I’m sure that everyone has heard the expression “turning lemons into lemonade” and during this pandemic we have all had to find ways to do that. Of course, a lot of times that’s easier said than done. But for some people, being locked down without any distractions turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
I know around my house that has turned out to somewhat be the case. Not so much for me, but for my wife, Lisa. She’s an artist and for the past year it’s been a little difficult for her to be able to get out and sell her creations. She has a very nice mobile booth that she sets up at various arts festivals and other themed shows but during the last year, most of them have been canceled. Now, for some people, that would be a set back, but being involved in the arts community, we have both noticed that for a lot of artists this period has been a time of growth rather than a deterrent.
Being stuck at home has given them a chance to just spend time creating. Day jobs, social commitments, pressure to complete projects by certain dates and lots of normal distractions have all been diminished considerably and has given a lot of artists a chance to focus on what they love to do.
Around my house that has meant that Lisa could take on some larger works, experiment with some new techniques, try out some new tools and expand into working with alternate mediums. She’s started combining some of her ideas, learning a few new things and her studio in the house is filled with all kinds of fun and exciting results. OK, full disclosure here, her trash can has also had quite a few deposits of things that didn’t quite work out the way she had hoped, but that’s just a part of the creative process.
Last weekend, she finally had a chance to participate in a show where she could set up her booth to show off her latest endeavors and came home thrilled with the reactions she got from people. She also came home with some cash from her sales, so that made her happy as well, but for Lisa, that was just kind of the icing on the cake. The best part of the weekend was just having people being able to see what she had been working so hard on for many months.
As I mentioned, that’s been the situation for many artists in the area. Even though they haven’t been able to get out as much, they have all been busy working on lots of new things and have been eager to show them to the world. A lot have started calling them their “Covid Creations.”
Which brings us to a place where you can see some of what I’m talking about. It’s Golden’s own Foothills Art Center. Yes, they are open and have one of their favorite big annual shows going on.
From now through April 25 you are invited to come check out their 2021 Member’s Show. It features more than 70 original works of art in various styles from paintings to sculptures, photography, mixed medium and even jewelry. These are all created by local artists that are members of the Foothills Art Center. This will give you a chance to see what these folks have been up to for the last several months, and I have seen what they have come up. This could very well be the best Member’s Show to date. You have to go and check it out.
Admission is free, so that’s an additional bonus. Walk-ins are welcome, but you can also make a reservation on line in advance if you want to guarantee a time to come check out the show. There are still some capacity issues with COVID, so making a reservation might keep you from having to wait a bit to get in if it’s busy over there. They have new hours, so make a note of these. Mondays, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesdays they are closed, Thursdays are for Members only, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5p.m. and Sundays 12 noon- 5 p.m..
For more information and to make a reservation, check out their website at www.foothillsartcenter.org. The Foothills Art Center is located at 809 15th Street, on the corner of Washington Avenue here in Golden.
John Akal is a well-known jazz artist/drummer and leader of the 20-piece Ultraphonic Jazz Orchestra. He also is president of John Akal Imaging, professional commercial photography and multi-media production. He can be reached at jaimaging@aol.com