Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Hailey arts community makes a debut

Celebrate art south of the valley


By SABINA DANA PLASSE
Express Staff Writer

Melissa Graves Brown photographed with one of her aspen grove paintings. Courtesy photo

As the community of Hailey grows, so do its arts and their supporters. In an effort to bring an awareness to art in the south valley, a few Hailey artists and shop owners have come together to "Celebrate the Arts in Hailey" on Friday, Nov. 23, from 5 to 9 p.m. at a variety of locations in downtown Hailey.

"We feel like we really want to cultivate the arts in Hailey," said artist and organizer Melissa Graves Brown. "It's all (been) north, and it's amazing to be in rural Idaho and have the arts be so prevalent."

Opening their businesses and studios for patrons, The Loft, Studio 311, the Blue Heron Workshop, Boingo, Bungalow, Toneri Hink Gallery and Inspire will feature work by area artists and others with an opportunity to shop, browse and inquire.

"We have three new artists' spaces on Main Street," Brown said. "We would like to do this often enough to generate and capture people's interests."

Though the open houses are spread throughout Hailey—on Main Street, East Bullion Street, River Street and Comet Lane (Airport Way)—Brown said the businesses felt it was important to stay open and endorse this initial effort to support the arts.

"I feel like I'm teaming up with my neighbors. You always want somebody to partner with and have ideas," Brown said.

Brown and her husband, Chris, who is also an artist, moved from the industrial area to Main Street, which was a downsize for space but an upgrade for exposure. The couple welcomes people to stop by their working studio to get a sense of their processes and the several types of art they produce.

"Hailey has the family vibe," Brown said. "Community-wise, it seems like there are lot more families down here. In the long term, we would love to be pioneers and open a public center for the arts where affordability would not be an issue."

Brown said companies in Hailey are looking forward to seeing people walk around and hope a community event like this will bring businesses together, especially partnering the culinary arts with the fine arts.

Seeding the efforts to build Hailey's art community and awareness is the active and successful Hailey Arts Commission, which is an advocate for combining business and art.

The Hailey Arts Commission is compiling a database of area artists and will have a registry at all the various locations participating in the evening's arts celebration.




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