Bob is a great guy. His mission in life is to help youth see and hear that they are valuable and can choose to live life to the fullest. This is a fairly sizable off-shoot of that and it includes all ages.
Oshkosh, WI is taken over for five days by thousands, up to 80,000 a day some years, of people and I get to be a small part of that.A few years ago Eric Leverance and I began ARTspace at the event. Eric is a Pastor in Oshkosh and his church used to be extremely artsy.
We decided we'd take the corner of a barn and 5-10 tables and start some little art thing there. It exploded.We planned for something like 300 people painting over the 5 days. We had more like 700-800. And we had to keep asking for more tables and chairs. People just sat and sat and didn't want to leave.
So we said we'd get 800 canvases to "plan ahead" the following year and needed more like 1000-1200. And the same thing happened. People didn't want to leave and we had to keep asking for more tables and chairs.
Last year was the third year. We thought we had a handle on it. We did not. This thing has gotten out of control, in a good way. It was like watching rest, therapy, calm and peace wash over families and individuals. Last year we planned for 30 tables, seating eight, and had to ask for more again. We began with 1200 canvases and had to run and get more again. We began with about 150 lbs of clay for sculptures and had to run and get more again...for the third year it grew, and it could of been even a bit larger but we were exhausted and just closed early for the first time.
This will be the forth year. We anticipate nearly 2000 paintings over the 4 days it's open. We anticipate nearly 500 small sculptures. We also anticipate running out of tables and chairs, not having enough paint brushes and all kinds of other fun messes that come with this colorful experiment. We also anticipate another community mural being started by random passers-by who want to paint a little (it is like painting on the walls) ... we might even do an art show.
The interesting things--normally we are only left with a few paintings because almost all are taken home, some people stick around and help clean up--which is amazing and people who were part of it in previous years act like tour guides sometimes. The new people: I think it is funny that often someone will see my name badge and circle their arms around pointing at all the different stuff and sorta yell at me "what is this place?!" Then the four or five others who were wandering around wondering the same thing slowly walk up behind them and listen in. And I will do my spiel, "paint, sculpt or draw ..."
It is a simple yet palpable exercise in being a co-creator in this world. It is a cool celebration of our natural instinct to do just that. If you have not been a part of it, please come. My team always needs more people!
