A brush can connect with a canvas, or a dancer’s feet can connect with the floor after a leap. All art at the Community Arts Challenge was created to connect in some way or another.
More than 100 entries from artists, dancers, musicians, photographers and writers will be shown at the 15th annual Cortland Community Arts Challenge. The exhibit, which opens Jan. 24, has the theme “Connect.”
Beth MacRae, a Cinncinatus-based poet, typically writes her sonnets the night the theme is announced. Her poem “Now and Then: Festival of Trees,” focuses on a connection between two people, but the connection isn’t immediately apparent to one of them, she said.
“There are a myriad of ways in which to interpret a word,” MacRae said. “Seeing the many artistic avenues down which artists travel with one word is a grand trip for the senses.”
The theme stems from it being the 25th anniversary of Cortland Arts Connect in 2025, said Executive Director Carol Fitzgerald. Last year, the theme was “Center” in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Center for the Arts of Homer.
“It’s always fun to see how people interpret the theme,” said Arts Trail Coordinator Emily Gibbons. “Some people interpret it literally, and some people interpret it a little bit differently.”
Artist Michelle LoGerfo named her work “843-9357,” after her childhood phone number.
“The seven digits symbolize a direct line to my childhood memories,” her artist statement says. “The artwork bridges past and present, reminding us how a simple, familiar phone number can hold echoes of formative experiences, connecting us to the innocence and wonder of youth.”
The juried competition is co-sponsored by Cortland Arts Connect and the Center for the Arts of Homer. They will award cash prizes in six categories: fine arts, artisan crafts, choreography, musical composition, photography and writing.
“It’s great that we have so many categories like visual arts and writing, choreography and music, so it involves a lot of different people and a lot of different mediums,” Gibbons said. “It’s just a fun celebration and a lot of people come to see the work.”
“The variety of ways participants interpret the annual theme are always fascinating, and being part of this creative community is truly inspiring,” LoGerfo said.
Artist Brendan Clark, who works out of a studio in the Fountain House of the Center for the Arts of Homer, submitted an oil painting and a digital painting.
“Over the past three years, I have tried to use the challenge to push myself into making something new and different to my usual artistic pursuits,” Clark said. “I can’t wait until next year's challenge theme is issued.”
