Third Thursdays with Arts Habitat
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Arts in Progress
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January 2009
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Dear Friend,
Arts Habitat proudly presents Arts in Progress,
a monthly gathering of artists and arts devotees that is free and open
to the public.
The Monterey YMCA , located near Lake El Estero in Old
Monterey, will join Arts Habitat in hosting the programs on the third
Thursday of every month from 7:00 - 9:00 pm, beginning February 19,
2009. The Y's address is 600 Camino El Estero Monterey, CA 93940.
As an organization, Arts Habitat's goals include: developing facilities for a
self-sustaining, mixed use art center; providing low cost
studio/housing for artists and their families; facilities for patrons
and arts organizations; and programs to encourage appreciation of,
knowledge about, and skills in the arts.
Arts in Progress,
like all Arts Habitat programs, is about "creating a place for creating
art". Each month a new artist, group or organization will share an
aspect of their art and the creative process.
Arts in Progress
will begin and end with time to gather, enjoy refreshments and chat.
The guest artists of the evening will share an aspect of work in
progress, and the process involved. The audience will be encouraged to
participate through discussion or a hands-on experience.
For more information, read below, or email [email protected], or look for our group, Arts in Progress, on Facebook.
We look forward to working with you.
Sincerely,
Richard Mayer, Executive Director
Arts Habitat
P.O.Box 221487
Carmel, CA 93922-1487
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Elizabeth Murray
Awakening the Artist Within
The first Arts in Progress event
features Elizabeth Murray, photographer, painter,
author and gardener, best known for helping restore Monet's gardens in Giverny,
France.
Elizabeth
takes SX-70 Polaroids and renders the soft emulsion like a painting. On
enlargements printed on watercolor paper she then hand colors with oils,
colored pencils and pastels. This is a technique she has taught as a path to
creativity to "awaken the artist within". In a world often too
attached to perfection and technology she is teaching softening,
non-perfection, playfulness and experimentation. This lecture and demo will prove to be both
fun and inspiring.
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Volunteers Welcome!
Looking for a project?
Arts Habitat currently has two programs: Houses Art and Arts in Progress. Both programs rely on volunteers to make things happen. We need people to help with everything from marketing to clean up. We'd love to hear from you as to what you would like to do to help create places for creating art!
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A Phoenix Rising from the Ashes? Megan Havens contemplates the art of finding a place to do art.
After years of working to ensure that arts and studio space
for the arts be part of the East Garrison development, Arts Habitat learned earlier this year that the development was indefinitely
postponed due to the economic downturn.
The
Mess Halls and other buildings built for military purposes during the 30s and
40s are sitting empty at East Garrison. Some
of them were built by Italian prisoners of war during World War II. Others were constructed by the WPA
program. All these buildings, which will
be used for arts purposes when the East Garrison development happens, have a specific architectural
purpose and style that no longer serves the purposes for which it was built. They are ashes waiting for the phoenix to
rise.
So, while they are waiting, Arts Habitat is looking around for other space to utilize for the
purpose of doing art. Arts Habitat found the Monterey YMCA
located near Lake Estero in Old Monterey.
The Y is definitely not empty. It
is in constant use by many organizations, by the Y's children's programs, and
as office space for staff. It is,
however, an under-used resource of this community.
Used during World War II to provide a place
to entertain soldiers stationed in the Monterey area, it has a kinship with the
buildings of East Garrison and with a time period much like our own when things
changed faster than many people knew how to handle, and when people wanted to
be together to affirm the nature of being part of a community with a common
goal.
The Y is centrally located and
perfect for bringing people together to build a community of people interested
in the arts. Using the Y for the new Arts in Progress
program is a perfect match.
Moving forward into our current period of economic downturn,
it seems as though there will be an increasing number of empty or under-used
buildings. And an increasing number of
artists with little or no money looking for space in which to work and present
their art. How can we bring these two groups together in
ways that will promote the arts and the growth of community? Arts Habitat
asked itself this question, and Arts in Progress is only one answer to that
question.
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Follow-up Link |
Arts in Progress has a group on Facebook.
If you have questions about Arts In Progress, click here.
This newsletter is edited by Megan Havens for Arts Habitat.
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Arts Habitat
Administrative Office:
3785 Via Nona Marie
Carmel, CA 93923
Office Hours:
Monday-Thurday
10:30-2:30
Phone: (831) 624-6111
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 64
Monterey, CA 93942
For More Information: [email protected]
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