August Area Meeting

A Place for Creative Exchange
At its core, Area Meeting is an open forum where the local creative community can gather to explore the meaning behind art and the processes driving it. The event features a keynote presentation from a career artist who will share images of their work, giving a place-in-time snapshot of their practice. This talk will explore the intricacies, struggles, and breakthroughs of a life devoted to art, setting the tone for an evening designed to spark new ideas, questions, and connections.

Real-Time Feedback and Dialogue
The keynote for August will be local Jansson Stegner, known for his “Unrealist” paintings of police officers, women athletes, and other symbols of power and beauty.  His work continues the tradition of strange figuration practiced by artists throughout history like El Greco, Otto Dix and Balthus. 

The second half of Area Meeting is an open discussion with selected artists presenting physical work—unfinished pieces, experimental projects, or newly completed works—inviting direct input from attendees. Led by facilitator Patrick Melroy, these candid, respectful critiques grant audiences a unique window into an artist’s thought process before the work has been sealed with a final opinion. It’s a rare opportunity for both artists and viewers to engage in meaningful, two-way dialogue not typically available in traditional gallery or museum settings.