When I first moved to 40-acres in the Adirondack Park during the height of COVID, I was driving an hour and a half to teach in a mask at Utica College. Driving never bothered me but teaching in a mask was enough to make me want to retire early.
I thought it ironic that Utica is where I started teaching English full-time 20 years ago and it is where I stopped teaching last year. Before I taught, I was in nonprofit arts and humanities organizations: I was director of a small press, a professional dance company, as well as program director for an arts center, a traditional arts organization, and a humanities center in North Carolina and West Virginia. I have run festivals and presented artists in all of them.
Art has always been part of who I am. My great grandfather was a fiddlemaker in West Virginia and one of the first students accepted to Julliard. My grandmother sang (loud and off key but she sang) and made beautiful quilts. My father played the guitar. My mother says I carried my “record player” with me everywhere I went ever since I was three-years-old. But other than having a good ear, I am not a musician. I tried piano and clawhammer banjo, failing miserably at both! I also tried modern dance, theater, and journalism in my search for the perfect art for me. I settled on writing. I dabble in other areas but focus on writing. I have published a book and other material, but none of this was accomplished without the help and support of my writing and art communities.
Coming from West Virginia, I am familiar with rural life, but I have also lived and worked in large cities. I prefer country life but gaining access to arts and folks who love the arts is not easy when there is at least an hour’s drive to get to events. I want to write but do not have a group of readers and writers for inspiration and motivation.
I’m in the middle looking confused.
When the St. Lawrence Arts Council announced the Artists as Entrepreneurs program, I applied, thinking it would help me share my ideas. It was this fellowship that gave me the opportunity to connect with and learn about artists in the region. Once I gained the “permission” from my peers to embark on this journey, I felt motivated again.
In my four years here, I have spoken to numerous local artists and crafters where I learned what some of the major hurdles are in displaying art, having events, and access to classes and workshops. My mission is to find out who and what in the area promotes the arts and who wants to be promoted. I am hoping that helping one another and starting a community where artists and their audiences can connect will enrich everyone. Some ideas like an artist map and listings, event listings, craft fair listings, performance venues, etc, would help our artists.
My search has just begun, and I will share what I find with this group. What I have learned is that many of us in the arts community experienced profound loneliness during COVID. Loneliness was already high when COVID came along and made loneliness an epidemic. Artists are greatly affected because they rely on their audience—if they have no audience for feedback, they are hindered unless they find another way of interacting with people. Many were creative during COVID and found unique ways of collaborating digitally! But some, like me, yearned to see a smiling face or to hear someone read a poem out loud or play a folk song on the guitar.
Art is healing. Art gives people the opportunity to interact in a way that is less verbal and less confrontational, something that is needed in today’s world. It allows us to see many perspectives on the human condition. It is a universal language that transcends cultural boundaries, facilitating communication and fostering understanding between diverse groups. Engaging with various artistic expressions not only deepens empathy but also broadens people’s worldviews, ultimately fueling creativity and innovation for artists. Simply put, it is a win-win for everyone.
Thinking creatively is not limited to one type of art. Creating is healing. Creating with others is unifying. Working together toward a common goal in art is affirming of who we are as artists and individuals. And, all art is needed now more than ever. Tug Hill Artists Network (THAN) does not discriminate when it comes to art–all art is appreciated, from recycled art to Art Nouveau, from folk to fine arts, from rap to classical music, from clogging to ballet, and from Shakespeare to improv.
To that end, I am asking poets, dancers, storytellers, musicians, all artists please share your work to the Facebook Page (it is your page too). The page is meant to share arts in the area. Share your events or other events. Share your work in progress or your finished pieces. Invite conversations. Also, if you want to be interviewed or know someone who does, email me and we can talk about it. Sharing our stories is imperative to community. Audience members share as well! What do you want to see? All you must do is follow the page first to share an item onto it.
My next request is for you to fill out this art survey so that we can, as a community, start to make some plans for classes, workshops, and events. Once we get an idea of who is interested and in what, we can decide on next steps. There is no cost or fee. This is done out of passion for art and community. We can seek funding later for any ideas. We plan on having an in-person meeting this summer sometime for those who can meet.
In the coming weeks, you will hear more about me and others who are interested in the same thing – working together rather THAN alone.
Kelley’s Bio and samples are here
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