Gossamer Arts was founded by Emily Watson-Rice in 2016.  While working as the Director & Curator of Atlas Galleries she was continually amazed at the artists coming in asking for advice on how to get into a gallery like hers. They had no guidance, no business classes, no sales or marketing skills, no concept of how the art business worked, and without these, they had no chance of making a living as an artist. Emily began by taking a few minutes here and there to talk with these artists and give them some basic pointers, but knew it wasn't nearly enough to be of much help.  So she decided to start mentoring & training artists and teach them the skills they needed to run their art careers as a small business.

 

Simultaneously, Emily has been a Lyrical Fusion Belly Dancer since 1999, performing under the stage name Freya.  When Atlas Galleries closed in 2018, it gave Emily a unique opportunity to become a professional dancer, dance instructor & model while continuing her work with artists.  In fact, Emily discovered that dancers and performers often had similar questions and struggles as painters, print makers and other artists she was working with. 

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At Gossamer Arts our mission is two-fold:

• First, Teach artists the skills they need to take charge of their art careers, empower them to take risks and keep going even when faced with rejection.

• Second, help people build confidence, strength, and grace through dance.

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Our goal over the next year is to combine these two missions into a production arm of Gossamer Arts that will produce a regularly occurring variety show. The mission of our show is to create a space for performing & visual artists to share their talents with an audience that is so entertained they come back again and again.  Such a show will allow for performers, artists, and crew to get paid for their art, which in turn allows them to continue creating art that enriches the lives of the audience and community.

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