Click, defined as verb, means to fit together; function well / to succeed; make a hit. Every year the Wyoming Arts Council sponsors the CLICK conference for visual artists. Its a golden opportunity to "fit together," with artists from across the state and beyond. Another highlight of the conference is the announcement of the Visual Arts Fellowship winners. Chosen by three out-of-state jurors, it's an artistic honor that culminates in the Biennial Fellowship Art Exhibition. The 2016 and 2017 Fellowship winners will have a their Biennial show at the Nicolaysen in Casper. I was honored as a 2016 Fellowship winner and will be exhibiting at the Biennial along with Jennifer Rife, Susan Moldehauer, Shelby Shadwell, Bailey Russel and Florence McEwin
There were about 60 attendees at this year's conference and my goal was to connect with one of them to include in my LEAP 366 Life Ring. I decided to chat further with Sonja Caywood after I heard she went with members of her church to Zambia. During her mission trip, she taught painting classes to all age and ability levels Shy, let me stay in the background, Sonja reached across culture and language barriers through the gift of art. Sonja also shares her art through classes she teaches in her home town of Dayton Wyoming. Here is an excerpt from Sonja's website; I was raised in Montana and Wyoming in a family who ranched in the "old ways." We spent summers in Montana settings reminiscent of CM Russell paintings, with a mess-wagon, tents and teepees and a rope corral. Being immersed in nature, far from modern distractions, I learned to study and appreciate the world around me. I've always loved animals, and livestock figures prominently in both my memories and my paintings. Sonja is a talented artist that puts personality into her paintings of cows and horses,(I don't have any gift for painting livestock!). When I asked Sonja, "If you could design a fabric that represented you, what would it look like"? She said, "Although I can be bubbly, I like to blend into the background, so my fabric would have to look beige or brown or sage from a distance but a bit more interesting up-close". The Wednesday after CLICK I went to my favorite hunting ground, the Meals on Wheels thrift store. I found Sonja in a cozy sweater made from green and grey yarn shot through with multi-colored flecks. Warm and accepting, bubbly and quiet all at the same time! Her perfect,"personality fabric".
1 Comment
5/18/2016 11:51:13 am
Thanks so much, Georgia! It was so great to visit w/ you at Click! It's been remarkable watching your art evolve over the years- you're amazing!
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