The idea for the AddisonArt Program is a way for the Town of Addison to improve the look of the walls of the Conference Centre and to encourage support of the local visual artists. Addison has long been a strong supporter of the performing arts, with Water Tower Theatre, Shakespeare in the Park and numerous music performances during festivals and special events, but there hadn’t really been a place for visual arts in the Town. In early 2017 a gallery-type hanging system was added to six walls within the Conference Centre, complete with horizontal rails and movable wires and hooks so that rotating displays do not damage the walls or building. The first show, which featured paintings and drawings by Dallas painter Ted Houston, was installed in time for Kaboom! Town in July 2017.
Fran Powell, Addison resident, with prior experience in running a gallery and in working as art director for a major real estate company, volunteered to organize and run the AddisonArt Program. As Curator, she sources and meets with potential artists plans the calendar of shows and installs each exhibit with the artists. Exhibitions are planned so that a variety of works is represented: a watercolor show may be followed by an abstract exhibit in acrylics; a photography exhibit may be followed by landscapes in oil.
Each artist is carefully selected and is required to fit a few criteria: must be living in North Texas, must not be currently represented by a gallery, the work must be installed on the walls only (no freestanding works at this time), work must be suitable for a corporate and family environment, and the artist must commit to having approximately 25 to 35 works in place at the Centre for six to eight weeks. Though there is no charge to the artists for being part of the AddisonArt Program, each has the choice of hosting a reception if they wish, which is planned around the meeting schedule of the Conference Centre.
It appears that the community enjoys these shows. The opportunity for Dallas-area artists to show their work in public is very limited. Addison is providing a venue to show the works of emerging artists and offer the opportunity for art collectors, whether private or corporate, to recognize the talent that sits right on their doorstep. Not all the art available in galleries around town needs to be sourced from major cities. The hope, and one of the primary reasons for the AddisonArt Program, is that local art dealers, interior designers, collectors and corporations begin to identify the talent that is available right here in North Texas. There is such a great opportunity to access outstanding artwork in the immediate area and to support local emerging artists. It would be so gratifying if and when corporate collectors, looking to enhance the walls of their office buildings, would begin to look at the local talent to add to their programs.
In addition to Houston, the following artists have had a one-person show as part of the Addison Art Program: Dr. Joseph Mills, Sharon Shero, Bill Snelson, Melanie Brannon, Kirk Sisco, Ginger Shanholt, Jamie Pickerell, Barbara Mason, Allan Wood, Janna Tidwell and Harriet Mellow. Featured in November/December 2017 was a group show of emerging artists, most of whom were students at the School of the Arts at Brookhaven College.
Larry Rand's work of abstract oils can be seen through Dec. 9th. As an artist herself, and having organized shows for 18 months, Fran Powell is the featured artist with her show opening on December 11 and running through January 2019.
North Texas artists interested in being part of this program may contact Fran Powell at [email protected]"Angel Fish" Acrylic on canvas 24" x 24"
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- FREE!
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