Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that, “The primary benefit of practicing any art…is that it enables one’s soul to grow.” Ten years ago, recognition of that powerful link between ‘art and soul’ brought the ECW at St. Peter’s by-the-Lake Episcopal Church to launch Art on the Rez. The event, an art show and sale, remains a powerful force at the church and in the community even now, in its tenth year of existence.
The Brandon church, in the Reservoir area, started Art on the Rez to serve and nurture local artists in displaying and selling their work. The first show and sale, in September of 2017, featured 60 artists and 140 pieces of artwork; in its ten years, Art on the Rez has attracted 40-80 artists each year and as many as 198 pieces of their work. Artist Carol King, a regular participant who had previously only taken part in juried shows, said she was grateful for the chance to show her work. She said, “I’m not interested in being part of a gallery,” because “I want a way to touch other people’s lives rather than focusing on the financial aspect.” When she first displayed her work at the show, she said she was “flabbergasted to sell something.”
Carolyn Barker, who belongs to St. Peter’s, said that Art on the Rez gave her the chance, as a new artist, to display her work in way less intimidating than in a gallery. She said that Art on the Rez “gave me an outlet to sell my work,” something she never would have considered without it. She also said that the opportunity to display and sell in a low-key, non-intimidating environment helped her “broaden my horizons.”
The idea for Art on the Rez was suggested by the late Shirley Treppendahl, a member of ECW at St. Peter’s by-the-Lake. The project was conceived as both a fundraiser and a service, as it gives artists opportunities to display and sell their work. Gloria Jones, an artist who was vice-president of ECW at the time, said the goal was to give artists an avenue for promotion of their work without the daunting price tag charged in galleries, furniture stores, and other places.
From its very beginning, Art on the Rez has been recognized as a gift to the church and community as well as to artists in the area. The show begins with an opening reception, with awards given to pieces deemed “best in show.” ECW organizers of Art on the Rez now also give “The Shirley Treppendahl” award to a piece which expresses the whimsical.
In its years of existence, the show/sale has continued to build strength and interest. St. Peter’s even found a way to offer the event online during the COVID crisis of 2020. In its current form, the show offers both in-person shopping and online purchases. Often, though, many pieces are quickly bought and spoken for at the opening reception, so art-lovers have learned to buy desired pieces early.
The opening reception for this year’s Art on the Rez will take place on Thursday, September 10th from 6-8 pm; tickets are $25 each and are available online. In-person shopping will also be available on Saturday and Sunday, September 11th and 12th, at the parish hall of the church, 1954 Spillway Road in Brandon.
