A Big Thank You and a Few (Brief) Thoughts on Art

Thank you so much for helping us reach our goal on Kickstarter. The project we funded through Kickstarter is called the Art Exchange and it begins TONIGHT at 6 o’clock on White Wharf in Rockport. The response to the Art Exchange has already been interesting, and it has yet to take place. Usually when people hear about the idea behind the Art Exchange, they say something like “What a great idea!” followed by “I really want to be a part of this!” followed by “But what-if-what-I-bring-is-worth-more-than-what-someone-else-brings?” or “But what-if-what-I-bring-is-not-as-good-as-what-other-people-bring?” followed by, “I’ll just wait and see this year and maybe participate if you do it again.”

What if you could trade this…
…for this?
Then you would be one lucky dog.

This is the thing: the Art Exchange is an experiment for all of us. At times we allow our experience of art to become an overly-mediated one, or we allow the market to dictate our response to what we see.  The point of the Art Exchange is to make the art market a more immediate, interactive experience. Things may get interesting, or they may stay boring. You may find the experience to be less than satisfying, or it may be the best night of your life. The thing is, I don’t know. And neither do you. So in between gallery openings and the block party, come down to Rockport’s Art Exchange. Eat a hot dog, listen to some tunes, and if you really like a piece of art you see there, try to trade for it. If not, you’ll have had a few hours on one of Rockport’s beautiful wharves on a nice summer evening. So things could be worse. Hope to see you there, and thanks again for your support!

Go to www.artnowrockport.com for more information.

Last Chance to Get a FREE Sandwich & Coffee from Brothers’ Brew!

How can I get my free & delicious food from Brothers’ Brew in Rockport? I can hear you asking… Well, by supporting the Art Exchange, an event taking place in Rockport on Saturday, August 18th. You have just a few hours left to take advantage of the generous offer from the team at Brothers’ Brew, a business that is incredibly supportive of downtown and community initiatives that help make Rockport and Cape Ann such an incredible place to live.

Click HERE to support the Art Exchange project and be sure to check out Brothers’ Brew online. But even better, check them out in person. This is a coffee shop that is a local business in the very best sense. And they make great doughnuts.

Help Create a Scene in Rockport!

Rockport is an awesome, beautiful place, but some of us who live here would like to shake things up a little bit. So we’re throwing an art party of sorts on August 18th right in downtown Rockport. And to truly make this a community event, I set up a project page on Kickstarter. I’ve been really out of it lately, having a baby and trying to stay awake during daylight hours, so putting this together on Kickstarter took some more mental prowess than I expected, but I figured it out eventually (hats off to GMG contributor E.J. who funded her book project with your support through Kickstarter!). Anyway if you’re one of the Cape Ann locals or visitors who want to see art happen in spontaneous ways in dowtown Rockport, check out the Art Exchange project to see if it’s something you can support. We are funding this event with a goal of $500 and so far we have $50 raised, which is exciting! Feel free to email me (Sarah) at artnowrockport@gmail.com or therovinghome@gmail.com with any questions about the project or the event itself. And just click the image to find out more:

click the image for project information

A 22-Second Video Guide to Rockport’s Art Exchange

Before you check out the video…if you’re on Twitter, Art Now Rockport just joined. www.twitter.com/artnowrockport. Follow Art Now and Art Now will follow you back big time.

Last week we were off camping and visiting relatives but now I’m back on Cape Ann charged up and ready to swap some art at Art Now‘s upcoming Art Exchange on August 18th! Here’s a little video we made (just 22 seconds so it won’t cut into your day too much) about the event:

What Will Happen at Art Now 2012 from Sarah Kelly on Vimeo.

A 20 second visual example of what will happen at the 2012 Art Now Rockport Art Exchange, scheduled for August 18th, 2012. Only there won’t be a man with a top hat there.

www.artnowrockport.com

Art Exchange Coming Up in Rockport!

People of Cape Ann: are you ready for some new art? Bring a piece of your own artwork, or a piece from your collection of someone else’s original artwork, to Art Now Rockport’s first Art Exchange, scheduled for August 18th. This event will no doubt be a lot of fun, with a bit of food & music as well as art. Preregistration, which isn’t required but which might be a good idea, opens on July 30th. It’s $5 to participate but free to come and watch the art exchange take place, which should be lively. The event is being organized by Art Now Rockport. Check out the website for more: www.artnowrockport.com. You can sign up for the Art Now newsletter or send an e-mail to volunteer to help out the evening of the Art Exchange.