Muse Gallery in Longmont puts on interactive events on Second Fridays
By Tyra Sutak For the Camera
Posted: 05/27/2012 09:10:40 AM MDT
Updated: 05/27/2012 09:11:55 AM MDT
Longmont Council for the Arts Executive Director Joanne Kirves stands next to sculptures by Duane Farquhar. ( Matthew Jonas )
Art walks in JuneFriday, June 1
First Friday
Pearl Street, Downtown Boulder
6-8 p.m.
NoBo Nite Out
Broadway from Lee Hill Road to Pine Street, Boulder 6-9 p.m.
First Friday Art Walk
Downtown Louisville
5-8 p.m.
1st Friday Art Walks Old Town Niwot
5-8 p.m.
Friday, June 8
Second Fridays
Downtown, Longmont
6-9 p.m.
artslongmont.org/longmont-colorado-art-festivals-events
Friday, June 15
Downtown Lafayette
4-9 p.m.
cityoflafayette.com/sectionindex.asp?sectionid=78
Muse Gallery, located in the heart of downtown Longmont, has been a gathering place for the community to view artwork created by local artists for the past 11 years. Muse provides a venue for local artists to showcase their work, making art more accessible to the public through free, family-friendly events that occur on a monthly basis.
This upcoming Second Friday, June 8 at 7 p.m., Muse Gallery will be hosting local ceramic and sculpture artist Duane Farquhar as he describes and demonstrates techniques used to create his unique and lighthearted artwork. During the interactive event, the public will have the opportunity to follow along as he creates a new sculpture using clay.
Farquhar is a former IT specialist turned artist who draws on his sense of humor to turn ordinary materials into fun works of art. After leaving his career in computers, Farquhar enrolled in art courses at Front Range Community College where he recently graduated with a degree in fine arts. He is mostly known for his clay work but also creates sculptures made of metal. For the most part, Farquhar takes a surrealist approach to his artwork by distorting and exaggerating physical features in his pieces and using a combination of different metal objects to recreate human characteristics.
Farquhar is currently one of the local resident artists with artwork featured in the main gallery at Muse Gallery through June 30. Featured artwork in the main gallery changes every two months and admission to the gallery is free.
Joanne Kirves, Executive Director of the Longmont Council for the Arts, the nonprofit that runs the gallery, is thrilled with the community support that local artists and art programs have been receiving.
“There’s a solid core of artists that live and work in Longmont,” says Kirves, “there’s a good sense of collaboration and a certain synergy going on in downtown right now.
Along with providing space for artists to showcase their work, the LCA also supplies administrative support, educational classes in grant writing, fundraising assistance, and marketing, promotional and community outreach support.
The Longmont Council for the Arts is also behind the monthly art events that occur downtown on the second Friday of every month. Second Friday events include gallery openings and receptions, performance art shows along Main Street and artists talks and demonstrations.
Contact Tyra Sutak at tyra.sutak@gmail.com.