On March 17, 2011 a group of about 30 women were energized by the vibrant artist Beverly Buchanan. Buchanan was a recently honored by National Women’s Caucus for Art’s with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In an essay written for the event Lucy Lippard describes Beverly’s work as; “precarious, wackily off-kilter, and oddly cheerful shacks,” created in “two and three dimensions,” as “stand-ins for the artist herself.” The group was delighted by stories about her early life, and the of sharing insight about her work and it’s symbolism.
Casey Janowski, a Buchanan devotee and art teacher from North Carolina demonstrated how she was inspired by the elder artist’s work. Using a power-point presentation she illustrated the power of Buchanan’s art to reach a group of gifted and exceptional high school students. Utilizing found materials and clay they were able to visually interpret issues relevant to their lives.
This year the WCA-MI group has decided to invite their membership and other regional artists to create works inspired by Buchanan’s.
As a precursor to creating art inspired by Beverly Buchanan’s there will be two workshops held to lead us through the creative process;
1) Identity and Place: A workshop inspired by the life and work of Beverly Buchanan, April 28, 1-3:30pm at BrendaOArt Studio 1342 North Main St., Suite 7, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
2) Exploring Visual Thinking: At our Meeting of Minds, May 19, 7-9:00pm at BrendaOArt Studio 1342 North Main St., Suite 7, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (contact Brenda for directions boelbaum@yahoo.com)
The group has also decided to submit an application for Beverly Buchanan to the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in Lansing.
Women's Caucus for Art 