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"But I Know What I Like" art show on display at Davis Family YMCA
Exhibit runs through Nov. 22 at Davis Family ymca
BOARDMAN
“I don’t know much about art, but ...”
You know when you see something you like.
That’s the concept behind the Davis Family YMCA’s “But I Know What I Like” art show on display through Nov. 22.
The show, which is in its third iteration and features 221 pieces from 90 local artists, was judged by three jurors who do not work in an art-related field.
The idea, said Suzanne Gray, art coordinator at the Davis Family YMCA, was to put together an inclusive show that celebrates art in all of its varied forms.
“Most juried art shows, you have to be accepted into the show,” she said. “Here at the Y, we’re all about inclusion, so everyone’s accepted.
“Some of the most-recognized names in the art community are here, and then some people that have never exhibited.”
The winner of the “best of show” prize, for example, is Dominic Lynn, a college student. He won the top prize for his charcoal depiction of James Dean.
Don Wright, a more well-known local artist, was one of three “jurors’ choice” winners for his “See You at the Fair” piece depicting a scene from the Canfield Fair.
Gray believes the show setup is important because, “There are many creative, talented people in our community who don’t have any exposure, as far as anyone seeing their art.
“We have so many people coming through the Y that they really get fabulous exposure.”
It’s art from some of the amateur artists that, in some cases, she enjoys the most. Take, for example, an acrylic painting titled “Cross Behind the Lake.” The simple, broad strokes in fervently bright colors didn’t win an award in the show, but it’s one of Gray’s personal favorites because she knows the artist painted what he felt.
Another local artist Gray loves, whose pieces are on display in the show, did a series in which he swapped out famous artwork subjects with llamas.
“Art is so much more than just a rendering,” Gray said. “We can all go up to something and say, ‘I don’t know why I like this, but I do,’ or, ‘This might be the best thing ever, but it doesn’t speak to me.’
“My personal belief is that art should tell a story, and that story can be different for each viewer.”
Nonmembers can enter the Y to view the display, free of charge. Some pieces also are for sale.