Community-Created Artwork to be Unveiled at The Kingston Library

On 1st Saturday, November 2, from 3:30 to 5 pm, two MAD community art projects—a Community Collage and Community Coil Pot—created live in August at the successful 5th Annual MAD Celebration of the Arts EXPO will be unveiled and installed at The Kingston Library, 55 Franklin Street.

MAD will host a brief ceremony in the first floor lobby, following by light refreshments and a special film premiere screening in the upstairs community room. The short film by filmmaker Robert Vandeweghe showcases this year’s Celebration of the Arts EXPO. Vandeweghe gathered vibrant footage of community members creating art throughout the day, and it is a powerful reminder of how art brings people together.

The Community Collage and Community Coil Pot were hands-on creative highlights of this year’s Celebration of the Arts EXPO held at the Kingston Center of SUNY Ulster.

Art is for Everyone

The Community Collage was conceptualized by Kingston artist Talya Baharal, who along with fellow artist Fran O’Neil, encouraged attendees to contribute to the 13’ x 6’ canvas located in a bright and airy hallway leading to the EXPO. Visitors were drawn to the vibrant display and, using paint and found materials, added their own imprint to this collective piece.

To create the Community Coil Pot, Anne Bailey, artist and entrepreneur who co-owns Bailey Pottery Equipment, sent her team and donated resources to help all visitors play with clay in the bustling Clay Happenings Room. Visitors enjoyed using a collection of tools and objects that make a good impression to create their own unique coil to add to the clay pot. Each coil was scored and slipped, then added to the growing pot. The Community Coil Pot and other projects created in the Clay Happening Room during the Celebration of the Arts EXPO were fired, glazed, and fired again at Bailey Pottery for future pick up.

Both Talya and Anne will be present to introduce these community artworks on November 2. The two artworks will be on display indefinitely at The Kingston Library.