Painting and Poetry Partnership at Dublin Art Show

Painters and poets gathered at the Frame Company and Art Gallery in Dublin last night for the opening reception of the fine art Watercolor Show sponsored by the Dublin Arts Collective (DAC) nonprofit.

Participating Watercolor artists are Lorraine Wells, Alka Vaidya, Jennifer Huber, Usha Shukla, Rekha Joshi, Wendy McDermott, Meghana Mitragotri (Show Chair), Michelle Meng, Yinghua Wang, Sawsan Wolski, Robert Bennett and Deepti Saraswat.

Award-winning watercolor artist and Show Chair Meghana Mitragotri was delighted with the range of artworks and styles submitted for the exhibition.

Commenting on her role Meghana Mitragotri said “I just want to express my thanks to the DAC leadership for trusting me with the role of Show Chair. I wanted to do something for the nonprofit since it is such a vibrant and community-oriented organization. As a new member it was my small way of making a contribution and also responding to the needs of artists who had expressed a desire to have a show in Dublin.

I am extremely grateful to Sawsan for making the gallery space available to the arts community as it opens up many avenues for creative expression. It was also admirable to see some DAC artists explore a new genre of art when watercolor is not usually their primary medium - they ventured out beyond their comfort zones and broadened the scope of their creative journeys. The intricate detail on the hand-painted greeting cards and small works also made the original art accessible to a wider audience.

One of the most gratifying experiences was working with James as we communicated about the artists and artworks and how he revised and edited his poem in response to new submissions. This exchange was new to me and I enjoyed the intersection of the visual and literary arts. This Watercolor Show was a great start for in-person DAC shows and I am eager to participate in future projects where we can make these creative events come to fruition.”

In this unique partnership, Dublin's poet laureate, James Morehead created an ekphrastic poem, "wash", inspired by artwork submitted for the show. He found both the artworks and the descriptive phrases pertaining to techniques in watercolor art ideally suited for poetic inspiration.

An excerpt from “wash” by James Morehead:
no, it’s technique! you say,
pointing to your book
incanting the index
with a stern scholarly look:

back washes and feathering,
blending, layering, and lifting,
watercolor blooms,
scumbling and stippling

The complete poem is on display at the show along with 45 original watercolor artworks.
This medium specific show is a first for members of the DAC and forms part of a series of monthly exhibitions planned until the end of 2021. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

Artist and business owner Sawsan Wolski initiated the fine art show series to highlight the need for a gallery space in Dublin and to create an opportunity for artists and art lovers to connect.
"I want this space to be a gathering place where arts , art lovers and the community at large can come together in celebration of the arts in all its forms," said Wolski. "This is why we were so thrilled at the partnership with Dublin's Poet laureate and have plans to initiate the 'Arts Without Borders' program with poet Marie-Anne Poudret".

The show features Dublin Heritage and Cultural Arts Commissioner Robert Bennett's work as well as work by two Alameda County Arts Commissioners namely Sawsan Wolski and Usha Shukla. Shukla was also the recipient of the 2020 Alameda County Arts Leadership Award for District 4.

Linking to these structures provides a vital conduit for information regarding opportunities and support for artists and the event included announcements about the new Alameda County Artist Registry in addition to the Community Art Gallery planned for the Splatter Festival on September 18. Space is limited at the Splatter Community Art Gallery and to qualify, artists must submit a photo of their piece to tyler.phillips@dublin.ca.gov by August 30.