Phoenix Gallery's Annual SMALL Invitational
If you had walked by Phoenix Gallery on Sunday night and peered into its brightly lit and colorful gallery space, you might have noticed that this wasn't just any old gallery party. In the center of the room was a ping-pong table, where a very heated tournament was taking place. Energetic people were bustling about hanging up paintings, while others huddled in front of artwork intently discussing it. Instead of a gallery full of potential art buyers, it was actually a room full of artists dropping off their artwork for the big upcoming show - the Phoenix Gallery's Annual SMALL Invitational.
Now in its second year, this spectacularly fun show features small pieces (less than one square foot) of artwork from some of Phoenix Gallery's favorite artists. This special gathering on Sunday night was actually our Drop Party - a chance for us artists to deliver our pieces, see each other's work and finally put faces to the names of artists we've been admiring. It was exciting and even a bit educational, and with the help of some wine and snacks provided by the Gallery, we had a ball.
There's not often a chance for so many of us artists to gather and show off our artwork, so the party was an amazing opportunity to not only see what everyone was working on, but also ask questions. "Hey, how'd you do that?" "Where are you getting your frames from?" "Where did you learn how to do that?" Invites for studio visits and coffee dates were flying around the room as fast as the orange ping-pong. We were all impressed with each other. The artwork was so varied and wonderful - abstract paintings, landscapes, prints, drawings, encaustics, sculptures, collages, photography - a veritable cornucopia of mediums and styles.
Judi Grenney, owner of Phoenix Gallery said, "This is one of my favorite shows of the year, mostly because it's so edgy and different. It's an amazing sampling of some extremely talented artists and a fun way to show off their new works. I get excited seeing all the artists bring in these smaller pieces and displaying them on our gallery walls. This show turns our space into a giant collage."
The SMALL Invitational Show opens Friday November 27th as part of the monthly gallery stroll and continues through December 20th 2009. I expect it to be one of the most exciting shows I see all year, and I'm not just saying that because I have two paintings in it. I can guarantee that there is something for everyone at this show and you'll likely find one that you're dying to take home with you. Also, since the works are so small, they're very approachable and hence, affordable - coincidentally, just in time for the giving season.
The snow certainly didn't stop us from having an amazing time on Sunday. The art community of the Park City area was out in full force. Not only did we hang up an impressive array of artwork, but turns out, we're also pretty decent ping-pong players. The ever-so-quiet John Helton took home the ping pong 'trophy' and we all took home a lot of excitement about the upcoming show.
Bridgette is an artist and freelance writer based in Park City, UT. She lives in a small A-frame cabin in an aspen grove with her husband and dog. From her front porch she has access to backcountry skiing, biking, hiking and a whole world of inspiration. When she is not creating art or dreaming about it, she writes about green design, architecture and sustainability for Inhabitat, Ecouterre and LowImpactLiving. She also maintains the blog bridge designs, devoted to sustainable DIY projects and art.
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