Weir Farm Artist Collective

Artists Leslie Carone and Bobbi Eike Mullen - co-facilitators of the Weir Farm Artist Collective

 

What is the Weir Farm Artists Collective?

The Weir Farm Artist Collective is a collaboration of independent artists following the tradition of creativity within the Weir Farm landscape. Its purpose is to inform, support, encourage and engage accomplished artists of all mediums to share ideas, opportunities and technical solutions.

Who should attend and what happens during the monthly meetings?
The Park is offering a new opportunity for local artists to connect and share during monthly gatherings, led by artists, for artists. The program will start with an open forum group discussion facilitated by local artists and Weir Farm instructors Leslie Carone and Bobbi Eike Mullen. Each month there will be a new topic and a new opportunity to share with each other and get to know other artists. After the informal group discussion, artists may choose to stay and paint together or continue conversations. Coffee and tea are provided by Friends of Weir Farm. Stop by for coffee and refreshments, discussion with your peers, and feel free to bring a work of Weir Farm art to share with the group, and maybe even bring your art supplies to stick around and create with your peers!

The target audience for the Weir Farm Artist Collective includes artists of all skill levels that come to the Park for inspiration - for example there are many plein air painters that come to the Park regularly - this is an opportunity for artists to connect with other Weir Farm artists.

Topics may include sharing resources in the community for local artists, discussion on exhbiting your work and entering juried shows, providing feedback to Weir Farm on how it can best serve the local artist communiy, opportunites to meet the Weir Farm Artists-in-Residence, sharing of successes and challenges you face as an artist, ideas to spark your creativity, and more! We anticipate the topics will evolve to meet the needs of the group as it begins to form in this pilot year.

When does the collective meet? What are the upcoming topics?
The Park typically hosts one meeting per month and one paint out per month in-season. Dates for 2024 programs include:

 

2024 Weir Farm Artist Collective Program Dates

May through October, we will host 2 monthly activities scheduled at the Park: the first Thursday of the month will be a gathering in the Burlingham Barn with a focused discussion topic, and the third Thursday of the month will be a ‘paint out’ style gathering where artists can come to the park and make art together – parking for the ‘paint out’ days on third Thursdays will be in the overflow parking lot near the Weir Barn. Mark your calendars, dates for 2024 are:

• Thursday April 18, 10:00 – 11:30 in Burlingham Barn – 2024 Kick-Off Gathering!
  Get reaquiatined with your fellow artists and get updates for the year ahead. After a meet and greet discussion, the group will have the opportunity to get a peek into the Artist-in-Residence Studio!
• Thursday May 2, 10:00 – 11:30 gathering in Burlingham Barn
  Sharing and Feedback on Work: Artists attending May's meeting should bring a work of art to share with the group. We will set up the classroom space with everyone's work around the room, allow time to mingle and view each others' work, then have a faciliated discussion to provide each other positive and constructive feedback. We hope artists of all skill levels will join in this opportunity to get feedback from fellow artists!
• First Paint-Out of the Season - Thursday May 16, 10:00 am suggested arrival time in Overflow Parking Lot for ‘paint out’ style artmaking together.
• Thursday June 6, 10:00 – 11:30 gathering in Burlingham Barn
  - For our June 6th meeting, we will start with a presentation by member Clarice Shirvel about the book "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron - this should be a good discussion! Afterwards we will have time for an open discussion and socializing.
• Paint-Out Thursday June 20, 10:00 suggested arrival time in Overflow Parking Lot for ‘paint out’ style artmaking together
• Thursday July 4, 10:00 – 11:30 in Burlingham Barn
  Topic: The buisiness of being an artist! We will discuss pricing, selling, and framing of works to be sold, as well as some nuances like paying taxes, gallery fees, and promoting your work.
• Paint-Out Thursday July 18, 10:00 suggested arrival time in Overflow Parking Lot for ‘paint out’ style artmaking together
• Thursday August 1, 10:00 – 11:30 gathering in Burlingham Barn
  Topic TBD
• Paint-Out Thursday August 15, 10:00 suggested arrival time in Overflow Parking Lot for ‘paint out’ style artmaking together
• Thursday September 5, 10:00 – 11:30 gathering in Burlingham Barn
  Topic TBD
• Paint-Out Thursday September 19, 10:00 suggested arrival time in Overflow Parking Lot for ‘paint out’ style artmaking together
• Thursday October 3, 10:00 – 11:30 gathering in Burlingham Barn
  Topic TBD
• Paint-Out Thursday October 17, 10:00 suggested arrival time in Overflow Parking Lot for ‘paint out’ style artmaking together
• Thursday November 7, 10:00 – 11:30 in Burlingham Barn
  Final Gathering for 2024