Lurking in the imagination of every artistic soul is a place of darkness where scary things animate and force their way into the artist’s consciousness. Some artists willfully engage with their mind’s monsters in creative works; others typically eschew them for more pleasant ideas and images.

And sometimes a group of artists engage in artistic mayhem together, allowing their minds’ monsters to spill out across the canvas and sculptor’s atelier in a collective, creative flurry. Such is the case with “Midsummer Monster Mayhem”, an art exhibit that will debut at BZTAT Studios inside Canton Creator Space on June 22, 2024. 

Artists such as Erin Mulligan, Erika Katherine and David Sherrill are no strangers to creating artworks that feature dark and mysterious creatures emerging from the subconscious. They each have new works in the show.

My own work typically avoids darker content. Even so, I decided to embark on new creative challenges for this exhibit. While monsters aren’t typically the focus of my artwork, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to be inspired by my artist friends more adept with the genre. And not all monsters are dark and scary.

Other featured artists taking on the creative challenge include: David Dingwell, David McDowell, Keeli Serri, Iszy Rucker, Brenda Case, Heather Dunlap and Lizzie Conrad.

There will be an opening reception for the art exhibit on Saturday, June 22, 2024 from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM. A film loop of classic monster films will play throughout the opening event courtesy of The CUT Cinema. The exhibit will be on display through August 23, 2024, and will be open for viewing during Monster Fest (June 28-29) at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, which is just four blocks away. Monster fans can stop in on June 28-29th between 12pm and 7pm to create their own Make-It-Take-It Monster!

I hope you will join us for some fun monstrous mayhem!

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

BZTAT Studios, located in the new Canton Creator Space at 730 Market Ave S. in Canton, exhibits artwork by local artists, including wall art, sculpture, jewelry, wearable art and other unique art gifts. Canton Creator Space is a brand-new collaborative workplace and gallery for artists and creative entrepreneurs. Open to the public, Canton Creator Space allows visitors to experience a behind the scenes view of the dynamic world of local artists and enjoy a more personalized arts encounter beyond typical galleries and museums. The gallery is open 11am-5pm on Mondays through Fridays and 12-5pm on Saturdays.