Paintings, drawings and Polaroids — some in frames, some not — hang on the walls with tape, nails or gum-like Blu-Tack. Nearby rest other pieces of art, including a Sharpie-decorated guitar, haiku-embellished playing cards and even a box filled with human hair.
Welcome to Columbia’s first-ever “Jane Doe/Joe Schmo Art Show,” an art exhibition that took place Friday evening at the No Coast Collective InfoShop at the corner of north Eighth Street and Business Loop 70.
The event featured the work of about 35 amateur artists of all ages. Robin Griswold and Meredith Fraser, both of Columbia, hosted the event in order to give creative people a chance to show their work to the public.
“It’s inspiring to see what everyday people can do,” Fraser said. “Everyone I know is really talented and we don’t talk about it. We’re too busy to appreciate that.”
Two months of planning went into the evening, which organizers said attracted about 150 people.
Ben Chlapek, a graphic design major at MU and a friend of the organizers, created 15 original silk-screen posters to advertise the show. With the hand-drawn tagline, the “We’re all famous!” poster features a swarm of what Chlapek called “sherbet yellow” ice-cream cones.
“I’m lactose intolerant,” he said in reference to his poster, “and just started drawing them one day — they’re happy.”
Others also volunteered at the event. Sam D’Agostino was responsible for the music — mostly jazz and ’50s R&B — and Michael Mori donated the food, a colorful mix of vegetarian sushi, bruschetta and spinach pesto-goat cheese dip. Neither had presented his talents publicly before.
The volunteers’ efforts were clearly appreciated.
“A lot of love went into it, is going into it,” said Rachel Coble, who heard about the show through word of mouth.
Griswold and Frasier plan to hold more Jane Doe/Joe Schmo exhibits at the InfoShop in the coming months.