Members are encouraged to exhibit children’s art, adult contemporary works and heirlooms, which will be displayed side-by-side in this non-juried exhibition. In the past, artwork included in the exhibit has been submitted by the Fitton Center community of artists, including board members, sponsors, staff, instructors, students, and others. .
“Another different aspect of the member show is that it’s multi-generational. So we show contemporary art made by adult members. They can also get into children’s art, or they can get into historical artwork done by someone in their family. You might have an old needlepoint sampler or a handcrafted piece of furniture by an ancestor. That kind of stuff is eligible for this show,” Mayhugh said. .
The members’ show is held in even-numbered years. In 2018, the Fitton Center received over 160 applications from nearly 100 members. For the first time, the Fitton Center hosted a virtual gallery in 2020. The juried competition is held in odd-numbered years. Many member artists have also taken courses at the Fitton Center, such as pottery, ceramics, printmaking, and mosaic.
“This show has grown tremendously since it started. In fact, the last time we had a full gallery show in 2018, we had so many entries that we didn’t have enough space to show them all,” Mayhugh said, “So what we have done is that we have exhibited at least one work of art. of each registered artist and artists who submitted more than one, we put them aside for a while and turned them off throughout the exhibition. It was very cool.”
This time, artists are limited to one work per artist for the “Artist Member Category”. Artists can also submit a work in the “family category”. Overall, artists are limited to one work per category.
“Visual art is a means of communication that is universal. It really connects culture and language, and even time. So I think right now there are things happening in the world that emphasize how people are divided or at odds and that’s a way of being part of something that’s unifying , positive and a way of communicating that everyone can relate to,” Mayhugh said.
For questions or more information about art participation in the “8th Biennal Fitton Center Member Show”, contact Cathy Mayhugh, Director of Exhibits at [email protected], or by calling 513-863- 8873 ext. 122.