be a humdinger. I've attended for a few years and loved every one of them.

And these are people who are just as anxious to give back to their community. I'm still not satisfied with the support of our community for the arts but it is much more than it was. If someone had told me back in the day it was going to take 40 or 50 years I would have said forget it but now I just appreciate it.

My Take is that the arts are flourishing in Somerset-Pulaski County but art requires patrons. Not just people who will help pay the bills but people who will, by their presence, support our artists. Here's to a Happy New Year for all of our artists.