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Local organization promotes arts in the community

“We have therefore made the assessment that #COVID19 can be characterized as a pandemic,” the World Health Organization tweeted on March 11, 2020.

It was around this time a year ago that many lives around the world changed. Many were questioning how they were going to cope with themselves in quarantine for months. Some binge-watching their favorite shows on Netflix, others staying in a state of confusion, or even picking up a few paintbrushes.

Professionals have seen that art provides a healthy way to release both positive and negative emotions. While many people felt isolated in the beginning days of quarantine from a public health crisis, art has become one of the main stress releasors over the past year. In response to COVID-19, many art therapists have had to shift their in-person tactics to a virtual setting.

Some non-profit art organizations, including the Charlotte Art League (CAL), have had to work through the many restrictions that the pandemic has caused. Some events the organization put on in the past year include a drive-thru gallery for local artists, “Ab-strakt,” a virtual experience for art lovers and even a “Paint Like Bob Ross” class.

“Art therapy gives individuals tools to voice their stories or to work through emotions or trauma without having to use words,” said Kate McAllister, Director of Operations at CAL. “A lot of times we don’t have the vocabulary surrounding how to process going through a lot of this stuff.”

McAllister, also a graduate student, has wanted to be an artist ever since she was a child. After moving to Charlotte seven years ago, she got involved with non-profit mental health initiatives. Becoming a member of CAL in 2015, she later switched paths into the arts after being involved with Mental Health America Central Carolinas and doing legislative advocacy.

After a long year, CAL has decided to open back up to the community with restrictions in place. Including one of their first events since the reopening is “Body Positive,” where local artists were given the opportunity to portray art through the struggles and perceptions of body images.

Wil Bosbyshell, a participant in Body Positive, says it was good being a part of this exhibit.

The in-person and virtual event held on March 12, included interpretive dance, spoken word, and pieces of art that dealt with body positivity. McAllister describes it as a “coming out of the woods event” and a great way for gathering the community under a positive topic.

Bosbyshell’s process always starts out with a sketch and later moves the piece onto a bigger platform, usually an 18-by-24 canvas. After the sketch moves onto different smaller surfaces, the largest usually ends at a 7-foot square.

“The more you do them, as they get larger, the better they get usually,” said Bosbyshell.

The drawings, done by Bosbyshell, depict different women carrying weights on their shoulders. This shows a metaphor for how body images can put pressure on women in society. The pieces submitted for the exhibit include figure drawing, which he has done in his career and taught for decades.

Now that restrictions are starting to loosen, CAL is able to have in-person classes but at a limited capacity. The current CAL building with 10,000 square feet and around 29 working studios.

“Virtual exhibits are just not any fun,” said Bosbyshell. “There are no people there, there’s not an opening, no band. So much lower interaction.”

Bosbyshell says that the pandemic caused “unpleasant and caused way too much excitement.” On the day of the shutdown, he had delivered a painting to an exhibit and was kept there for the next 8 months. Eventually getting it back, no one ever got to see the painting.

CAL invites local artists in the community to submit their work to any upcoming galleries, virtual or in-person, almost every month on their social media accounts. They also provide space and personal growth for those who are looking to advance their work in the art community.

The CAL building includes working studios and class space that are offered to members. Most of the events and workshops are low to no cost for the community and mainly give local artists platforms both in-person and online. From what McAllister has seen, right after the shelter-in-space orders loosened during the summer of last year, a lot of artists came out and were interested in doing art outside of their homes.

“Primarily we provide space,” said McAllister. “We try to keep that affordable space so that there is not an access barrier both to artists and to patrons.”

Bosbyshell’s experience with CAL dates back to the late 1990s. He was looking for a studio in Charlotte to get out of the house and finding a group of people to learn more from, relevant to many artists today.

“I was bugging my family with my art,” said Bosbyshell. “My art was getting in the way in my house.”

His favorite part of working with CAL is the monthly exhibitions and the studio being open for the public, which allows people to look at his work even when he is not around.

One program at CAL includes Healing Art, which focuses on three main groups: veterans, older adults, and trauma survivors. COVID-19 has put some of the art therapy sessions on hold, but are still being mostly offered free to anyone in the community who follows under these three groups.

In April 2020, CAL held a “Speak Your Vision” event where veterans participated in an art healing program that includes photography and spoken word. Art healing programs that are being developed by CAL still include those for older adults and trauma survivors that will allow those participants to have an art therapy session and socialize.

“When somebody is in the room and is teaching healing art and has lived experience,” said McAllister, “it means that much more, and that person has more empathy for individuals.”

Even though it is not clear when the pandemic will end, the use of art and the work of CAL will continue to shape the community. As McAllister says, it creates “a sense of connectivity” while also being safe and adhering to guidelines.

“Because of the pandemic and people were desperate for something to do,” said Bosbyshell. “I think people have become more aware of the art that’s out there.”


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