Arts panel seeks display space at local businesses

TONY BROWN/DAILY FORUM
Maryville Public Art Committee board member Jeff Foster is seeking artists and businesses interested in participating in an MPAC program in which artists will display their work in shops, stores and offices. Foster said he thinks exhibiting art in the workplace will help spread the word about the size and vitality of the local arts community while getting “more art into the lives of the people of Maryville.”

The Maryville Public Art Committee, best known for its work in bringing sculptures created by noted regional and national artists to the courthouse square, is launching a new initiative that would create opportunities for the installation of paintings and other artwork at local businesses.

MPAC board member Jeff Foster said Wednesday that the program, still in its early stages, seeks to connect business owners with artists willing to have their work placed on display inside stores, shops and offices.

The artists would assume all liability for their work, Foster said, and participating businesses will not be obligated to provide anything other than wall space. Work displayed is to be available for sale, with MPAC receiving a 15 percent commission.

Foster, who owns and operates Foster Custodial in Maryville, is an amateur artist who creates both representational and abstract images using digital imaging technology. He said he got the idea for the business-artist partnership from similar programs in St. Joseph, including one organized by the Mitchell Park Art Association, to which Foster belongs.

Foster said he thinks displaying artwork in shops and workplaces will help “get the word out” about the size and vitality of the local arts community. The ultimate goal, he said, is to “get more art into the lives of the people of Maryville.”

Right now, Foster said, MPAC is in the process of compiling both a roster of artists and a list of businesses willing to display work. Decisions about the “appropriateness” of specific works of art submitted for installation will be made jointly by the committee and the businesses involved.

Foster said the committee is interested in all styles and media, and that the only real requirement is that paintings, photographs and other artworks be mounted suitably for display in such a way that they can be hung from a wire.

In addition, each work must bear the artist’s name, title of the piece, price, media, contact information, and year of creation.

At present, there are no aesthetic requirements, but Foster said there probably “needs to be a discussion” about the caliber of artwork the committee will accept.

However, he also wants the program to be as inclusive as possible, and described the effort as a “grassroots” initiative designed to draw attention to creative efforts undertaken by everyone from high school students to serious amateurs and university art faculty.

“We want a good, rounded pool of artists to draw from,” Foster said.

In addition to providing greater visibility for artists from throughout the Maryville area, Foster said he is hopeful the program will offer an avenue through which painters and photographers can sell their work. Sold pieces, he said, will remain in place until the artist and business agree on an appropriate time for their removal.

Artists will remove their own work, possibly replacing the sold piece with a new one or arranging remaining pieces as needed.

While the program is meant to provide artists with all-important exposure, Foster said he thinks the effort will carry advantages for businesses as well by enhancing the appearance of customer service and work areas and perhaps even attracting more customers.

Art, he said, can create a more pleasant work environment while serving as an inspiration to customers ad employees alike.

“You may inspire a young artist,” Foster said. “Someone may look at a piece and say, “I could do something like that.”

Artists and business owners or managers interested in participating in the MPAC art display partnership, should email Foster at www.seclusionimagery.com or call 660-541-5989.