Your first glance at this title might evoke, "But music IS art," and that is true, but I am a thinking this morning about the rich multi-sensory tapestry formed when music and visual art intertwine. That is what happened last night at the holiday gallery stroll at my downtown Salt Lake City gallery - Art at the Main. There, about seven of our 16 artists put up extra lights, extra art, and some refreshments for gallery strollers, and invited three different musical groups to entertain us.
Though our initial motive for having entertainment was to attract more people to our event, the outcome was even richer. We set up chairs near the musicians to allow people to sit and listen for a while. Other people who strolled into the gallery and into the used book sale next door seemed to enjoy the musical background. At one point later in the evening when the crowds had thinned and it was mostly artists and booksellers remaining, several people, including a mother and her little boy, got up and danced.
At one point a fellow artist expressed admiration for people with such talent - artists, musicians, writers (there was a poetry reading event down the hall) - and I said "Thank God." And I meant that literally. Many are gifted with potential; whether they choose to develop and use those gifts is their choice. But I believe it begins with God's gifts - to hear and see the world around us in an extraordinary way and to be able to share our perceptions in ways that enrich others. I was very proud to be part of that multi-sensory event - our gift to the community.
