During the early months of the pandemic, local artist Wewer Keohane sent invitations to 75 artists, mostly living within the Roaring Fork Valley, to accept a randomly chosen flash card. The cards served as prompts to create work inspired by their time in isolation during COVID-19 shutdowns.
The original artwork inspired by those cards is now on display at Carbondale Arts R2 Gallery in an exhibit called The Flash Card Project, which debuted July 3.
"[Keohane] was cleaning out her studio when we were all sheltering in place, and found these large flash cards," explained the R2 Gallery's manager Brian Colley. "The flash cards were just basic images—a horse, or a beach ball—and so people could respond however they wanted."
Keohane approached the gallery with the idea of displaying the submissions and became the exhibition’s curator. Colley said the result is a diverse and imaginative array of collective work.
"Primarily, people were painting or drawing or collaging right on the flash card itself, but other people were inspired to build a box, or create something out of clay, we have one that's a full-size sculpture that takes up the 10-foot ceiling."
“It’s the whole gamut,” said Colley. “Primarily, people were painting or drawing or collaging right on the flash card itself, but other people were inspired to build a box, or create something out of clay, we have one that’s a full-size sculpture that takes up the 10-foot ceiling.”
Each piece is hung from a clipboard on the wall of the gallery. Carbondale Arts is adding another dimension to the display—a silent auction (through July 29), where patrons can bid on pieces online. Proceeds from the sale of flash card art will go to featured artists and Carbondale Arts. The exhibition is on display until July 31, and can be viewed in-person at the R2 Gallery.
