Press release
November 2, 2007
Press Release for Immediate Attention
6th Annual Small Works Show presented by ArtLife Society's
November 9th through January 7th
Event Location: Emerald Gallery
56 S. Main Street, Fairfield, Iowa
Contact:
Stacey Hurlin, ArtLife Society,
(641) 472-8135, artlifesociety@gmail.com
Rustin Lippincott, Executive Director, Fairfield Iowa Convention and Visitors Bureau,
(641) 472-2111, rlippincott@fairfieldiowa.com
Size does matter at Fairfield's International Small Works Show, Nov. 9 – Jan. 7
Fairfield, (IOWA) – Size does matter. And small is good. Fairfield will feature the Midwest celebration of artistic smallness at the 6th Annual International Small Works Show, November 9 – January 7. ArtLife Society presents this celebration of small works at the Emerald Gallery, 56 S. Main Street, and will once again be opening its doors amidst the percolating arts scene in Fairfield.
The Small Works Show, a two-month exhibit opening November 9th, will feature 335 original works of art by 140 regional, national and international artists, all minimal in stature. This is to be Midwest's largest annual exhibit of original work by international artists, according to Stacey Hurlin, Director of ArtLife Society. Emerald Gallery hours are Tuesdays – Saturdays 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Participating artists from around the world have sent work from Australia, Sweden and India to Russia, Hawaii and Nigeria. Work is by both recognized and emerging artists. This year's exhibit has added some Outsider and Folk Art pieces.
"Our artists are our community's resource, our national treasures, and our world bond," said Hurlin. ArtLife Society's annual exhibit is a celebration of this world view."
Why small works? There are many practical reasons the organizers attest to, namely, convenience in shipping, handling, and the required exhibition space. But it is more than that, according to Hurlin. "Small works are often indescribably potent. Someone will return repeatedly, looking at one piece. With each show we see Small Works converts."
Organizers have documented that most visitors are from eastern Iowa and western Illinois. But Fairfield gets many visitors from around the country.
"Out-of-town visitors are most surprised to visit Emerald Gallery during the Small Works Show," said Susan Thicke, assistant exhibit curator. "They are often the gallery's best customers. They don't expect to experience the expanse of this show, rare outside a metropolitan area, in a small Midwest town."
The Small Works Show will welcome an anticipated 5000 viewers during the two-month show, up from 4200 last year. "Fairfield has established itself as an emergent art scene where local creative energy thrives, said Rustin Lippincott, Convention and Visitors Bureau director. "The Small Works Show reinforces Fairfield's position as a destination for art aficionados and offers an opportunity for overnights to see featured exhibits in multiple galleries and shops, and international cuisine.
The opportunity to exhibit in the celebration of smallness is by invitation only. A seven-member committee selects the participating artists for the upcoming show from an impressive inquiry list of 600 artists. All work must be original. Outside framed dimensions are no larger than 14" x 16".
Hurlin is adamant about original work. "My personal goal is to increasingly see businesses and homes filled with original artwork," says Hurlin. "Purchasing original art supports artists directly. Local economy feels the benefit and further validates Fairfield as a dynamic town that supports its art community."
"The scope of the Small Works Show and the significant support and public attention that ArtLife Society receives in presenting the exhibit, in turn, seems to contribute to Fairfield's increasing credibility as an arts community," said Ed Malloy, Mayor of Fairfield.
The Fairfield ArtLife Society founded Fairfield 1st Fridays Art Walk, awarded the Iowa event of the year in 2005, Women for Women raising $50,000 for the Crisis Center and Women's Shelter in Ottumwa, both now run by expanded organizations.
For more information on the 6th Annual Small Works Show call 641-472-8135, send an email to artlifesociety@gmail.com, or visit www.artlifesociety.org. Contact the Convention and Visitor Bureau for Fairfield lodging, event and attraction information, 641-472-2111.