The Art Center of the Bluegrass will host an all-new virtual event on Wednesday, July 22. The At-Home Art Party is an online art-making event focused on creativity and community. Participants will log into a shared Zoom meeting, then spend time working on their own, individual art projects, before breaking into small groups to share their work and chat with other participants.

“Our mission is all about connection,” explains Associate Director Kate Snyder, who is organizing the event. “As we continue to feel the impact of the COVID-19 virus, we are looking for ways to continue bringing people together through the arts – while still remaining safely distanced.”

It can be a tricky balancing act, requiring creativity and flexibility. In the early days of quarantine, the Art Center hosted several online challenges, drawing hundreds of participants who created chalk art, photographed trees, and decorated Easter eggs, then shared their pictures on social media. The At-Home Art Party is the newest iteration of what the Art Center refers to as “art via social distancing.”

“Art is meant to be shared,” says Snyder. “We designed this event as a really simple way for people to have a shared experience, while still being safe in their own homes.” The event is modeled after the long-running Silent Reading Party in Seattle, during which participants sign up to silently read together.

During the two-hour event, participants are invited to work on whatever creative project they choose, be it painting, drawing, coloring, sewing, knitting, creative writing, or any other artistic pursuit. Participants will be muted for the majority of the event to avoid background noise, but there will be live music provided by pianist Johann van Niekerk. “The music is the shared thread that unites us,” explains Snyder. “By listening to the same music, it creates a common experience even though we are in separate places.”

For the final thirty minutes of the event, participants will have the option of joining small group discussions with other participants.

The At-Home Art Party is a fundraiser for the Art Center, as the organization looks to find new revenue sources to replace income lost as a result of their extended closure. Snyder explains that they have instituted pay-what-you-can pricing for the event, recognizing that many people are struggling financially right now. The Art Center has posted FAQs and an event sneak peek video on their website at www.artcenterky.org/art-party. Online registration for the event is also available via that link.

 

If You Go

Wednesday, July 22

6 – 8 p.m.

Register online at www.artcenterky.org/art-party