Collaborative Art

Opening Reception: Friday, January 4 at 5:00 p.m.
Exhibit remains through January 27, 2013
Gualala Arts Center

Why do artists collaborate?

First - you know another artist who is skilled in a medium that you are not, but working together could make your own work even more special. One example of this happened a few years ago when Sarah Waldron and Barry Semegran collaborated on a piece of art: Barry made a beautiful wooden screen and Sarah created small drawings on Polymer clay as inserts. The final piece was spectacular. We often find that working together brings out the best in ourselves.

Second - the joy of producing a whole that is better than the sum of the parts. This can happen when multiple artists get together and inspire each other, building on each others' ideas, breaking down each others' blocks, and opening up new vistas none had expected. By artists allowing themselves to be inspired by each others' ideas, methods, and techniques, they can combine to achieve works of art that are far different than work of one person alone.

Does compatibility matter? Apparently it does to some extent, but it's clear that interaction does not have to be verbal. Do you have to like each other? Apparently not - there are examples in history of artists who did not particularly like each other producing wonderful results together. For some of us the exploration of and the results through collaboration is interesting enough to make it worthwhile.

All artists, from all backgrounds, are welcome to participate in this exhibit, as long as two or more people are involved in producing the final work of art.

The Gualala Arts Center, located at 46501 Old State Highway in Gualala, CA,
is open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and weekends from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Please call (707) 884-1138 for more information, or email info@gualalaarts.org.

Serving the coastal communities of northern Sonoma & southern Mendocino Counties.