100 Faces: First Exhibition of Eight at the Studio at Living Opportunities

100 Faces: “in light of our vision…” Exhibition to benefit the Studio at Living Opportunities:

Faces © Holly Herick

Maybe you have wondered where I have been lately—online—not physically? Maybe you didn’t notice my “100 Faces” blog has not been active lately. Maybe you don’t care…I’ll tell you anyway.

I have been very busy at my day job at the Studio at Living Opportunities. Our recent show “in light of our vision…” was a great success. Read about “My day Job” if you want more info.

Organizing this show was so much fun and it connected me with local artist in our community—just like I had hoped for this year. The interest in this show was so great that we had to turn artists away—more than anyone could have hoped for in a small studio to benefit people with disabilities in small town Oregon, USA. This event, for me personally, was a big deal. You see, I have been primarily a graphic designer until recent years. Don’t get me wrong. I studied Studio Art with emphasis in Graphic Design at the University of Arizona. After graduating I sought employment in the more commercial art field, and I was very successful, but money is not everything. If you are reading my blog right now I am guessing you may have already discovered this fact.

After many successful years in the commercial art field I decide to become self-employed. Many good years followed. Difficult pregnancies and time to raise my children changed my focus—until now. As my three kids gain independence and maturity, I find I have more time to be creative. This is a fun time in life—getting back to my creative roots.

A close-up of Faces 1-4

Check out the amazing sculpture to the right of the photo by one of our local Rogue Valley artist.

Back to the Studio at Living Opportunities: where I help artists with disabilities create art. Yes, I get to do this 20 hours a week. During our last exhibition “in light of our vision…” I spent a forty hour work-week preparing for the exhibition. This time it was different though. For the first time in many years, I was preparing to show eight pieces of my own work. The first eight of my “100 Faces” would be open to the public and open to criticism Was I ready for this? Yes, I was. My art is not dependent on other people’s opinions. If I only created art for other’s likes and affirmations, where would I be? Where would the artist’s of the Studio be? The Studio artists are so free and do not care about opinion. Disabilities are in my mind are freedom; freedom to express oneself, and freedom from opinions. True freedom—the Studio artists create for pure joy’s sake. So how can I fear? What is there to fear when I get to mentor artists like these?