WESTFIELD-When strategically planning each year’s arts and cultural events for Westfield, ArtWorks Westfield board members concentrate on “creators, community and commerce,” according to Bill Westerlind, ArtWorks founder and president.
Board members gathered at the Shortstop Bar & Grill on Jan. 11 to “explore, organize and initiate new art and cultural experiences and opportunities in Westfield in 2020 and beyond,” said Westerlind, adding, the “enthusiasm was contagious.”
“As we plan cultural experiences and activities for our community, we always keep in mind who we consider our core constituents and stakeholders,” said Westerlind. “Creators – artists of all types of creative expression, and our community and commerce – local businesses and organizations that host and sponsor many of our activities.”
Board members of ArtWorks Westfield recently met to discuss 2020 arts and cultural events in the city. (Submitted photo)
Cheryl Crowe, ArtWorks treasurer and founding member, echoed a similar sentiment.
“ArtWorks is … community involvement, empowerment of all artists, and teamwork to make a difference to their community,” said Crowe.
Westerlind noted that 2020 promises to be an “extraordinary year” with a varied and diverse offering of free events and experiences, ranging from art shows, concerts, workshops and author fairs and book shows, to poetry readings, open mics and artist meet and greets.
“Our signature Articulture Westfield event takes place May 1 and 2 at the Amelia Park Arena, featuring up to 50 artists, 25 authors and 10 musical performances all under one roof,” said Westerlind. “We launched this multimedia, cultural confluence of art, literature and music in April 2016 and each year it continues to grow.”
ArtWorks activities this year will include a Community Poetry Experience, a series of poetry open mics and writing activities leading up to a National Poetry Month celebration in April, and the Downtown Live! Friday Night Series will return from June through August in the performance space adjacent to Mina’s Wine & Spirits on Elm Street, featuring local and regional bands.
Since last fall’s Westfield Youth Art Show for ages five to 18 at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield was a success, the show will return this spring in conjunction with the Articulture Westfield event.
“ArtWorks Westfield will launch a new event called Renaissance Westfield! Photo Challenge, a photography contest that will challenge local and regional photographers to find the best image that captures the beauty, vitality, individuality and renaissance of downtown Westfield,” said Westerlind.
The photo challenge will run from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31 with winners determined in early November. A panel of judges will determine the top three images.
“Reaching out and engaging and inspiring the community is so very important in every experience and event organized by ArtWorks Westfield,” said Westerlind.
Westfield author Susan Buffum, founder of the Whip City Wordsmiths writers group and an ArtWorks board member, said she is bullish about the expanding literary scene in the city.
“The literary community in Westfield is blossoming,” said Buffum, citing local authors at Articulture, author fairs with readings, open mic poetry events, and the community poetry experience series.
Westerlind added that the opportunities for gallery artists and community experiences with artists and art shows continues to expand in the city.
“In 2019, close to 200 artists showed their work in the city of Westfield,” said Westerlind, noting the monthly ArtWalk Westfield events in the Gaslight Gallery District, at Articulture Westfield, the fall Art & Author Show, and the Images Holiday Art Show and Sale.
“Of that group of artists, 35 either made their gallery debut in Westfield or showed their work for the very first time in their careers in our city,” said Westerlind, adding, “truly amazing!”
Shannon Chiba, a local artist and ArtWorks board member, concurred.
“The work we do for ArtWorks Westfield is so powerful and inspiring that I have decided to pursue my master of fine arts,” said Chiba, adding the knowledge she gains will benefit ArtWorks and “help build more culture, community and art in our city.”
Chiba also plans to host Art Picnic on the Green events on Tuesday afternoons during the summer to engage fellow artists and creators in the landscaped and open spaces of the Park Square Green.
Westerlind said that ArtWorks Westfield broke new artistic ground last year with the launch of the Westfield Youth Art Show as well as the Art In Unusual Spaces series, an experimental series of art shows and cultural events that leveraged unused, under-used and highly atypical places and spaces.
“Images: A Holiday Pop Up Art Show was held in the Olver Transit Pavilion in downtown Westfield, a truly remarkable and unusual space that is perfect for cultural activities,” said Westerlind.
Additional activities for area residents this year will include the Open Air Pen Mic summer series on the Park Square Green, World Art Drop Day on the Tuesday after Labor Day, the annual Fall Art & Author Show in conjunction with the Westfield on Weekends PumpkinFest, and the Images: Holiday Pop Up Art Show and Sale.
“Along with these major events and activities, the ArtWorks Westfield team will focus on several smaller, more hands-on workshops and activities to engage local artists, including printmaking and plein air painting,” said Westerlind.
“This year we will have more studio workshops and demos for printmaking in Westfield,” said artist and printmaker Donna Carmel, who also serves on the ArtWorks board.
Carmel added that free community printmaking workshops are slated for April 4 and 11.
Other projects still in development include a tattoo art show, a flash fiction writing contest, downtown murals, sidewalk chalk art, portable murals, an open studio tour, and a build out of the Art In Unusual Spaces series.
“Over the past several years, ArtWorks Westfield has made a significant and materially positive impact on Westfield, bringing art and cultural opportunities and experiences for artists and residents that didn’t exist just a few short years ago,” said Westerlind.
Local musician and ArtWorks board member Tom Sawyer agreed.
“Westfield and the surrounding communities have such a tremendous collection of musicians and performers of every type,” said Sawyer. “Because ArtWorks has become such a familiar and successful promoter of musical events, booking these performers has gotten easier to the point where they start calling and emailing us in late winter and early spring.”
Sawyer added that ArtWorks board members will continue to place an emphasis on promoting local talent and focusing on the diversity of musical styles.
Also this year, the group plans to forge ahead into new “art and cultural territory,” said Westerlind.
“We are only limited by the number of community volunteers and member artists to help us plan and execute a continuous series of cultural events, activities and experiences for our community,” said Westerlind. “We are a bottoms-up, decidedly un-hierarchical organization, with all of our ideas and aspirations emanating from the artists and members of the group and community volunteers. We thrive on community involvement and engagement.”
For area residents interested in getting involved with ArtWorks, send an email to [email protected], attend an artist meet and greet event or a workshop. Ongoing details about 2020 plans can also be found on the ArtWorks Westfield Facebook page, as well as at www.artworkswestfield.com.
During the annual planning meeting, two new members were elected to the board – Lucille Nason and Lisa Wirth – and Wayne Weatherwax, ArtWorks founding member and most recently chairman of the ArtWorks board of directors, resigned because of his recent appointment to the Westfield Cultural Council.
“After three years of growth and expansion, I look back on my tenure as board chairman of ArtWorks of Westfield as a great adventure in support of an expanded art and cultural presence in my hometown,” said Weatherwax. “Now I move on to serve the arts and cultural community in my new role as board member of the Westfield Cultural Council with more opportunities to help our community grow and prosper in the arts, cultural and educational areas.”
Weatherwax added he sees 2020 as “another banner year for the Westfield arts and cultural community.”
For Nason, she accepted the nomination to the board of directors after working with ArtWorks members for several years on different projects.
Lucille Nason of Westfield has joined the ArtWorks Westfield board of directors. (Submitted photo)
“I found this group to be highly professional and creative,” said Nason. “When asked to become a board member, I was honored to be included. I look forward to helping this amazing group bring the arts alive once again in 2020.”
Wirth concurred.
“ArtWorks’ dedicated volunteers do so much for our community,” said Wirth, who participated in several ArtWorks Westfield events in 2019 and volunteered her graphic arts skills to develop the Articulture Westfield 2019 logos and marketing materials. “They encourage artists of all kinds to grow, creating a community of opportunity. After a nearly 20-year hiatus, I was inspired after an ArtWalk to pick up a paintbrush and haven’t looked back. I’m looking forward to working with the board in 2020 to grow opportunities for others.”
Lisa Wirth is a new board member of ArtWorks Westfield. (Submitted photo)
Board members also attending the planning meeting included vice president Andrew Surprise, as well as Marion Dunk, Prabodh Reshamwala, and Danny Nason.
“As the presence of ArtWorks Westfield gets bigger and better in Westfield, I hope the community continues to grow along with us,” said Danny Nason.
