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May 16th still sounds like an eternity away, but be sure to mark that date on your calendar for this year’s Agora at Junctionview Studios. The very first planning meeting took place this morning, and the event promises to be bigger and better than ever before. That is… as long as YOU are willing to step up to the plate and participate!
Agora is a community-driven event, and plenty of help is needed from everyone. If you’d like to participate in any of the committees (Exhibition, Performance, Beer, Promotions, Marketing, Sponsorship, Volunteering, etc) then don’t hesitate to send an email to The Couchfire Collective and sign up today. If you’d like to show your artwork, perform, pour beer, or volunteer, we’ll have more details soon on how to get involved in those smaller yet essential ways.
And in the meantime, what sort of expectations do you have for Agora in 2009? Different types of music? More space for the performing arts? New food vendors? What would you like to see go down on May 16th?
From AgoraColumbus.com:
ABOUT
Agora is an immersive event that brings artists and art patrons together to celebrate Central Ohio’s diverse and talented creative community. Agora guests have the opportunity to view and purchase hundreds of works of art, wander through fifty working artists’ studios, and watch performances by dancers, musicians, and theatre groups.
Agora is an all-inclusive exhibition. Every visual artist that signs up to participate is included in the show.
Each Agora is unique. The experience is shaped by the artists and performers that participate. The maze-like layout of Junctionview Studios provides the perfect environment for guests to look around and explore.
Sales are strongly encouraged. Artists are asked to donate 25% of the sale price of each work to the Couchfire Collective to help fund future events. Local arts organizations and independent companies sponsor a number of cash prizes that are awarded to exhibiting artists and performers.
The one thing that I like most about Agora, is that the art takes center stage. There are other components such as food and music and people-watching, but the art is still the main draw.
I sometimes get a sense that this is what Gallery Hop was like 20 years ago. Not that the Gallery Hop of today is bad. It is what it is. But art, and especially local art, doesn’t seem to be the main reason people go to Gallery Hop anymore.
The past two years I have attended multiple Agora events and helped to promote them a little bit as well. I’ve always held back on getting too involved as I didn’t want to overcommit myself. I’m a busy guy. But so is everyone else.
At this planning meeting yesterday I started to think back to my campus days 10 years ago and how much fun I had at some of the mega parties we used to throw…. and I started to realize… they were fun not because I was attending, but because I was a part of the process. Planning and volunteering and working my ass off the day of the party from sun up to well beyond sun down. It was a lot of work, but the type of soreness you felt the next day was actually a very good feeling.
So this year, I’m ramping up my own involvement, and would encourage anyone else to do the same. You get what you give. You can attend and have a good time, or you can join me and work your ass off feel like you were a part of creating something big and important and awesome in Columbus in 2009.
That’s how I want to feel when I wake up the day after Agora 6.
OK, good. I was starting to think I was the only one geeking out about it.
I thought about it for a few weeks prior to the meeting and decided I could participate by 1) submitting some crappy work of “art” I made OR 2) I could do what I’m good at and be the left brained, analytical genius behind the creativity. I opted for option 2. Your eyes can thank me on May 16th by coming out and spending all your money on art, food, and other goodies :)
oh, i’m so glad you two are helping out! i’m so excited to see what this will become with 4 months of planning (2 more than we had for independents’ day) and the help of as many community organizations and members as possible.
Walker wrote: That’s how I want to feel when I wake up the day after Agora 6.
i can guarantee you will be in a coma the day after the event but you’ll have the happiest dreams. the sense of accomplishment is awesome!
Ha! Yeah, after picking up trash, breaking down tables, and loading up trucks until 3am after the Highball I felt exactly like that. Not the kind of job I’d want to do everyday (I got my fill of hard manual labor as a teenager) but great to do from time to time when it’s for a great cause like these types of events. :D
AGORA 6 is gonna rock!