Updates from Jessica Blankenship

Murals are not only beautiful pieces of art, but they are also great for small towns. 

Murals have been used around the world to promote beautification, local culture, and even tourism. Below we will discuss three reasons why murals are good for small towns.

1) Improved Aesthetics: Murals can greatly improve the overall aesthetic of a small town. They add unique and eye-catching visual appeal to the buildings or other features they adorn. Murals can also cover up unsightly graffiti or other forms of vandalism on otherwise blank walls. By having a mural, small towns can have a much more attractive and unique appearance, making them even more appealing to both residents and visitors.

2) Promotion of Local Art: Murals are a great way to showcase local art and talent. They provide an opportunity for local artists to share their work with the community and create a sense of pride amongst residents. Additionally, by commissioning local artists to create murals, small towns can support their local art scene, which in turn creates a sense of community and helps the local economy in a beautiful ecosystem sort of way. 

3) Tourist Attractions: Murals are also a great way to attract visitors to small towns. In many cases, tourists will seek out towns with interesting and unique art installations full of symbolism and a message that supports the vision for the town. By having murals, small towns can become a destination for art lovers and cultural enthusiasts. This, in turn, can help boost tourism and provide economic benefits to the town. Artists love to see their work showcased on social media deeming it "instagrammable" and special to that location when those visitors and locals post about it!

In conclusion, murals are a great addition to small towns. They serve as a source of pride for residents and attract visitors, and also promote local art.  With the help of murals, small towns can enhance their unique qualities and create a more appealing and memorable atmosphere.

Have you been down to The Artful Gathering to see our mural on our 30 foot fence!? 

Wildflowers including Tiger Lilies, which spread naturally in Southern Ohio and bloom during the hot summer, and coneflowers have been painted to provide a modern contrast across the colorful wash of turquoise and cheer.  Added in are some unknown, prickly weeds that grow along ditch lines in the area. Even though weeds are not a desirable landscaping feature, I decided to paint them in because they represent the reality of life.  Sometimes the unexpected and unplanned parts of life are completely beautiful.  

Our mural is a symbolic message of flourishing and mindfulness.  Have you considered the lilies that grow wildly along the roads? Do you notice their speckles in their centers and their delicate waves of their petals? They don't work hard to be beautiful . They don't "toil or spin".  

At first, I thought how accidental this is.  

But then it occurred to me that they were literally designed by the ultimate Artist to be this way.  It isn't hard work for them BECAUSE it is a natural process designed that way from the beginning.  We are all designed to be creative, living beings.  Our art studio is a happy, welcoming place for you to feed your creative soul.  

We hope you stop to admire and reflect on the meaning of art in our small towns and the value it brings, along with stopping to fill up your creative tank.  

Instead, I want to get your attention. 

I KNOW how stretched you are.  I know how hard it is to decide where to spend your hard-earned family funds in the world of extra-curricular and educational experiences.  

I also know you value the delicate balance of a happy, wholesome childhood that also prepares them for successful adulthood. 

I have worked so hard to fill this need BY becoming an approved provider for ACE (an Ohio program for after school enrichment and day camps). It means this for working families: FREE programs.  

For locals, that means FREE art camps and classes! 

Finally! A way for you to give your child the creativite, fun, healthy social atmosphere, hands-on learning in action that happens at our art camps! 

This is where ACE comes in! 

Hosting an event can be an exciting way to bring people together and create unforgettable memories for graduation parties, bridal showers or any family gathering. The location of your event plays an important role in setting the tone and ambiance for your guests. Renting the right venue can make your event more fun and enjoyable for everyone, including you. 

Firstly, renting a venue allows you to customize the space to fit your specific needs. You can choose a venue that has ample space for your guests to socialize and move around freely. A spacious venue provides more flexibility in terms of seating arrangements, food display, and other decorations. This way, you can create an atmosphere that is engaging, entertaining, and accommodating for your guests, no matter the size of your home and driveway. 

Secondly, a unique venue can add excitement to your event. People love experiencing something new and different, and renting a unique venue can be an excellent way to achieve that. It provides a fresh and exciting backdrop for the event, and it becomes a conversation starter for your guests. An unusual venue can also enhance the theme of your event, whether it’s a corporate event, wedding, birthday or graduation party, or anniversary celebration. 

Thirdly, renting a venue takes the stress off your hands. Once you’ve found the right venue for your event, you can rest easy knowing that everything else is taken care of. Most venues offer catering, entertainment, lighting, and other amenities that can make your event more fun and enjoyable. This eliminates the need for you to scramble around trying to organize everything yourself, including back-up plans for rain, renting tables and chairs or worrying about parking, giving you more time to focus on other important aspects of the event. 

In conclusion, hosting an event that’s fun for everyone starts with renting the right venue. A venue with ample space, a unique atmosphere, and great amenities can set the tone for an unforgettable event. So take the time to find the perfect venue for your event and watch as your guests have a great time. New venues are always popping up, as well! My studio, The Artful Gathering, in New Richmond, Ohio, offers venue space for medium sized events (up to 90 people) and we enjoy customizing events for our clients. Our building is a work of art, itself, so few decorations are even needed.  Transformed from a historic church into the most artful space around, the sanctuary is unique and beautiful, perfect for many events. We can help you pick a theme or color scheme. 

When your family is ready to host an event with JOY in the outskirts of Cincinnati, Ohio, be sure to remember us. 

You can even scope out our space and chat about the details by stopping in to our gift shop to see art by over 18 local artists and authors!  Browse our pictures here. 

Sometimes I feel like I am stretching it to say that art fosters all these amazing skills like independence, leadership 

and foresight 

and stewardship 

and mindfulness 

and calm... 

along with the obvious things like creativity and joy. 

But, honestly, that is what makes my art lessons what they are. 

I believe art can and should guide children in learning that can develop them into adults who have a plethora of actual skills. 

Stay with me. Giving a child an assignment that encourages sketching is actually an editing and self-reflection/ self-assessment lesson.  I teach them to view their art with an attitude of development and asking themselves how they can make it better.  This is called healthy striving and independent learning.  

And, personal responsibility and empowerment.  

It is teaching kids that they have the ability to work on something more and more and get better, without anyone forcing them.  It is enjoyable learning.  

That is where leadership grows.  Humans who believe they can do something are leaders.  

Mindfulness in a sped-up world is actually just paying attention.  Is art, we use our "powers of observation" as I call it.  We learn to slow down and NOTICE.  We look at details.  We look at shapes.  We even look at our neighbor's art and learn to acknowledge their skill and compliment them without comparing our own work to theirs.  

How many adults need to learn this very real skill? Exactly. 

What about foresight? Teaching kids to wash their brushes, for example, is an excellent way to teach cause and effect, stewardship and foresight.  

When brushes are left yucky, they dry out... and no one can use them later, including me.  Children learn that if they want to paint next week, they must wash those brushes TODAY, after using them. Foresight is knowing that I am going to want to paint next week, so I better wash those brushes today, y'all! 

Okay, I obviously could go on and on.  

I think there are a whole lot of parents out there like me.  Parents who want to prepare their children for a complicated adulthood.  

Without sounding nasty, I think many of us are looking at a whole collection of young adults who are lacking the preparation that childhood was supposed to give them and want better for our children. 

We are willing to provide the teachable moments.  

We are willing to provide opportunities for them to learn all these skills, both practically and joyfully.  

When we make learning a joyful part of personal development, it no longer becomes a "chore" to guide them to leadership.  It is the antidote to entitlement and immaturity.  

But, like you, I want my children to experience JOY as they go through these experiences so that they do not develop in the wake of crippling perfectionism.  

Let's link arms, fellow parents, as we take away electronics and stand firm in our mission to develop leaders who love learning and are independent, confident, kind humans who know they were created for something awesome. 

I'll handle the art opportunities, if you need me to.  Send them to me at my art studio: The Artful Gathering. I am happy to do my part in this complex and amazing childhood we are all trying to provide! We can do it!