BELLOWS FALLS-Canal Street Art Gallery (CSAG) is launching the Student Art Exhibition Program, a new monthly show with a mission to fill the need for professional experience in the arts.
CSAG says it seeks the funds to offer students the opportunity "to foster their creativity, cultivate real world skills, and find exposure and guidance to prepare for professional settings."
The first deadline for students to submit their artwork is Nov. 1. The inaugural show will open on Dec. 20. Those who wish to learn more and submit artwork to be considered by the gallery's Artist Advisory Board and show in the program, can visit studentartshow.com.
Three new contracted positions - program director, program developer, and exhibition manager - will support the program to build the community outreach necessary to find student involvement, educator support, and advertising partners. To pay a monthly stipend for these positions along with building, promoting, and advertising for the Student Art Exhibition Program, CSAG has begun its third fundraising campaign on the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform.
This campaign, the gallery's most ambitious fundraiser yet, asks for an all-or-nothing goal of $15,000 to fund the first year of the program. The yearly total of stipends for the program is $11,000. With this "altruistic capital," mission-driven businesses can contribute to society by developing public programming with philanthropic ideals, supporting future humanitarian acts.
To donate to the "Help Us Build Our Student Art Exhibition Program," go to (1)kickstarter.com/projects/canalstreetart/help-us-build-our-student-art-exhibition-program.
This fundraiser will help pay for additional lighting and a new freestanding triangle of walls to be an "island" within Canal Street Art Gallery's Canal Room, where the program will exhibit students' artwork.
With the addition of the Student Art Exhibition Program, the Canal Room will become an even more extensive creative community incubus, with possibilities for learning, collaboration, availability of art supplies, exhibitions and sales.
This room, overlooking the Bellows Falls Canal and Fall Mountain is flooded with northwest-facing natural light and hosts the gallery's Working Artist Program, Free Community Art Studio, and Visible Storage. This places students in a vibrant, active, and dynamic environment with others.
Canal Street Art Gallery is at 23 Canal St. in Bellows Falls and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit canalstreetartgallery.com or call 802-289-0104.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.