Albrecht-Kemper encourages art creation with postcard fundraiser

Sep. 13—The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Arts is bringing back a fundraiser that encourages artists to scale down.

The Call for Artists, a postcard and exhibition fundraiser, wants artists to work in a manageable way while giving back to the museum. Community members are invited to create up to five pieces of art, no larger than 4 by 6 inches.

Dansare Lawrence, marketing and communications manager for the museum, said participants have used all different types of mediums and the artist has full creative control as long as they're able to hang it on a wall.

"We have people working in fibers. This is a quilted piece of fabric. We have photographers sending in photos. We have collage artists, making glasswork," Lawrence said.

This fundraiser is also free to artists, just drop off your completed work at the museum.

"This is kind of an opportunity for artists to promote their work while supporting the museum," she said.

Artists can submit postcards until Oct. 15. Postcards will be on sale for $10 from Tuesday, Oct. 22 to Saturday, Dec. 27.

"You never know, you might be finding a really, you know, well-known artist's work and not even realize it," Lawrence said.

She said the reason for the low cost is to make art accessible for everyone. Even though $10 may not sound like much, Lawrence said she believes it'll go a long way for the museum. They hope to build up and promote some programs while preserving the historic home that is the museum.

"We all want to have beautiful things in our possession. So this is a great way for you to find a little nugget of something that you love, art that you love," said Lawrence. "We love having our doors open here."

Lawrence's favorite piece would be a mixed media made from an Italian artist.

"It's really abstract but I love it. There's just so many pieces," she said.

She said there's been artists from all over the country including New Zealand and Europe along with tons of local artists. She hopes fundraisers like this one can inspire creativity and encourage the younger generation to explore the art world.