7 minute read
The Columbus Artists' Guild
Brings Inclusion, Fellowship, & Support to Artists & This YEAR’S MEMBERS EXHIBITION
By Natalie Downey
Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 30, the date for this year’s Grand Reception & awards ceremony for the Annual Columbus Artists’ Guild Members Exhibition at the Columbus Public Library (3000 Macon Road).
The exhibition itself will be from October 1st - 28th with over 200 pieces up for display and purchase.
In a cozy, colorful home, I recently met with two men who play an integral role in the Columbus Artists’ Guild, an organization which exists to foster love and support for artists. Both artists, writers, and veterans, Rob St. Clair and Steve Scott shared with me a little bit about their passion for seeing local artists succeed, and their eager anticipation of the Guild’s upcoming Members Exhibition.
The Columbus Artists’ Guild is a local nonprofit that was started in 1950 to offer support and camaraderie for local artists, while helping them find opportunities to showcase and sell their work. Since its beginning, the group has grown from 50 to more than 250 members from all over the world. Within the group, over 30 media styles are represented – from oil, watercolor, acrylics to photography, tapestry art, wood, metal sculptures, and more. The Columbus Artists’ Guild prides itself in being a welcoming, inclusive group which is all about supporting local artists and every form of art.
Being a member of the Columbus Artists’ Guild has many perks, and membership is open to anyone who considers themselves an artist or is interested in learning more about art. Members have the opportunity at monthly meetings to meet other artists, enjoy the “best refreshments in town,” according to President Rob St. Clair, and learn about new techniques and mediums from guest speakers. Guests and new members are welcomed into the group with enthusiasm.
“We fuss over new members a lot,” Steve Scott says. At the monthly meetings, St. Clair explains that, “We are a fun bunch.” Meetings include time to socialize, participate in show-and-tells, where artists can bring in a piece to show off, discuss business announcements, and enjoy the program from guest speakers. Guest speakers are artists, often brought in from out of town, who specialize in techniques and mediums which they demonstrate and share with the group. “You’re going to learn something new, whether it’s a new technique or painting with oil in a way you weren’t familiar with,” St. Clair explains. “Everyone enjoys the show, even if it isn’t their medium.”
Throughout the year, in addition to monthly meetups, the Columbus Artists’ Guild hosts various workshops where artists can further explore learning and perfecting new techniques. Members of the guild can weigh in on specific artists they’d like to see brought in, or techniques they’d like to learn more about.
At the Annual Members Exhibition, participating artists display up to two pieces of their work for the public to enjoy. This year, around 125 artists are expected to participate. There are many different categories, including one for young artists under the age of 18. An Academy Awards-style ceremony, a catered event that is free to the public, is held on opening night upstairs in the library where winners are announced for each category and prizes are handed out. Artwork is displayed for a month after opening night and is available for sale. At the end of the exhibition, the Columbus Library chooses around twenty select pieces to keep on display for the following year. “It’s the largest art show in the Chattahoochee Valley each year,” St. Clair explains. This year’s exhibition will be held from opening night on September 30 through October 27.
The Columbus Artists’ Guild is all about supporting artists, and this extends to young artists as well. Each year, the group gives out two scholarships to Columbus State University’s Department of Art to support college students studying art. In addition, the group supports Muscogee County Schools art teachers, and will participate in the Wynnton Elementary School’s upcoming STEAM night. “Any way we can help art teachers, whether by going to their classrooms, or whatever we can do, we’re glad to work with them,” St. Clair says.
Steve Scott puts it eloquently, “We’re trying to stitch together a giant art tapestry with all these different artists and schools and teachers.” Scott’s love for diversity and inclusion is perhaps most visually demonstrated in Columbus’ annual “Strut the Hooch” parade, a zany celebration of all things creative and fun, which Scott organized and started years ago as “Captain Hooch.”
For the past five years, the Columbus Artists’ Guild has also been giving out a Community Excellence Award. Steve Scott explains that the award is to “identify people in the community who started out with just an idea and created something from nothing that benefits the community.”
“Columbus has a rich cultural arts community many people don’t know about,” St. Clair explains. Groups of artists ranging from musicians to actors are “much more intertwined and supportive than people would realize.” The Columbus Artists’ Guild is part of the Columbus Cultural Arts Alliance, an eclectic gathering of artist groups across the Chattahoochee Valley sponsored by the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau. The over thirty members are all local nonprofit art organizations and range from the Columbus Symphony Orchestra to the Civil War Naval Museum. St. Clair makes the point that in Columbus, artists are extremely supportive of each other, and there is a lot of interaction between these different groups.
If you aren’t an artist already, you’ll want to be after spending some time soaking in the enthusiasm of St. Clair and Scott. They encourage even the amateur to give it a try, and remember that if something doesn’t turn out well, you can throw it away and try again. “We want anyone who enjoys art and would like to try it to enter the exhibition,” St. Clair explains. It isn’t limited to professional artists, or artists who are well-known, or even artists who have gone through formal training. The exhibition is open to anyone who wants to show the world their art, no matter what their skill level is.
Just remember September 13th is deadline to return your entry form for submission. Membership in the Columbus Artists’ Guild is open to any local artist, and Steve chuckles as he explains that the group has had to “fight the image of the Artists’ Guild as little old ladies painting still life.” The diverse, inclusive group includes people of any and every description.
Art is a way of life for many in the Chattahoochee Valley, The Artists’ Guild is a group of local artists that have found a way to support each other, lift their works, and be inspired in their artistic endeavors.
For more information about the Columbus Artists’ Guild and their upcoming events, visit columbusartistsguild.com and look updates for the Members Exhibition on their social media pages @columbus_artistsguild.
