Two sparkling artforms merge into beautiful effect at “Synesthesia” (Music as Inspiration), an exhibit set to run June 24, 2022 – August 19, 2022, at the Uptown Art Gallery at the Brooksville City Hall. Artists are encouraged to submit 3-5 pieces of their artwork created as they listen to music on Monday June 6th through Friday June 10th from 10:30 am-2:00 pm.
Art Gallery Coordinator at Uptown Art Gallery Pedram Moghaddam stated, “This is all about the synergy between music and art, and the role and influence that music plays in artwork. I’m expecting an exhibit of photography, painting, sculpture, 3-D, glass, digital art, and video artists.”
Yet “Synesthesia” is about far more than music-inspired art. Indeed, live music will be featured throughout the exhibit. And Hernando artist Nancy Barry will be doing live, spontaneous painting at the reception for “Synesthesia” on Friday June 24th, 2022 from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm. Music and refreshments will be provided. Nancy Barry shared, “I got involved with the show through The Amazing Pedram, and so many members of the Hernando County Arts Council keep me in the loop! I’ve shown a few times at the Uptown Gallery and am super excited to show some of the new pieces I’ve been working on! Along with my personal work, I’m super excited to show a big collaborative painting by Allisa Babor (member of the Hernando arts council) & I! I will be painting live during the exhibit, I invite others to watch or ask questions! I love doing these types of events because I feed off the energy of others around me and therefore this directs how the painting will go. I am a mixed media artist so I work with lots of different materials in my work, not just paint!”
A rhythmic stream of art-themed music will flow throughout the course of this musically themed exhibit. “We will host two to three live music performers throughout the exhibit,” said Moghaddam. “Although I wouldn’t call them concerts, but interactive performance art.”
In regards to specific artist guidelines for this exhibit, information released through the gallery reveals that the only requirement is that music be part of the process. Select one or several genres of music when creating.” The call to artists stated, “This is your chance to be bold, or even reserved by expressing subtleties. Share your individual style and/or mastered techniques with the community! Anything goes – fun pieces, serious pieces or your favorite style/era (cubist, impressionist, expressionist etc). Just make sound an element in the process. For example, this music may be happy, sad, and/or with/without vocals. Does the selected piece/pieces of music have an influence on the final product? You may be a Plein Air painter and integrating music can help set a mood along with your stylistic elements and/or preferred techniques. Name your work after the inspiration.”
Moghaddam sees the link between art and music to be a natural and inspired one. He stated, “Art goes beyond the wall and goes hand in hand with performance, in this exhibit combining to display performance art. Music inspires art, and visual and performing arts go hand in hand. Here we explore the overlap.”
Artists often turn to music to put them in the zone and enhance their creative flow. But what precisely is synesthesia? Moghaddam shared, “Synesthesia is a fairly rare neurological condition in which the senses overlap to work together—one sense activates another unrelated sense, and they are experienced simultaneously. You see and feel colors, shapes and sounds simultaneously. About 4 percent of the population has synesthesia, including Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. There are several types of synesthesia, so let’s narrow this down to audio and visual impulses and the possibilities reflected in visual art and performance art.”
According to American Songwriter.com Liszt, Sibelius, Wagner, Duke Ellington, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Billie Eilish, Rickie Lee Jones and Prince all experienced this phenomenon throughout the course of their creative process. It is perhaps fitting then that Alison Papantoniou’s painting “Purple Rain” adorns the Synesthesia Call for Artists poster.
The artwork must be submitted by June 10th between 10:30 am and 2:00 pm.
To submit online: visit Facebook messenger at Pedram Moghaddam.
To submit in person, visit Brooksville City Hall, 201 Howell Avenue, Brooksville. Download the submission form at https://www.cityofbrooksville.us/…/uptown-art-gallery…
For additional requirements, read the Call to Artists at https://www.facebook.com/The-Brooksville-Art-Gallery-At-201-105661201870916.
“I’m very excited to be a part of this event & hope to see y’all there!” said Barry.
