OXBOW — The Oxbow Arts and Cultural Committee, in partnership with the Oxbow Public Library, hosted their first Winter Art Show on Feb. 22.
The library collected and displayed artwork by local artists, and then invited the community over for a cultural night out. There were no rules, and all mediums, experience levels and ages were welcome to participate.
Megan Andersen, the branch librarian and a member of the Oxbow Arts and Cultural Committee, co-ordinated the event.
"It was really good; we were quite happy with the turnout," Andersen said. "Neither the arts and cultural committee nor the library had ever done an art show before, so we were quite happy with the attendance and the amount of art that we were able to put on display."
The show featured mosaics, quilts, acrylic, charcoal, pencil, photography, beadwork and pencil and paper drawings. Artists ranged from eight to over 70 years old.
Andersen said they felt there was a lack of visual art engagement in the community, so they decided to try filling that gap.
"We have a lot of artists in our town that have never really been able to feature or highlight their talents locally before. We haven't had an art show in Oxbow, probably, since … about 2008," Andersen recalled.
"We have lots of musical people on our board, and generally, our arts and cultural committee has put on lots of music events. So, we wanted to do something with a different form of art. And a few of us on our committee are artists who also participated, including myself. So that's how the idea came up."
Some board members contributed to the show. They also reached out to the local art teacher and different artists in town, inviting them to join. Within a month, they were able to attract 11 artists to display their creations.
About 40 to 50 people took the opportunity to enjoy local art that night. Guests were also treated to a delicious variety of cheese and crackers with hot apple cider.
Andersen said they are probably going to do a fall art show this year if there is enough interest.
The library and arts and cultural committee have different events and programs for the community. They are to host a Shake the Winter Blues concert in Alameda on March 14. Follow their social media to learn more about upcoming opportunities.
