Festival invites public to join 'common canvas'

The public is invited to take part in the Common Canvas Project, hosted by Sisters Folk Festival, Inc. (SFF) as part of their annual celebration of the arts and arts-based fundraiser, My Own Two Hands (MOTH).

The Common Canvas activities bring this year's theme, "Opening Doors," to life. You can participate by creating and illustrating a message about the door you'd like to open this year by decorating a wooden postcard. The postcards will be a part of an art installation at Sisters Art Works until they are mailed back to their creators at the end of the year.

Pick up postcards now at the Folk Festival office at 204 W. Adams Ave., Suite 204, or create yours at the MOTH Community Celebration at The Belfry on Friday, May 12, where SFF will provide the art supplies and you supply the creativity.

Another Common Canvas Project is already underway. Nineteen local artists took home a custom-designed, miniature door frame and canvas and created an Opening Doors-themed piece of art. They're on display at Sisters Art Works and can be bid on until bidding closes at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 12.

If you can't make it to Sisters Art Works to see them, visit http://www.sistersfolk.org/commoncanvas for a sneak peek.

Proceeds from the auction benefit the Americana Project and other music and arts programming of SFF.

Also that night, there's a full-sized door to be turned into a community-created piece of art. Everyone is welcome to add their personal touch. There will be an array of art supplies to use, or you are welcome to bring something meaningful to you to adorn the door.

The full-size door and the miniature doorframes were crafted and donated by OrePac, and financial support for the Common Canvas activities was provided by a grant from The Roundhouse Foundation. The Common Canvas Project is an opportunity for everyone in the Sisters community to open doors to their creativity. Organizers want to emphasize that we all need to remember that everyone is an artist and everyone has a creative gift to share with the community.

For more information about the Common Canvas Project, contact the Sisters Folk Festival office, 541-549-4979 or come by to pick up a postcard and bid on the Opening Doors donations.