theHword.com

A friend of mine from Colorado recently spent a couple of days in Hastings. She makes her living as a watercolor artist and has a studio in Aurora, CO. I wanted her to see the thriving art community we have in Hastings, so we spent the better part of two days visiting galleries and studios in the area. (Not everyone’s idea of a good time, but hey, it kept us out of trouble.)

I was interested in her impressions of the Hastings arts community, since she has had 45+ years working and selling her paintings in the larger, metro Denver area. It didn’t take her long until she began remarking about the diversity of art available in Hastings and the number of talented artists who live here. She was amazed when we visited Graham Gallery because of the great space for displaying art and because of the large number of first-class artists that the gallery represents. As she said “Graham Gallery would be an asset in the larger art communities where I focus, like Denver, Boulder and Loveland. We may have larger galleries, but none have better presentations. The Graham Gallery staff was very friendly, and more importantly, very knowledgeable about the art they represent.” She went on to say she wished she could be part of an art community that seems so supportive of each other.

In Denver, it seems, the working artists are more independent, which may be because of the larger geography, but might also be the result of a community that isn’t as close knit as Hastings. Whatever the reasons, it seems apparent, to my friend, that Hastings has a lot going for it and has developed a very creative environment for success in the arts.

One measure of success for artists is selling what they create. Having a solid base of buyers is absolutely essential for the art community to grow and reinforces the artists ability to keep creating more art. One of the goals of my blog will be keeping you aware of the variety of art being made in our area, with hopes that you will become a collector. You don’t have to go to “Denver” to find good art. Of course, I use Denver euphemistically, so you can substitute Santa Fe or San Francisco, but wherever you think you need to go to find good art, remember to look around town. You might be surprised what is right under your nose.

I welcome your input with ideas that I can ‘check out’ for you and the names of artists you would like me to discuss in more depth.

About the author: Jerry Daniels

Jeremy Daniels graduated from McCook Sr. High in 1959. He received a BA in Fine Arts from Hastings College in 1963. After almost six years in the military, he worked for Dutton-Lainson Co. in Hastings for 44 years. He was a Vice President and Advertising Manager for the firm. His artworks include most painting media, as well as sculpture. His studio is in Hastings and he can be contacted at jldan@charter.net.