SHAC GIVES THANKS for Creativity, Love and Laughter
from Louise Glickman
Better than our first year of 2020 and growing by leaps and bounds sums up Sand Hill Artists Collective as we approach this second Thanksgiving. It is our creative community, built through SHAC, that has brought new opportunities for us to support emerging artists to SHOW, TELL and TALK about their life and art.
Most of all, I’ve personally learned to laugh more and worry less this year. This is in large part due to all of SHAC’s helpers and advisors, and the light-heartedness of my loving husband Daryl. I’ve included some of ourThanksgiving wishes for you and your families to enjoy here so you may discover, as I have, that his whimsy and sensitivity go far beyond his love of Star Trek, Mayberry and Peanuts. Soon, at SHAC’s new gallery space Marquee opening December 8 in the River Arts District, his cartoons will actually sing and dance for you through a free app, Artivive. Download it to your phone and you’ll meet his newest characters Gallagher and Gallagal, dare-devils and do-gooders with big hearts (like his!). When you raise your camera to his ingenious designs, the canvas comes alive, and talks, toots and moves to music.
Some of you may already know about Augmented Reality, AR for short. Daryl will be using his humor and talent to build a new creative world of characters, illustration and animation dovetailing art with technical expertise. Primarily a storyteller and pop artist, his characters like Gallagher, Scooter and Bootz and others, have come to life over the years becoming part of our extended family.
For more, visit SHAC on Instagram: @sand_hill_artists_collective
Now, we invite you to also join our growing group of creatives at SHAC’s “ARTSVILLE COLLECTIVE” at Marquee. We will welcome three carefully curated guest artists each quarter, showing their work alongside my mixed media and Daryl’s artful whimsy. SHAC will also have launch parties and be podcasting interviews from there to produce our upcoming ARTSVILLE series spotlighting artists and area arts leaders. We are thankful for our community and so many supportive friends. Come share in our fun.
Creative Sector Summit: Taking Stock in Asheville’s Artists
Asheville Area Arts Council’s Annual Conference
This year’s annual gathering of arts leadership and professionals gave a clear picture of how we are faring as a rapidly growing arts town, pluses and minuses. We know that in Arts and Tourism, one hand feeds the other. This convening brought voices to the stats underlying our creative community. Most significant is the growth of creative jobs, increasing almost 50% in 2010-2019 while earnings declined by over $30 M in 2019-2020 through the impact of Covid. Cost of living has jumped to $17 an hour in Asheville, 6% over the national average. However, hourly earnings for creatives here rank 14% below the state average and 22% less than the national average.
The AAAC has shown strong leadership in trying to reverse the downward trends. The Summit panels addressed Arts Equiity, Sustainable Tourism, Pandemic Impacts and Creative Wages. In addition, the active arts leadership in Buncombe County now meets quarterly with groups taking deep dives into how to improve: Arts Education, Arts Equity, Manufacturing, Performance Venues, Professional & Business Services, Public Art, Events & Festivals, Sole Proprietorships & Individual Contractors, and Trade/Retail.
For a deeper dive in all that Katie Cornell and Hannah Duncan at AAAC are spearheading, go to https://ashevillearts.com
MEET AND GREET at SHAC’s new ARTSVILLE COLLECTIVE Gallery, opening to the public at Marquee in the RAD on December 8.
SHAC Launch Party at D11 inside Marquee. Friday, Dec. 17 at 5 pm.
Sand Hill Artists Collective 