November 2020 THE CHARBONNEAU VILLAGER 17
Charbonneau Arts Association
By ERIC HOEM
2020 Festival of Arts went virtual in a spectacular way
It is Oct . 10 , 2020 , as I write this and today is the deadline for this article to appear in the November issue of The Villager . I
HOEM wish I had a crystal ball so I could report on the success of this year ’ s Charbonneau Festival of the Arts : The Virtual Exhibition . The festival opened online Oct . 1 and was available throughout the month .
I don ’ t know how successful it has been , but I hope it has been a hit and that our Virtual Silent Auction , our primary fundraiser for area high school art programs , netted sufficient funds to allow us to continue our annual donations to the schools .
One thing that I do know at this point is that our internet site administrator and Charbonneau Arts Association Vice President Elaine Swyt , has worked tirelessly to develop a festival site that mimics very well what a live event would be like , including the option of artists placing their work in 3-D galleries .
Reactions of artists
The initial reaction of the artists has been very encouraging . Leslie Leeper , who coordinated the judging of awards for the best entries , commented “ In communicating with some of the art exhibition ’ s judges as well as the artists , I ’ ve received nothing but praise and compliments on the virtual show ; how well it ’ s put together and the ease in which to navigate approximately 1,000 pieces of art . It ’ s beyond what we were expecting .”
Charbonneau artist Lynn Liffick emailed us with this : “ Your Charbonneau Festival of the Arts Virtual Exhibition is AMAZING ! I can ’ t begin to imagine how many hours went into producing it , or how many hours you ’ ve spent during your lifetime learning your skills !” Lynn continued , “ I know I speak for all who sent our entries to you , when I send a huge ‘ Thanks ’ for all you ’ ve done to produce such a professional and engaging virtual presentation .”
Cathi McLain , who handles our publicity , reports that artists who entered their pieces in the 3-D portion of the show were equally pleased . Laurie Martin-Cohn wrote “ Oh , Cathi ! It is BEAUTIFUL ! It is classic , and really gives one a feeling of being in a gallery .” And Laura Koppes said “ The 3-D gallery is super cool — I am very impressed with it .”
Very positive public response
The online public is responding well too . Elaine Swyt reports that initial level of website activity has been very positive . She reports : “ On the opening day , Oct . 1 , we had over 1,000 hits ( visits to our website ). We have had on average 300 hits per day from all over the country , and some from England , Germany , United Arab Emirates , Costa Rica , Canada and India . They are staying on the page about four minutes on average . Facebook is generating referrals as are other sources such as Clackamas Art Alliance , Pamplin Media , artist websites and Festivalnet . All that helps ( generate interest ). Top five page hits are the Artist Gallery , 3-D Gallery , Music Stage , and the Pandemic Art exhibit . After that it ’ s individual artists who have hits — up to 50 apiece in some cases .”
Planning for 2021
We don ’ t know what COVID-19 restrictions , if any , will be in place next year . But if this year taught us anything , it is the importance to remain flexible and think creatively “ outside the box ,” as they say .
One element is already in place . If a grant request to the Clackamas County Cultural Coalition succeeds , we will partner with Charbonneau sculptor Benjamin Mefford on “ The Biggest Pumpkin ,” a project based on a chil-
See CHARBONNEAU ARTS / Page 18
Charbonneau Library
������������������������� visits are by appointment only .
Come and enjoy books donated by Charbonneau residents . ������������������������������������������������������������ ������������������������������������������������������������� �������������������
find useful information regarding the new activity center , architectural control information , board minutes , clubhouse rentals , RV Yard , Tennis Club , Marina , and more ...
www . charbonneaucountryclub . com