The annual Art On The Common event, which had been scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 13, has been cancelled because of lack of participation.
Organizer Barbara Scott said she had only 12 applicants in addition to herself and Susan Hanna. “We needed at least 30 to make a go of it in order to have artist awards and pay for advertising,” Scott said this week. “We barely had enough to cover advertising so it was more prudent to cancel and give the artists an opportunity for other venues if they had them.”
Scott said it was not a case of artists contacting her and saying they could not attend – it was hearing nothing from artists.
“I don’t know why, maybe there are other venues that the artists are going to,” she said. “I know Andover (Mass.) is having a show at the same time.
She said one of the hardest things about cancelling the show was that five new artists had planned to participate this year. “That’s what you’re always hoping for – to bring in new blood, so it is very disappointing,” Scott said. “When I sent out the letter of apology I said that I hoped they would join us for Art In Action on Nov. 8 and 9.”
This is the first year the show has been cancelled.
Art on the Common was originally presented by former Londonderry artist Elaine Farmer. “She wanted to create an awareness in town that there are artists locally and that you don’t have to go to Portsmouth or Boston to get fine art,” Scott said. “One year we had a show that had a participation of somewhere in the upper 40s. We had a few good years like that.”