{"id":1274,"date":"2020-06-10T13:35:38","date_gmt":"2020-06-10T13:35:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/collennyanhongo.com\/?p=1274"},"modified":"2020-06-10T13:42:07","modified_gmt":"2020-06-10T13:42:07","slug":"collen-nyanhongo-joins-lafayette-artist-in-the-time-of-covid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collennyanhongo.com\/index.php\/2020\/06\/10\/collen-nyanhongo-joins-lafayette-artist-in-the-time-of-covid\/","title":{"rendered":"Collen Nyanhongo Joins Lafayette Artist in the Time of COVID"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.8″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.8″][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.4.8″ type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.8″ hover_enabled=”0″]

Lafayette artist transforms home\u2019s exterior into drive-thru art exhibit<\/span><\/h1>\n

Visitors can also park and view the work that will be displayed eight feet apart<\/h2>\n

Boulder Daily Camera – By\u00a0Kalene McCort<\/span><\/p>\n

May 22, 2020<\/span><\/p>\n

Lafayette-based artist Adderly Grant-Lord has greatly missed visiting galleries and partaking in weekly art walks during COVID-19 closures, so she has decided to set up a drive-thru art exhibit on the exterior of her home. From 2-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, fans of creativity can view paintings by Grant-Lord and sculptures by Collen Nyanhongo without ever stepping out of their vehicles. The site of the artistic pop-up is Grant-Lord\u2019s home at 2490 Cana Court, Lafayette. If visitors choose to park and explore the work, that will be displayed 8 feet apart, they can don a face mask and do so.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/collennyanhongo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Adderly-Grant-Lord.jpg” _builder_version=”4.4.8″ title_text=”Adderly Grant-Lord” hover_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.8″][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.4.8″ type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.8″ hover_enabled=”0″]

Adderly Grant-Lord paints outside. The artist has plans to transform the exterior of her Lafayette home into an art exhibit that will be open for visitors Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. \u2013 5 p.m. (Adderly Grant-Lord\/ Courtesy photo)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSince lockdown, it has been especially hard not being able to participate in First Art Fridays,\u201d said Grant-Lord, who studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. \u201cAs long as I can remember, I have attended those Fridays in Louisville and Boulder with fellow artists and friends among local communities. My soul depended on those interactions that were filled with inspiration and I felt a definite loss.\u201d<\/p>\n

The concept for an in-person, social-distance, art gallery was born after Pine Street Church, in Boulder, approached Grant-Lord to design a detachable mural that would offer the community a message of hope during this global health scare.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was while I was hanging the painting at Pine Street Church, that I envisioned a complete art exhibit with eight feet apart social distancing,\u201d Grant-Lord said. \u201cMy art is my joy, pure bliss. I really just miss all the interaction. I look forward to seeing my friends and just indulging in the art works.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grant-Lord\u2019s work, filled with vibrant hues and chaotic splatters, carries a sense of motion. At times, she dives into the abstract, at others she depicts tranquil dream-like landscapes. All pieces on display this weekend will be for sale.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone will wear a mask and follow the social distancing guidelines so we can have a great time and be safe,\u201d Grant-Lord said. \u201cWe will have free masks for those who are in need. I am encouraging my guests to walk up for a more personal view. For those with mobility limitations, a drive-thru is recommended. I have a long circular driveway, so you don\u2019t have to get out of your car for viewing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joining Grant-Lord will be Zimbabwean stone sculptor Collen Nyanhongo, who comes from a long line of creatives.<\/p>\n

\u201cWearing a mask when I go out in public has just been a continuation because I always wear a mask when I am sculpting,\u201d said Nyanhongo, who is working on a new piece that he hopes to display Saturday.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
Adderly Grant-Lord\u2019s acrylic on canvas painting \u201cFaith Breaking Through.\u201d Grant-Lord will transform the exterior of her Lafayette home into an art exhibit while adhering to social distancing this weekend. (Adderly Grant-Lord\/ Courtesy photo)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

His in-progress piece is about the \u201chard times\u201d in our lives that can be metaphorical \u201choles that chip away at our spirits if we let them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we allow ourselves to bend but not break, to look to others and not just ourselves something beautiful happens,\u201d Nyanhongo said. \u201cThe holes allow light to shine through and our \u2018holes\u2019 become whole.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nyanhongo\u2019s work, chiseled out of springstone, serpentine and lepidolite, further adds to the artistry of blooming gardens and public spaces. His stunning and intricate pieces can be found in galleries in Arizona, California and international locales.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am inspired every day,\u201d Nyanhongo said. \u201cMost times when I create, I don\u2019t know the magnitude that a piece carries until I hear people confirming how much they are feeling about the sculpture or how much it resembles what they are going through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Previously, he created a 15-ton marble sculpture for a public art project in Fort Collins.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\u201cFamily Reunion\u201d made from mixed stones by sculptor Collen Nyanhongo. Nyanhongo will have his art displayed this weekend at an outdoor exhibit organized by artist Adderly Grant-Lord. (Ron Kirk\/ Courtesy photo)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201cArt is a driving force that makes people think and feel differently each time they admire it,\u201d Nyanhongo said. \u201cThat\u2019s what I enjoy \u2014 seeing people puzzled by a piece of art or deeply sucked in to the piece of art that depicts their situations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grant-Lord is hoping the two-day event attracts folks throughout the Front Range.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will definitely be attending,\u201d said Boulder-based realtor Ann Cooper. \u201cI think it\u2019s really important to experience the joys of art in these unsettling times. It reminds us of the beauty of people and the world itself. It\u2019s calming. It provides us all with a sense of peace, which is so badly needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

While many virtual offerings, including live stream concerts and online gallery tours have surfaced, this may be the first in-person art event of its kind in the area since the start of social distancing.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdderly (Grant-Lord) came up with this concept and I think it\u2019s brilliant,\u201d Cooper said. \u201cAdding Collen\u2019s sculptures will only enhance it. Both are amazing artists.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grant has used the world\u2019s current state as the inspiration for many of her pieces.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am definitely influenced by these times and what is showing up on my canvas is all about empowerment,\u201d Grant-Lord said. \u201cI am constantly questioning, what it means to be strong. Is it holding on or letting go? I think letting go requires more strength because you are leaving the comfort of knowing for the unknown.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grant-Lord is hoping this weekend\u2019s outdoor exhibit is just the first of many.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would love to host a fashion, jazz, art, and sculpture exhibit next,\u201d Grant-Lord said. \u201cThe when and where will depend on how much joy we share this weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough the Eyes of Love\u201d carved out of springstone by sculptor Collen Nyanhongo. (Ron Kirk\/ Courtesy photo)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

For now, admittance into the outdoor exhibit remains free.<\/p>\n

\u201cArt, at this moment, is what will help us through this mentally stressful time because never before has human connection been so cut off and limited,\u201d Grant-Lord said. \u201cI strongly believe that art gives your inner voice a physical space. Art can provide comfort, joy and bliss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grant-Lord and Nyanhongo want exhibit visitors to take away a message of hope.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so excited to share what art does for me \u2014 provide joy during a time filled with fear and anxiety\u2026maybe an awakening of the soul, replacing a sense of loss with inspiration and reminding others to hold on,\u201d Grant-Lord said.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lafayette artist transforms home\u2019s exterior into drive-thru art exhibit Visitors can also park and view the work that will be displayed eight feet apart Boulder Daily Camera – By\u00a0Kalene McCort May 22, 2020 Lafayette-based artist Adderly Grant-Lord has greatly missed visiting galleries and partaking in weekly art walks during COVID-19 closures, so she has decided […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1281,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-comings-goings"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/collennyanhongo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/lord.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/collennyanhongo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/collennyanhongo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/collennyanhongo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collennyanhongo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collennyanhongo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1274"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/collennyanhongo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1274\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1282,"href":"https:\/\/collennyanhongo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1274\/revisions\/1282"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collennyanhongo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/collennyanhongo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collennyanhongo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collennyanhongo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}