The Artist of the Month program is giving local artists an opportunity to showcase their artwork and get their name out in the community.
Chestermere artist and catalyst for the Feature Artist of the Month program, Lin Kingdon was inspired to bring the program to the Chestermere Public Library after she was approached by the Strathmore library to have her artwork featured.
“It’s been a year that we’ve put all this together, now we’re looking at how that can evolve into something else,” Kingdon said.
“With Lin approaching us, she did so much of the leg work, it really was easy peasy,” said the Chestermere Public Library Acting Director Cathy Burness.
Each month around ten to 30 art pieces created by Chestermere and surrounding area artists are displayed around the Chestermere Public Library and are for sale, while 20 per cent of the proceeds go towards the library.
After the art is featured in the Chestermere Public Library, it is then featured in the city hall.
“It’s a win, win, win. The artists getting their work known and their name known is great, but from a community perspective, just to know we have all of these talented people right here is great,” Burness said.
“Even if they don’t sell anything, it’s getting their name out there as an artist. It’s a show and sell, but there is no need to sell,” Kingdon said.
“I try to promote at the level the artist is at, if they don’t want to sell their pieces then we won’t, we’ll just show it,” she said.
Not only do local artists have the opportunity to showcase their work, but they can also participate in a meet and greet with the public when their artwork is featured.
“Some of the artists are keener than others about a meet and greet. We’ve had several meet and greet events, and people seem to really enjoy meeting the artists,” Burness said.
“People come in on those particular nights, to meet the artists and go look around at the art, they don’t necessarily stop and get a book, but they look around,” Kingdon said.
“It’s one thing to take a picture of the art, then to see it live, it’s very different,” she said.
Promoting arts and culture is extremely important to the Chestermere Public Library.
“We have over the years dabbled in the arts and culture. Art meaning fine art, theatre art, it’s a thing that libraries are enthusiastic about, and we like to help provide to the residents,” Burness said.
She added, “Arts, culture, any kind of education, any kind of entertainment, and any kind of enrichment, is another way to show our vision that we are vital beyond words. It’s not just words.”
Throughout the last year, Burness has heard a lot of positive feedback from Chestermere residents and library members about the Artist of the Month program.
“It wouldn’t be about just one artist, we’ve had questions, we’ve had comments, and we’ve had accolades,” Burness said.
“I gave the mayor a tour, and he was so pleased and impressed that he decided that they should do something upstairs as well,” she said.
Although the Artist of the Month has been well-received by the community, finding the artists is not always a simple process.
“It’s finding the artists, that’s the piece of the puzzle that sometimes is more of a challenge,” Kingdon said.
Despite the challenges, Kingdon is excited to allow artists to show their work, have their voices heard, and promote inclusivity to the artists.
Kingdon has asked artists she knows personally to be featured, and other artists have come into the Chestermere Public Library asking how they can be featured.
When Kingdon finds an artist to be featured, she meets with them, writes their biography, takes their photograph, and creates the printout for pricing the artwork.
“That’s a really important piece for the library to make sure that everything comes in on time because they are busy,” Kingdon said.
Adding, “It lands on me to make sure I’m keeping the artists moving.”
Moving forward, Kingdon is open to featuring groups and featuring photography, beginning with the Chestermere Public Library staff being featured artists in March.
“We have some very creative people who work at the library, we will definitely have our artwork on the walls,” Burness said.
“It will be another way to show the people who work at the library,” she said.
For more information regarding the Library Artist of the Month program, please visit the Chestermere Public Library website at https://www.chestermerepubliclibrary.com/Programs-Events/Artist-of-the-Month, or to be a featured artist please email Lin Kingdon at linnetts56@gmail.com.
