HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The Studio 3 in downtown Hopkinsville had a gallery full of masterfully crafted chairs designed and created by members of the community. Inspiration for submissions to The Chair Project blossomed from personal experiences, nature, mythology, Shakespeare, culture, or specific artist’s inclinations.
Milkweed owner and artist Julie-Anna Carlisle launched The Chair Project this year to engage the community in an artistic way, while also raising money for Sanctuary Inc., a local domestic violence shelter and crisis center.
“The chairs are such a tapestry of contemporary, functional, and conservative, to very structural and pop art,” said Carlisle. “I’m just amazed at the variety of the ingeniousness that went into these chairs.”
The Chair Project focused on the theme of ‘support’ as artists put effort into building or altering a chair to be both functional and symbolic of support and rest.
Best of Show, benefitting Sanctuary Inc.
Throughout the evening, patrons cycled through the art show, bidding on pieces that caught their eye during a silent auction. The original plan was to have the art show inside the Milkweed Health & Harmony Emporium storefront, but a last-minute venue change was made to accommodate just over 60 chairs that were submitted by local businesses, groups, and artists in Hopkinsville.
Since it was the first iteration of the event, Carlisle was in awe of the outpouring of support they have received since announcing the project. She was inspired by how the art display directly reflects the dynamic Christian County community.
“I don’t think it could go any better, I’m just so amazed by all the help and support that we’ve gotten to put the event on,” Sanctuary Inc. Director Heather Lancaster told Christian County Now. “It’s an emotional feeling to know this kind of love and this amount of effort and care goes into something to make it so beautiful.”
Funds raised benefited Sanctuary Inc. to support the shelter and their programs, with this event being one of many collaborations with Milkweed. During the event, the Best of Show award was given to Lynn Pesoat for her chair titled “Sanctuary of Water”.
Heather and Julie- Anna were both proud of the unique vibe they were able to curate during the art show, offering the community a different kind of event to attend on a Friday night. The turnout left Carlisle at a loss for words to express her gratitude. “Just the response that this project has had makes my heart want to explode,” she said.
They are already planning on pursuing The Chair Project again next year, with people who were unable to participate this year already planning on submitting.