the ArtiFactory

A few years ago, I traveled to northern New Mexico and visited the stunning canyons at Ghost Ranch. Ghost Ranch was Georgia O’Keefe’s home and where she painted many of the stark landscapes for which she is famous. I later learned that some of her first works were of New York cityscapes, when skyscrapers changed both the skyline and the way people lived in the 1920s. Later in life, her paintings depicting aerial views of clouds and sky were inspired by her airplane travels. O’Keefe was also known for her iconic impressions of flowers.

It fascinates me how art presents itself when we stay open.

Last week, my wife, Laurie, and I were working our morning crossword, puzzling through a series of clues in the form of quotations. As it turned out, all the clues were from famous artists: Picasso, Gauguin, Dali, and Chagall. Picasso is featured in our film review this month, so it seems appropriate to dig a little deeper into his wisdom.

How things have changed in six months!

Last February, ArtiFactory was wrapping up a study that looked at the feasibility of having a community art center in Johnson County. We were also significantly expanding our programming. Most of us had never heard of Covid, Zoom, or derecho.