By Maggie Nelson
On Friday, Sept. 5, the downtown riverfront area of Corvallis will be transformed into a giant canvas, on which all members of the community are invited to articulate and express themselves.
From Amsterdam to Torreon, Mexico all the way to our own Corvallis, cities across the world will be celebrating through uninhibited artistic expression on the first Friday of September, known to many as Art Break Day.
In 2011, two visionary female artists, Laura Odell Usher Sharpton and Lisa Rasmussen, established the annual holiday, Art Break Day. They hoped to create a day in which communities are encouraged to break the routine of normality and social and economic structures, which may inhibit us from fostering and expressing artistic inspirations. It is a timeout to remind one another that art is an essential part of healthy living.
Art supplies will be provided for free for all participants, a gesture which Laura and Lisa hope will illuminate each individual’s right to be creative in a positive and public atmosphere, and thus forge new communal bonds and stronger communities. What is created during Art Break Day will be combined and displayed as a communal art exhibit.
It’s free. It’s fun. And it’s good for your health. Now no one has to miss out on nurturing their artistic being, which is just what Laura and Lisa hoped to accomplish when they founded Art Break Day.
Celebrate Art Break Day on Friday, Sept. 5 at the plaza at 1st and Monroe from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can join the community in getting active in the creative process of empowering yourself and your community. All supplies will be provided.
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