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Date: 3/9/2023
EAST LONGMEADOW – The Pleasant View Senior Center is inviting the public to view local art, meet area authors and discuss the creative process at the Artsy Fartsy Artists and Authors Fair.
The fair begins at 10:30 a.m. on March 22, with a virtual exhibit from the Museum of Bad Art (MOBA). Council on Aging Activities and Volunteer Coordinator Alicia Smith explained that MOBA is a national cooperative that collects pieces from tag sales and the trash that, while not aesthetically pleasing in a traditional sense, has beauty in the eyes of MOBA members.
Two panels, one for authors at 12:45 p.m. and another for artists at 1:30 p.m., offer the fair goers the opportunity to ask questions and learn about what inspires the literary and visual artists.
The fair is free with the donation of $5 worth of items for the Emergency Food Pantry and open to the public. There will also be door prizes and refreshments.
“We had never offered something like this,” said Smith. Smith collaborated with Bluebird Estates Engage Life Director Rachel Finney to brainstorm events and activities that would be of interest to the town’s senior community, and Finney suggested an art fair. “It seemed like a great idea for our community and a great way to partner with Bluebird Estates,” Smith said.
As it is the first time a fair like this has been put on at the center, Smith said it will be relatively small. Five artists and one photographer will display their artwork in one room, while in another room, 11 authors have signed up to showcase their works. There is still one author space available, Smith noted. The artists and authors will have items available for purchase. The people whose work will be featured are all local, and many of the artists take part in the Pleasant View Senior Center’s art class, said Council of Aging Director Erin Koebler.
If the fair is a success, Smith said she would like to make the fair an annual event. The center has “invested in art display hardware, so we can do more of this,” Koebler said. She noted there is a “local conscious effort” to make art more accessible to East Longmeadow residents and cited the Arts & Brew event in August 2022, which was a partnership between the East Longmeadow Cultural Council and Brew Practitioners, a local brewery. There are also several authors who have written about growing up in town, she said, but noted the fair will feature authors of all genres.
The Artsy Fartsy Artists and Authors Fair is supported, in part, with a grant from the East Longmeadow Cultural Council. Grants from area cultural councils are funded through the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
“I love that we were able to offer a variety of programs and events,” Smith said, adding that she hopes that the fair allows Pleasant View Senior Center to reach an audience they have not previously.
“I hope that people feel inspired,” Koebler said. “There are really talented people in the area.”