Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Creativity Lives Here



This morning the laughter rolled out of the studio.  Clearly this is a place where joy lives…along with some of its occasional companions:  determination, irritation, and frustration (to name a few).   I heard students and their instructor bouncing around ideas for how to improve one of the techniques they were using.    Ah yes…creativity definitely lives here. 

Oak Ridge and the surrounding region are blessed to have a wealth of arts organizations.  The founders of them sought ways in which to connect to each other and create community.  They sought ways to enliven their minds and spur creative thinking.  They sought to entertain, learn, and grow.  They sought the arts because they do all of the above.  All these years later, study after study has proven what these rare individuals knew: the arts foster creative thinking, community, and enrich the lives of those who pursue them.   How fortunate we are to be able to access their legacy at the Art Center.

This month Anne Bagby: A New Look at an Old World and Selections From the Permanent Collection offers world class art, both current and more historic, to our visitors.   Anne Bagby is a nationally acclaimed water media artist from Tennessee whose work if often seen in major exhibitions as well as publications like Cloth, Paper, Scissors, and Acrylic PaintingSelections from the Permanent Collection includes work by internationally acclaimed artists Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Karl Appel, and George Rouault, to name a few, proving one does not have to travel to far away locales to view great art – it’s also at the Art Center.  Come enjoy.   
Our new show is really a treat for the eyes. "Anne Bagby: A New Look at an Old World" and "Selections from the Permanent Collection" are open now and will remain in the galleries through August 14th. Plan to stay a while when you come and be prepared to come back - it's almost too much to take in at one time!