Emerging artists find community and collaboration through new local art center initiative
The Alliance for the Visual Arts’ Young Artists Meetup is a free group for Upper Valley artists early in their careers looking for support and camaraderie.
The Dartmouth recently carried a lovely piece about the Young Artists Meetup group that has been emerging at AVA over the last year. Capturing our efforts to grow into a "platform organization, the reporter Kaley Beth Roberts writes, "More than just a gallery space showcasing Upper Valley artists, the Alliance for the Visual Arts Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon, N.H., is a vibrant hub offering programming for local residents — and a community space for artists." Despite the name, engagement coordinator Claire Geno emphasized that the group isn’t limited to artists of a certain age. In addition to supporting artists early in their career, another key idea is mutual support—artists who have found success beyond the Upper Valley are encouraged and welcome to share how they did it and mentor new artists as they embark on the same journey.
In addition to career development, Kaley writes, "the meetups involve time for members — who are painters, photographers, sculptors, metalsmiths, fiber artists and more — to 'share opportunities' about upcoming shows and applications as well as to share and receive feedback on work during 'critique time', according to painter and YAM member Sarah Maxell Crosby ’04.
