The Firehouse Art Center will introduce its newest “artist in residence,” Jono Wright, on Saturday. who plans to collaborate with the Longmont community on a special art project this summer.
From 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, a “casual meet and greet” for Wright will be held at the Firehouse Art Center, where he will discuss his artistic processes and pieces with community members.
Twice a year, the Firehouse’s Artist Occupancy Program highlights the work of one artist, who is selected by the Firehouse’s Exhibition Committee based on their potential for “connecting (Longmont residents) to the their artistic environments and processes,” Elaine Waterman, executive director of the Firehouse Art Center said.
Artists in residence spend three months working in the Firehouse’s South Gallery before culminating their experience with a solo exhibition in the main gallery, Waterman said. An essential part of the program is for the artist to involve community members in the creation of the main gallery exhibition, she said.
Wright proposed using his artistic style to curate an exhibition focused on the question: “In the event of a fire or natural disaster, what would you bring with you if you had to flee your house?”
Drawing upon the experiences of individuals affected by the Marshall fire and the global refugee crisis, Waterman and the committee liked the idea of making the community think about what they would do, grab and take with them if they only had a few minutes to leave their home, Waterman said.
Growing up in Boulder, Wright’s abstract artistic style was influenced by Buddhist teachings, which promote being present and spontaneous, Wright said. Later, at art school in Philadelphia, Wright learned a classical, or realistic, approach to art.
Wright’s artistic process involves using plants, objects and people as subject matter for his artwork, which combines abstraction and realism.
“My process is to try to make sense of those two polar opposites and see how they blend and combine in a piece,” Wright said.
During his residency in Longmont, Wright will ask community members to supply the subject matter for his main exhibition project. Starting on Saturday, Wright invites community members of all ages to stop in the Firehouse throughout the summer with their most cherished possessions. Wright will photograph each item brought to him and, in August, he will paint the treasured items on a series of eight, medium sized altars for the main gallery exhibit, he said.
“The altars will inspire and remind viewers about the things we cherish; the things that we love and that bring life and vitality to us,” Wright said.
“This community has been traumatized, devastated by the Marshall fire, and it seems like a poignant moment for us to come together around the things that we love and to look forward toward the future with positivity,” Wright said.
