So we completed the second year of the Open Studios out here in the mountains, and I'd say it was a great success. That is lots of people came, and lots of artists got to be public. The city itself was featured more this year with lots of locations (see map) and so it seemed that the arts have made a major impact on things here. Same time, one really can't penetrate the mysteries of being 'local' with a few paintings on the walls of empty storefronts. That said, it is a step of some sort, and I am happy to have been an initiator of the Phenom as last year's Director. Glad, on the other hand, not to have had any responsibility this year beyond managing the crowds in my own shop.
So what about art as a mediator, interlocutor and otherwise go-between the great unwashed artists and the populace who are only looking for things they recognize. Mythologies all, as the artists out here are mostly pretty middle class, and the appreciative audience is too. Aside from the occasional 'interactive' piece (fun for the kids), no one is cutting any edges. This place isn't about the avant garde or the outrageous. We'll leave that to the academics and Mass MoCA! Seriously though, I like being 'seen' for a change, and so I'm learning the language.
Till next year, don't just preach to the converted!