Westhaven center has new virtual gallery
Westhaven Center for the Arts has a new virtual community gallery
The Westhaven Center for the Arts launched a virtual exhibition late last year and, as 2021 progresses, the nonprofit gallery and grassroots community center just south of Trinidad continues to add submissions to the online display.
“After getting our bearings in this new COVID lay of the land, WCA created an ongoing virtual ‘Community Gallery,’ which we uploaded in December 2020 for all artists in our area, not just members. We thought it important to reach out to as many people as possible during these times of isolation,” said Westhaven Center for the Arts Acting Director Jolianne Einem.
All local artists are invited to participate and may submit high-quality photos of their work to wcaexhibits@gmail.com.
Still, those involved with the Westhaven Center for the Arts are encouraging everyone to renew their memberships to cover current expenses and build up funds to enable the center to reopen when it’s safe to do so.
“It has been almost one year since we closed our doors (due to the pandemic), and we feel extremely lucky to have found community support and circumstances that allow us to remain optimistic and continue with our mission,” Einem said.
She added: “… We are embracing online technology, as ‘the’ way we can continue to stay connected and keep ideas flowing. We hope to entice more of our community to join us and potentially try something new. When we open our doors once again, we hope to see many new faces along with the familiar ones.”
Right now, Westhaven Center for the Arts is also seeking submissions from artists 25 and under for its online Emerging Artists Showcase, “Through the Looking Glass; Young Icons of the Future,” which will go live in March.
The idea for this new virtual gallery blossomed after Einem viewed an oil portrait by Fiona Shaughnessy, who was collaborating with Einem’s daughter, March Adstrum, on artwork for a musical project.
“(I) was inspired by the vibrancy of this student’s work and recognized an important possibility — that WCA could create an online exhibit to support these students who are in the process of pursuing their goals and dreams as artists in a world currently besought by a pandemic.”
Openings and other events, such as “Meet the Artists,” will be developed and scheduled in collaboration with the young artists who engage with this project, she said. The project also hopes to provide an Artists’ Space Online for open dialogues about artwork and creative processes. (Contact Einem at westhavenarts@ gmail.com for more information about the Emerging Artists Showcase.)
Recently, Westhaven Center for the Arts has also added two regular monthly events to its virtual calendar: DJ Sunday Dances and Fourth Friday Flicks.
Dances are held on the third Sunday of the month, Einem said. February’s movie — in honor of Black History Month — was the 1985 film “The Color Purple,” based on the novel by Alice Walker and starring Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.
“We encourage anyone to join in on one of our Zoom events, stepping out of their comfort zone if necessary to try out something new,” Einem said.
For more information about the center’s virtual galleries, go to westhavencenter.org. For more information about online events like DJ Sunday Dances and Fourth Friday Flicks, visit https://www.facebook.com/ Westhaven-Center-for-theArts-100657013337913.
The Westhaven Center for the Arts’ board of directors meets monthly via Zoom to update and plan. Anyone with suggestions for future activities at the center can contact the board at westhavenarts@ gmail.com.