The “Call of the Wild” art exhibit at the Lower Bucks Campus will feature 80 artists with 150 pieces for sale; proceeds will go to the college’s scholarship funds.
The Lower Bucks gallery assembled this massive number of artists with an open or “all call” approach for showpieces.
Pieces do not get turned down unless they do not follow the theme, do not meet the requirements listed in the prospectus, or are deemed inappropriate for viewing audiences of all ages.
After more than ten shows the gallery has never turned anyone away who has met these requirements.
James Sell, executive director of the Lower Bucks Gallery, said the gallery “has become an integral part of the art community in lower Bucks. We (Lower Bucks) have many artists from Artists of Bristol, Artists of Yardley, New Hope Art League and Arts Bridge participate in our shows year after year.”
Large shows like this are common for the Lower Bucks gallery, which provides three art exhibitions a year for the community.
Sell explains, “Our winter show in February ‘Show Some HeART 125’ is our signature event where the theme (all art work is priced at $125.00) does not change, but the themes to the exhibitions in the fall and spring change each year. We do this to keep the gallery fresh. It also challenges our participating artists a little.”
The shows provide artists “with a great, open venue to display their work at a minimal cost. It also provides them with the opportunity to sell their work,” according to Sell.
Sell said how the fall and spring shows are set up are, “fairly typical of most art exhibitions.” Each artist can submit up to two pieces for a $10 entry fee. The entry fees go into a fund to support and sustain the gallery.
For this show artists price their work and the gallery receives a sales commission. The Bucks County Community College Foundation’s scholarship fund receives 25 percent of the sale price.
Sell hopes the show will be an inspiring experience where the community can come to campus and enjoy the artists’ talent. Sell described his job as, “a great partnership with and for the community.”
He loves collaborating with local artists, being part of the community, and working with a small committee to come up with themes.
“The students, faculty and staff love it! They get very excited when a new show is being hung and seemingly disappointed when the show is over and has to come down. I consistently hear and see a lot of enthusiasm for the arts at Lower Bucks Campus,” Sell said.
Sell highlighted the importance of art in all of our lives, “They (the arts) foster creativity, innovation – and ultimately progress. In essence, they not only provide us with culture and perspective, but also with ingenuity to think differently and to define new ways of doing things, which impact us in a variety of ways. Thus, creativity is a vital cog in moving our society forward through invention then production to prosperity.”
The exhibit will be available until Nov. 20 in The Gallery at Lower Bucks Campus.