VIVA Officially Closes Its Doors

It was a little over 12 years ago that ideas for starting VIVA began to flourish. I can only imagine the enthusiasm and excitement that went into creating a gallery all those many years ago. A collective vision came about and it grew into a well recognized cultural center where artists and locals could share a common love of art.

That was then, and this is now. VIVA has come full circle. The last few years have been turbulent ones and I think we all wondered if VIVA could weather so many storms. The board of directors worked hard as the economy changed and made our plight even more difficult. I guess you could say that we did our best to keep the ship afloat and carry on in spite of the fact that we were facing the reality of our own demise.

Everyone involved with VIVA has the right to remember it as they choose, but my hope is that each of you won’t forget all the good times VIVA provided. I can still remember the excitement I would feel walking through the door to view a newly hung exhibit and be absolutely blown away by the art. Some of VIVA’s exhibits are indelibly etched in my mind…the creativity, the talent, the imagination that made up those exhibits were awe inspiring. These were no ordinary artists that brought their art to VIVA…these were artists who were sharing a very personal part of themselves through their chosen mediums.

VIVA paved the way for artists and their art on so many levels. I’m sure that many of you can select a piece of your own art…one that challenged you, maybe even made you curse while you worked on it…one that made it onto a wall at VIVA and made you proud. Remember all the camaraderie, the excitement of a sale, exchanging your views of art with a stranger, the festive moments that came from a reception and the creative air that filled VIVA’s walls.

Just because VIVA is gone doesn’t mean that our connection to one another is gone. We still face challenges ahead and we all need to work with one another to keep the vision alive. I want to thank each one of you for your support and friendship throughout the years. As art organizations, you will always be the pillars that lifted VIVA up and as artists you will always remain our most cherished friends.

All the best,

Carolyn Uhri
VIVA President

January 2012