The Value of Belonging to a Community Gallery

I've been putting a lot time and effort lately into a community gallery that I belong to. While doing this I've put some thought into why I feel it's worth the effort. Here are some of my reasons to to belong to and participate in this endeavour.

I believe it's important for local artists to have a place to hang their work. Putting your work on a wall in a public space means you have created something that is worthy of public display. While posting something online might get seen by lots of people we don't paint or sculpt or create our art to be seen on a phone.

Belonging to the gallery means I have to finish things. Every couple months I need new framed finished work to display. As a photographer I can capture a vast number of images. However that really doesn't mean anything if I don't finish any of them. Sure I can do some quick editing and post them on Instagram or do some more careful work and post on a stock photo site but that's not the same as taking the extra steps to print and frame something. The incentive to finish work is a big benefit of belonging to the gallery.

The gallery is a great place to meet clients. I used to meet in cafes but that doesn't really work these days. On more than one occasion when meeting someone to pick up prints, the client was impressed by someone's painting or someone's glass work.

Image from our photographs in the new show at the Uptown Gallery in Waterloo, You can see my photography and the work of many other fine artists at the Uptown Gallery in Waterloo Town Square.

Visit uptowngallerywaterloo.com