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Art and connection. It’s all about the story.

“A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.” •Salvador Dali


It’s all about connection. Connecting to a story, to a human, feeling inspired to paint, to exhibit, to share your story. ‘Connection’ is one of the reasons that I built an art gallery. For years I had a desire to connect / inspire / collaborate with creative, likeminded people. Additionally, each month at Gallery 11:11, we aim to collaborate with small business, working side by side (hence 11:11) aligning a product or service with the theme of an exhibition or in the least aiming to deliver something of extra interest to the audience. The aim here is to amplify the connections / the experience for all parties. Exhibiting Artists, genuinely connected to their subject, further translate this connection, providing an invitation into their personal journey. It all sounds a tad romantic though I wholeheartedly believe in it. I see that look when someone connects to a work and then is able to dig deeper into the heart of the work through sharing the story / inspiration regarding the back story. Better still, they are then able to connect to a journey via meeting the Artist in the flesh…. MAGIC. Bottom line.. when people leave the gallery I want them to be inspired. The story is everything to me. Yes, it’s personal, though it is what inspires me to facilitate exhibitions each month at Gallery 11:11 for Artists.

On a tangent, I was recently put in touch with an incredible video production company who shared my vision for storytelling. Life Story Productions put together a short video to connect my narrative which I will be recommending to all Artists. What was unique about this team was that from the get go they listened to my back story, my vision for the gallery and what my intentions were regarding connecting artists to their audience. With this, they sensed my discomfort in being in front of the camera and made every effort to keep things informal and relaxed on the day.


Whether you are in front of a camera, sharing your artist journey or present in the gallery to personally connect with the audience, the common thread is that it can be a confronting experience. It is not for the faint hearted. Cheers to the Artists who share their journey, connecting people to the magic behind the scenes and on the walls. 2022 has been an incredible year of storytelling / collaborating / inspiring. Thank you to all who have shared in the art journey of so many talented individuals. I look forward to connecting you to the new chapters each month in 2023.


Melony Kara Smirniotis


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