Art is for us all - Shawn's Sense with Shawn Loughlin

Ever since I put my name forward as part of the Blyth Festival Art Gallery Committee, taking on the secretary position, a conversation among members and associated artists has continued to crop up. It is, essentially, regarding access. Who is good enough to have their art featured on gallery walls? Who is smart enough to discern good art from bad? Whose vision trumps whose?

 

A recent conversation with a local gallerist spun into areas of art collection as investment and wealthy people simply buying this piece of art or that, knowing they are sure to appreciate in value. And, when that time comes, they will be shipped out the door to the next investor. Kind of an art-based stock market for the rich.

 

Far be it from me (who has no money) to tell someone with a lot of money what to do with it, but that just seems like a very cold, robotic way to invest in something in which a talented person poured so much of their heart and soul. The small collection that I have amassed in recent years is based on the complete opposite. I have invested in small works by artists I love and whose work I want to see on the walls of my home and my office. What they will be worth years from now doesn’t concern me at all (with sincere apologies to my kids).

 

At the gallery, we are in the unfortunate position of having to choose this artist over that one or this exhibition instead of another, but the ethos of the gallery is, at least since I’ve been there, to create an environment for everyone to access art. No one is to feel as though they’re not smart enough, not dressed well enough, not rich enough to be there. No one is meant to feel unwelcome in that space.

 

It is through this lens that I was proud to introduce art created by my daughter, Tallulah, to the gallery on Saturday for its annual Community Show, which is always a chance for local artists to show off just how talented they are. While her art may adorn many of our walls and occupy space at Hullett Central Public School, it is unlikely, at this stage, that it would find a place in any of the more prestigious galleries across Canada. And yet, the Blyth Festival Art Gallery’s traditions of not only the Community Show, but the Student Show as well, create an environment in which younger people and those who maybe don’t have an extensive artist’s CV just yet can show their work in a gallery of some esteem.

 

The pride she’ll have knowing that a painting she created will be up on the gallery walls will be immense. She has been to the gallery with me before for several openings and she has always loved it. And while she may be more interested in playing the piano in the lower hall, she has always engaged with the art on the walls and we’ve always talked about which pieces she has liked the best.

 

So, the answers to the questions above are really non-starters. With our gallery, no art theory knowledge is necessary and no money is required (though donations are always welcome). Art is all about how it makes people feel. Whether it’s the artist who created it or the person looking at it in the gallery, it connects differently with everyone. What could be called “gatekeeping” within the art world can easily turn off the average potential art lover, making them feel as though they’re not smart enough, not cultured enough - not good enough - to be part of that world.

 

The work being done at the gallery is an attempt to allay those fears and concerns, ensuring that it is truly a space for everyone. That all you need to understand about the art being featured is how it makes you feel and, for that, you shouldn’t need to study.