As 2024 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on a year of artistic growth and accomplishment. It's been a period of high activity, filled with exhibitions, events, many lessons learned, and increased development of my creative practice.
There is something so appealing to me about the New Year - a whole calendar of days that are a blank slate, maybe a blank canvas, upon which I will write my days. More art and adventures lie ahead.
But first, let’s look at 2024. Going through my calendar, I am struck by the amount of public exposure I sought, and correspondingly, the amount of work it takes to make art shows and fairs happen!
Solo Shows
Two solo library art shows, at the Lambertville and Lawrence libraries, showcased my art in community settings. I am thankful for the volunteer who coordinates the gallery in Lambertville and my friend, Martha, who was invaluable in hanging my work in the lobby of the Lawrence Branch of the Mercer County Library.
In addition, I am grateful for libraries and all they do for communities. These exhibitions allowed visitors and library staff to engage with my work, widening exposure to my art, while fostering meaningful conversations with viewers. Also to be honest, both were great lessons - curating, preparing, marketing, and hanging solo shows - all aspects constitute valuable experience.
Group Shows
The opportunity to participate in four traditional group exhibitions this year was also a learning experience. Sharing gallery space and meeting new artists as well as art lovers was wonderful and uplifting. In 2024, people were attending art shows as before!
I participated in the Maker’s Alley (https://makersalley.org/) summer show in Frenchtown and in a group show with a nature theme at the Whittemore - Community, Culture and Conservation Center (https://www.whittemoreccc.org/), a lovely conservation area in Oldwick, to connect with new audiences. For both of those shows, I volunteered to gallery sit, and enjoyed the opportunity to share my art with new eyes and chat with different visitors.
In Princeton in the spring, I had work included in ArtJam, a group show which benefits ArtSpace HomeFront, a social service agency that assists those struggling with poverty and homelessness. I have been included in that show for many years and am deeply supportive of its mission. (https://www.homefront-artspace.com/)
In the late summer, I had a "tiny sacred journal" displayed in Artist Colleen Attara's show at Artwkrd (https://www.artwrkd.com/) in Newtown, Pa. More than 70 artists from around the world contributed small handmade art journals containing love, hope, dreams, feelings, and intentions in the show that contained the awesome work of Colleen Attara.
Art Fairs, Tours
Also in the spring, my hometown of Lawrenceville hosted “Spring for the Arts,” an outdoor arts festival, and I had a booth with a tent! This was the first time I did a solo venture outdoors – including all the set up that goes with it. Luckily, my husband and younger son were very supportive and helpful. Lessons learned include practice with your tent beforehand, bring good weights, and plan for contingencies in the weather. While it was late April, it was windy and brisk!
In contrast, the indoor event I did in the fall, called the Hopewell Tour des Arts (https://www.hopewelltourdesarts.com/) was a multiple-site self-directed tour and offered a more controlled environment and the chance to meet a group of wonderful artists who were sharing the space. This year, the Tour partnered with the Hopewell Valley Arts Council (https://hvartscouncil.org/) who helped make the tour bigger and better! Again, I had a solo set up and it was a learning opportunity on how to create an attractive display that includes multiple works of various sizes. For this event, I deliberately added items of more accessible price points - I had prints of my work and lower priced handmade items. I think that was the best event of the year in sales, turnout, customer interaction and the ease of set up and take down!
Holiday Time
Beyond exhibitions and fairs, I contributed my art and hand-stitched pins to a Holiday Market, which also benefited ArtSpace HomeFront. This experience allowed me to share the joy of art with the community while supporting a worthy cause. I also volunteered on the committee and at the event, which was a wonderful day at HomeFront.
This year has been a significant step forward in my artistic journey. The increased visibility of my work has not only been gratifying, but has also provided ideas and lessons learned about how I would like to go forward.
Growing as An Artist
This year was also a learning and growing year in my art practice. I took workshops with New York Artist and Teacher Seth Apter (in Sante Fe, NM), Yardley, Pa. Artist Colleen Attara, Asbury Park Artist Kecia Deveny, and Artist and Teacher Patti Euler of the Queens Ink outside Baltimore, Maryland. Other artists gave great online experiences that I participated in - Artist and Teacher Dar James of the Lehigh Valley, Pa. was also a standout teacher!
Looking Ahead
As I look towards 2025, I am filled with a sense of excitement and anticipation. I am eager to continue exploring new creative avenues, experimenting with different mediums and techniques (fabric and textiles, baby!), and pushing the boundaries of my artistic practice. I definitely plan to keep exploring mixed media (my word of 2025 is “explore” more on that later.)
To kick off the year, my work is to be included in an exhibition at Capital Health Medical Center. The exhibition is titled, “Artists of the Hopewell Tour Des Arts” and will be on view Monday, Jan. 13 through Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at the Investor’s Bank Art and Healing Gallery located on the 2nd floor of the medical center at 1 Capital Way in Pennington, NJ. (Right off Rt. 295, Scotch Road exit) Reception: Wed, Feb. 5, 2025, 5:30 to 6:30 pm.
Overall, despite some struggles this year (yes, everything did not always go swimmingly), I believe that art has the power to inspire, to challenge, and to connect us on a deeper level. I hope to apply lessons learned to 2025 and continue to be determined to create AND share my art.
I wish you all a happy, creative, and inspiring New Year!
Colleen