Curated by Nancy Moore
April 8 to May 9, 2022
April 8 to May 9, 2022
Curator's Statement
“What happens to the passion, vision, and creative drive of visual artists as they age?” The answers to this question are as varied and deep as the work of the 70 artists represented in “Coming of Age.”
Typically, the phrase “coming of age” refers to a young person having a pivotal experience that propels them into adulthood. This show turns that reference on its head and shows that artists, no matter their age, are continually having that pivotal experience through their art.
This is an invitational show that features men and women who are alive in their work, vital in their practice, and communicating through their creativity. It is no small thing to continue a creative practice for many decades, to keep discovering what one is capable of, and to translate that knowledge into art.
Although age is the unifying factor in this exhibition, which celebrates a wide array of mediums and subject matter—the art itself is not about aging. What ties the show to the subject is the words that hang next to the work: all the creators have written about their experiences as artists “of a certain age.” Some are struggling, some thriving. Some are doing both, and they have something to say.
As artists, we often find creativity in the obstacles we work around. In the case of aging artists, those obstacles may seem inevitable and maybe even a bit cliché: physical barriers, illness, studio space, financial limitations, tools/materials we can no longer manipulate without hurting ourselves. Less obvious and less explored are the vistas that often open up to older artists: more time to create, inspiration from directions we hadn’t noticed or considered before, courage to travel down new paths, more enjoyment from the process, more confidence in the results, freedom from our own expectations and/or the expectations of others. And (at least) one more: over the years, many of us have created solid and abiding communities of support among other artists, friends, and collectors—a huge benefit from having been on the planet for a while.
Viewers walking through this exhibition will notice that the walls are bursting with vibrant work by a host of dedicated and brilliantly talented artists. Their age is incidental to their work, and that is the point. Because when you read the words that accompany their work, you’ll discover that they have much to say on the subject of aging and making art.
“What happens to the passion, vision, and creative drive of visual artists as they age?” The answers to this question are as varied and deep as the work of the 70 artists represented in “Coming of Age.”
Typically, the phrase “coming of age” refers to a young person having a pivotal experience that propels them into adulthood. This show turns that reference on its head and shows that artists, no matter their age, are continually having that pivotal experience through their art.
This is an invitational show that features men and women who are alive in their work, vital in their practice, and communicating through their creativity. It is no small thing to continue a creative practice for many decades, to keep discovering what one is capable of, and to translate that knowledge into art.
Although age is the unifying factor in this exhibition, which celebrates a wide array of mediums and subject matter—the art itself is not about aging. What ties the show to the subject is the words that hang next to the work: all the creators have written about their experiences as artists “of a certain age.” Some are struggling, some thriving. Some are doing both, and they have something to say.
As artists, we often find creativity in the obstacles we work around. In the case of aging artists, those obstacles may seem inevitable and maybe even a bit cliché: physical barriers, illness, studio space, financial limitations, tools/materials we can no longer manipulate without hurting ourselves. Less obvious and less explored are the vistas that often open up to older artists: more time to create, inspiration from directions we hadn’t noticed or considered before, courage to travel down new paths, more enjoyment from the process, more confidence in the results, freedom from our own expectations and/or the expectations of others. And (at least) one more: over the years, many of us have created solid and abiding communities of support among other artists, friends, and collectors—a huge benefit from having been on the planet for a while.
Viewers walking through this exhibition will notice that the walls are bursting with vibrant work by a host of dedicated and brilliantly talented artists. Their age is incidental to their work, and that is the point. Because when you read the words that accompany their work, you’ll discover that they have much to say on the subject of aging and making art.
If you would like to see more of any work that has been sold,
contact us at rgoa@sbcglobal.net to be put in touch with that artist.
If you would like more information about, or to purchase any of the art below, contact the Guild at rgoa@sbcglobal.net
contact us at rgoa@sbcglobal.net to be put in touch with that artist.
If you would like more information about, or to purchase any of the art below, contact the Guild at rgoa@sbcglobal.net