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Dorian Welch, 8, worked on his sidewalk drawing of the Golden Gate Bridge on Saturday afternoon in front of the Jessamine County courthouse. (Photo by Mike Moore/mmoore@jessaminejournal.com / September 19, 2012) |
Eight-year-old Dorian Welch was so focused on his sidewalk rendition of northern California’s Golden Gate Bridge that he failed to notice he was nearly out of blue sidewalk chalk.
“Man, I’m almost out of blue,” Welch said with his brow wrinkled with concern.
Welch was among the more than 70 people who turned out for the inaugural Creative Art League (CAL) of Jessamine County’s Creative Paint Out on the courthouse lawn Saturday.
Event organizer Constance Grayson said the turnout was overwhelming.
“It has been so exciting,” she said. “We’ve had lots of people here; some people have stayed, and some have painted and left.”
The goal of Saturday’s event was simple, Grayson said.
“The purpose of today’s event is to kick off our new organization, the Creative Art League of Jessamine County, and also to focus on all the visual arts in all their forms in the county,” Grayson said.
For Wilmore painter Kimberly Riggs, Saturday’s event was refreshing.
“I think it’s a great idea,” she said. “I think art needs to be (prevalent) in the community, and people need to know that we are out here.”
Fellow artist Wendy Tucker, who had her easel set up on the sidewalk at the corner of Main and Maple streets, agreed.
“I’ve been wanting to do this ever since I moved to Kentucky 14 years ago,” she said as she painted a courthouse scene. “I just wanted to have like-minded artists who wanted to get together and do their art and grow, improve and stretch out their ability, and this is what we’re doing.”
Grayson said CAL is gaining momentum.
“It’s really going to take off and be exciting,” she said. “We’ve got our first exhibit scheduled in February at Farmer’s Bank; we don’t have the dates nailed down yet, but Farmer’s Bank is donating some space in their Farmer’s Square office building, and we expect to have quarterly art exhibits, and we expect to have a yearly children’s art exhibit.”
Grayson said CAL is also planning art workshops for the public, with the first being Jan. 5, 2013 at the Blue Building at City-County Park.
“We just want to ramp up the knowledge of these creative folks and also give these artists an opportunity to get to know one another,” she said.
For more information on CAL, email Constance@Gullettelaw.com or call 859-885-5536.
