Helena O'Neill, of Burke, Fairfax Art League publicist and artist. Photos by Reem Nadeem/The Connection
Local artists and art lovers gathered in Old Town Hall Gallery for a reception hosted by the Fairfax Art League.
Artwork by members of FAL was displayed and refreshments were provided. According to Old Town Hall Gallery Chairman, Carol Caputo, the League displayed a variety of artistic media.
"We have different media that our artists are doing. We have a graphic artist here tonight, we have pen and pencil sketching, we have the photographers, we have some who work in acrylics, some who work in watercolors," Caputo said.
The reception featured artwork that was varied in other ways than just medium as well.
"Some people like to do posies in a vase, some people like to be very avant-garde, cutting edge. And there's room for everybody here," member Ramona Weaver said.
The League also encourages participation from different types of artists as well, including those who create art as a hobby, professional artists and beginners. FAL member and publicist Helena O'Neill said the League can be especially beneficial and inspiring to budding artists.
"There are deadlines to get stuff into the shows and that is wonderful for young artists, it gives you sort of a point in time to finish your work and then grow. Because if you don't experiment and put stuff out there that maybe people are either offended by, or don't like what you're doing or just aren't inspired, you move on, you say 'alright I have got to push myself a little further,'" O'Neill said.
While artistic knowledge and techniques can be traded, some members simply enjoy the company of other artists.
"The only thing that it does for me is to provide companionship with people who are artists and that's important," Weaver said.
Community members also attended the reception to help support the local art scene. UPS driver Mike Gross came to support his neighbor and her daughter, who both had their art displayed.
As a supporter of the arts, Gross said Fairfax could do more for local artists: "Fairfax County has one of the most educated populations in the country and the arts should be part of that. Not that underrepresented and poorer areas shouldn't have access to it and encourage it and everything else, but we have the resources. It's not like there's extra money laying around but comparatively we're a very rich place, with a lot of educated people that should be able to crack open the wallet a little bit more for the arts."