By Artists, For Artists
Pause, Breathe, Engage.
The Comma, one of Western New York’s newest galleries is making waves.
by Judy Hodge
Curators Christina Paul, Tami Fuller and Liz Birardi set out to, and are delivering an inclusive public dialogue designed to bring quality art to more people. Their credo, found on their website, says, “…we do not sit in judgment of the type of art or the credentials of the artist. We invite work that shows refinement and discipline… Our goal, above all, is to create a quality show that invites conversation and contemplation…”
My recent experiences, both as a participant in the group exhibition, “Wonders, Wild and New” and as part of a curated, two-woman exhibition with Mary Joy Murphy, “Recurrence + Resistance,” is that the curatorial dedication is both a well-honed guiding inspiration and a call to artists to embrace and share our roles as active communicators of both process and concept.
Truth. The dedication of these women has shaken me out of a lethargy that I did not realize I was leaning on. By presenting me with opportunities to step up and talk specifically at several public gatherings about my reasons for creating (overlaid by curated themes), I dug deeper into why I do what I do. My own experience is that art is a soul-deep drive. Articulating that need is a refinable discipline that I am grateful to have been asked to think about at a deeper level and share with others whose own experiences not only mirror my own, but have advanced beyond my own. I get to learn.
The curators at The Comma are giving their time, their knowledge and their passion to build an engaging platform of real community value.
As I see myself moving in a new artistic direction, I find the “Pause” has taken me down a path that I might not have found on my own. The Comma, pausing before whatever comes next, is a provocative segue into letting go and moving boldly forward.
The Comma Fine Art Gallery is located at 17 Elm Street in East Aurora and online at thecommafineart.com.
