Wednesday, October 15, 2008 8:07 PM CDT
'Alternative' art gallery still reaching out to community
By NATHANIEL WEST, Staff Writer
nwest@jg-tc.com
The canvases stacked against the wall resemble pages in a toddler’s illustrated storybook.
While this collection of art does not include any works from the artist’s early childhood, it does represent a period that stretches all the way back to his days at Charleston High School.
And just as Christopher Davis’ compilation of paintings cover more than just his time at Eastern Illinois University, so too does the gallery where his works will be displayed extend beyond the university.
Well, that’s the theory.
“We’re really trying to create (an) alternative space that will allow for artists to have a lot more leeway for how their works are exhibited,” said Davis, who recently received his master’s in art from EIU.
While the gallery on the Charleston courthouse square so far has only featured artists affiliated with EIU, Davis and other organizers hope the space at 600 Monroe Street attracts artists and patrons from the community at large.
The gallery opened late last year as a cooperative partnership among EIU and community artists. The building is owned by Jay Prefontaine, an EIU English professor.
There were several shows last winter and spring at the gallery. While these boasted strong openings, visits tapered off quickly, said Kit Morice, cooperative member and curator of education at EIU’s Tarble Arts Center.
“I would like to see us be able to get enough people in there to have a schedule and be open for more hours than we were before,” Morice said, adding that the “exceptionally well-attended” openings of exhibitions earlier this year “show there certainly is an interest in the community in this type of thing.”
Art may be sold at the gallery as well.
Davis, 35, is seeking to reinvigorate the gallery with his exhibition that opens at 6 p.m. Oct. 24. The gallery will be open for public viewing 6-8 p.m. Fridays and 1-3 p.m. Saturdays, although Davis said individual appointments may be made by emailing him at chris37399@yahoo.com.
Davis, who lives in Charleston, graduated from CHS in 1991. He received his bachelor’s degree in art from Greenville College in 2000, and his master’s in art from EIU in 2008.
He said his paintings are influenced strongly by German Expressionism, but he also draws from the community around him.
“This kind of community is very beneficial to me,” he said. “The pace allows for a lot of contemplation. It’s a very natural environment.”
About 40 of his paintings will be on display.
But the life of the gallery may be short. Prefontaine said he originally agreed to host the gallery in an effort to raise awareness of the storefront and attract a business.
The artists “all know it could end as soon as I get a renter to come through,” Prefontaine said.
Contact Nathaniel West at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.
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