(The first post on this topic written July 13, 2011) End of an era with the Don Valley Art Club

 You're joking

Graphite on Moleskine paper

5 x 9 inches

Barbara Muir © 2011

Last night I headed out to my art group to the Tuesday
night life session.  I've been so busy for a few months
that I've rarely been able to attend.  Feeling my spirits
lift I parked the car at the Brickworks (where it was
free to park 6 months ago, and is now pay parking),
and started walking towards the building.  But luckily
I met two fellow members of my group who were heading out
with their equipment in hand.  They told me that the studio
room was locked and no one was there.

Right now the Don Valley Art Club, a  group of 170
artists that's been in existence more than 60 years, and
was promised a permanent home in the Don Valley,
has nowhere to meet.  The reason?  Evergreen, the
environmental group operating the Brickworks property,
and the city, have raised the rent on our studio space so high
that the group, many of whom live frugally, cannot
afford to stay in the space.

After a couple of years of negotiations we find ourselves
out on the street, and unable to offer the five days
a week, and weekends too that we have been enjoying.
A committee is working on getting the city to give us
a new space at a reasonable rate, but so far we've had no
luck.

I drove home feeling quite sad, then did this small sketch
in my Moleskine of a friend, it isn't perfect, but it was
something on a night when I'd hoped to paint with
friends.

Have a helping-art-groups-stay-vital-and-giving-them-space day.