The Sacred Heart of Tucson by Alexandra Gjurasic (@lexgjurasic).
February is coming up, which means it’s time to take a moment to appreciate the art around you!
Share photos of your favorite murals (and other art from your neighborhood) by using the hashtag #LocalArtLoves.
Mural by Chip Thomas (@jetsonorama) in Yuma, Arizona.
What’s Local Art Loves about?
Local Art Loves is an annual online celebration of art and artists from different corners of the globe. During the month of February, anyone can join in by using the hashtag #LocalArtLoves to share art they love from wherever they are.
Mural by Jet Martinez in Clarion Alley, San Francisco.
The purpose is to be more aware of the art around you and the artists in your community.
I was inspired by all the colorful walls around Tucson to make murals the focus for 2020. What mural(s) do you love seeing near where you live?
By Isaac Caruso in Tucson, AZ.
FAQs
How do I participate in Local Art Loves?
Take a photo of a mural, post it on Instagram with #LocalArtLoves, and boom! you’re part of this.
Only murals?
Nope! Murals are just a starting point. You can share any art from your neighborhood that you really like.
More ideas: sculptures in the park, paintings in your favorite cafe, street art, exhibitions at your local library, comics, chalk art, mixed media pieces at an art fair…
Yes! Please do! Every year, several artists participate and share their latest pieces or work in progress.
If there are other artists in your community whose work you admire, feel free to tag them and share some of their work too.
What counts as local? What if I’m traveling / not in my hometown this month?
“Local” is wherever you happen to be in the world. How broadly you define your neighborhood is up to you.
Greetings Tour mural, Tucson, AZ.
Can I share more than one piece?
Yes!
What if I’m not on Instagram?
You can also post (and hashtag) photos on Twitter and Facebook – make sure your post is set to public. Or contact me directly.
Mural by Bumble Bee Loves You in Yuma, AZ
Anything else I should know?
Please only share your own photos of the work.
Mention the artist if you know (or can find out) who it is.
Don’t take photos where it’s not allowed. If you’re not sure, ask the artist or venue. While you’re at it, find out their Instagram so you can tag them!
I’ll be re-posting #LocalArtLoves on social media throughout February and rounding up highlights here on the site at the end of the month.
You guys found — and made — some great art during Local Art Loves earlier this year!
As you may recall, Local Art Loves is about sharing the art you love from your community. (It can even be your own work!)
This time, there were submissions from across the United States that included oil paintings, digital illustrations, sculptures, and more. I’m featuring those artists here, as well as adding a couple Arizona artists I love.
City: Marblehead, Massachusetts Medium: Oil painting Shared by: Sarah Moore (a.k.a. “Saguaro Sally,” vintage sign enthusiast) Subject: Neon sign for Skip’s Snack Bar in Merrimac, MA
Cactus art by Lora Barnhiser. Photo from my house.
When she was in the process of moving her studio to prepare for the birth of her babies, she announced a flash sale, and I called dibs on these adorable little cacti!
Later, the artist shared a couple more of her vibrant paintings – 16 (or makin’ a way outta no way) and Kandi Dishe, Starman.
“16 (or makin’ a way outta no way)” by Beck Lane.
• 16 (or makin’ a way outta no way)
Medium: Oil and oil crayon on aerosol on two 60″ x 72″ canvas panels.
Notes:
The title of 16 (or makin’ a way outta no way) refers back to the first group of Africans brought to the U.S. to be enslaved. We don’t know the names of the individuals on that original ship. We just know that there would be eventually millions more, and they were the first 16.
Coincidentally, the painting took 16 months to complete and was inspired by the events of 2016.
The woman in the center of the painting was modeled after Providence artist, dancer, and model Melanie Moore.
“Kandi Dishe, Starman” by Beck Lane.
• Kandi Dishe, Starman
Medium: Oil on aerosol on two 48″ x 60″ canvases. Subject: Portrait of Worcester, MA drag artist Kandi Dishe. Where to find it:Chasen Galleries
Painting of Frida by Caitlyn Ann Thomas. Photo from my house.
City: Tempe, Arizona Medium: Watercolor Shared by: me Subject:Frida the Fish
Notes:
After hearing that our betta fish had passed, our friend Caitlyn asked for photos. A few weeks later, she surprised us with this beautiful watercolor portrait of Frida. It was such an incredibly kind gesture and a lovely way to remember a little fish with a big personality!
Caitlyn and her husband Alex also make films as CharismaJinx Productions.
City: Providence, Rhode Island Title:Apex Medium: Oil on canvas, 23.5″ x 40″ Shared by: Sarah Moore Where to find it: You can see the final painting of Apex on the artist’s site.
Green Thumb and Green Thumb Too by Gary Lee Price. Photo: Susan Willis
Green Thumb [girl with pigtails, foreground of photo]
Green Thumb Too [boy, partly obscured in photo]
Medium: Bronze sculptures with planters Shared by: Susan Willis Where to find them: In front of Chasen Galleries in Carytown, an artsy neighborhood around Cary Street in Richmond, Virginia.
City: Haverhill, Massachusetts Title:Liquors Medium: Acrylic on panel, 18″ x 14″, framed Shared by: Sarah Moore Subject: Street outside ChrisPy’s Liquors + Lottery in Beverly, MA. Where to find it:Available for purchase. Contact the artist for more information.
Notes:
Debbie Shirley describes her painting style as “contemporary realism meets roadside retro.”
City: Ocala, Florida Medium: digital sketches Shared by: artist
Wayne Smith participated in Local Art Loves by creating new digital sketches almost daily! His varied subjects included Rocky Mountain wildlife, a series of funny “advanced yoga” poses, portraits, and dessert.
Swedish princess cake by Wayne Smith.
• Swedish princess cake
Delightful-looking prinsesstårta (Swedish princess cake) on a gold tray.
• Killdeer sketch/study
A killdeer bird the artist photographed at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park.
Goat yoga sketch by Wayne Smith
• Goat yoga
A meditation on why pets aren’t helpful for yoga poses.
The next Local Art Loves will be February 2020, and I’d love to see art shared from across the globe!
You can participate anytime by posting photos of art you find in your community (or create) using the hashtag #LocalArtLoves.
P.S. Post title is a bit of a nod to Kristin Tovar’s fabulous site, Why I Love Where I Live. Based in Tucson, WILWIL encourages everyone to find things to love wherever they are and get involved in their communities.
Jocko Moriarty shared this work “purchased from a craft and souvenir shop in M’Chigeeng, Manitoulin Island, Canada and painted by island artist Leland Bell*.”
Richmond, Virginia
Mixed media artist Sarah Irvin shared High Note. It’s part of a series of pieces she creates by writing on Yupo, a smooth synthetic paper, and then smearing the ink with a squeegee. Her solo show, In and Out of Weeks, is at the Page Bond Gallery in Richmond through March 31.
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Another Virginia artist, Jessie Rublee creates ceramics for both functional and decorative uses. This porcelain vase is from her Frail and Sound series, which explores the dichotomy between the strength of the earth and fragility of pottery.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jenny Parks draws an original, one-of-a-kind illustration on each pillow she makes – like this mandala “cuddle pillow” with a napping bunny curled up in the center. Her work is meant to comfort people in need of healing.
Sarasota, Florida
Many of Beck Lane’s works are vibrant, unconventional portraits of women. She recently completed a two-canvas painting of soul singer Lauren Mitchell.
San Francisco, California
Matthew McKinley shared pieces from several artists he’s worked with in the Bay Area. (More on his Instagram.)
Sophia Lee incorporates non-traditional materials into her paintings, like the expired make-up that gives color to Night Stroll.
Self-proclaimed “artist of multiple personalities” LE BohemianMuse feels abstract art is more able to capture the complexity of life. Her acrylic painting Bedlam Desired is from the Chaos Series.
Arran Harvey is interested in how people group together. In this spirit, Parade Crowd 2 focuses on the spectators, rather than what they’re watching.
*Note: This is the Canadian Leland Bell (a.k.a. Bebaminojmat), Woodlands school artist of Anishinabe (First Nations) ancestry. He was born on Manitoulin Island in 1953 and still lives in Ontario. Not to be confused with the American Leland Bell (1922-1991), a figurative painter born in Cambridge, Maryland to Russian-Jewish parents. Anyone else think it’s a weird coincidence that there are two 20th-century North American artists with the first name Leland?
Photos in this post link to their sources. Each one comes either from the artist or the person who submitted the work.
Since we had fun sharing Local Art Loves last year, I thought we could keep the challenge going throughout the month of February this time!
Just look for art in your community and share photos using the hashtag #LocalArtLoves on Twitter or Instagram. I’ll post some of your finds here on the site.
Keep an eye out for public art, local galleries, neighborhood art walks, and rotating art displays at coffee shops or libraries. You can also share favorite art spaces, street art, or your own work.
Can’t wait to see some art from where you live!
First photo: Paintings by Bud Heiss on display at Boyce Thompson Arboretum.
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