One of the artists who will be judging the 19th Congressional District's Artistic Discovery Contest with me is Mercedes Price. If you're not familiar with Mercedes, she owns
and operates Vino’s Picasso, which takes people with no previous artistic
experience or aptitude on a convivial adventure during which they combine a
glass or two of wine, some paint and a canvas to make a masterpiece they’ll
treasure for years to come. Although she’s one of the least pretentious people
you’ll ever encounter, she actually pays homage every day to Captiva’s favorite
son, Robert Rauschenberg, who once said, “If I do my job correctly, we won’t
need artists anymore.”
It’s not that Mercedes
disdains artists and what we do each day. To the contrary, she’s always loved
painting and the process of creating art. But like Rauschenberg, Mercedes believes
we all have an inner artist just begging to be released. It’s just that most of
us labor under these preconceptions and inhibitions that artists are in some
way imbued by the Creator or the universe with talents the rest of us simply
don’t enjoy. To get around these misconceptions, she combines a wee bit of
alcohol with a large measure of sociability to create a fun, relaxed, energetic
vibe. Then she and her team serve as guides, showing participants that everyone
and anyone can create art – their art. There’s no right or wrong. No good or
bad.
Which brings us
back to Rauschenberg’s raison d’etre as an artist, an educator and a person.
Rauschenberg’s gift was his characteristic proclivity to see the world in a
fresh and unconventional way and communicate to viewers around the world that
people can make art from anything in any way the mind can imagine. Prior to
Rauschenberg, brushes and oils were the stuff from which artworks were made.
Since Rauschenberg, debris, detritus, cardboard boxes, dirt and even nose oil
can be molded into an artwork. With that realization comes the inevitable
conclusion that anyone can offer new ways of seeing and interacting with the
world around us – not just artists like a Manet, a van Gogh or even a Bob
Rauschenberg.
Mercedes did not
start out in art. She actually had a career in the medical field for more than
eight years. But then she took a trip to South Carolina to visit her sister.
During that visit, she experienced something similar to Vino’s Picasso and knew
what she was destined to do. So she took her savings, opened a studio and
launched Vino’s Picasso – well before the current paint and wine craze. “Our
goal is for people to relax, enjoy themselves and create,” Mercedes says.
“We’re not about fine art, but fun art.”
The
logistics are simple: visit Vino’s Picasso website, choose a piece of art from
the calendar, reserve your spot and show up with your beer or wine. “All you
need to do is bring an ID and an open mind because this non-traditional type of
studio provides a place of inspiration for patrons. We supply the paint
(acrylic), palette, brushes, canvas, apron and even corkscrews for you to open
your bottles.
We set it all up and clean it all up too!”
You can also choose
your location. I’m a little biased in that regard. I can’t think of a better
place to embrace your inner artist than at Lovegrove Gallery & Gardens.
Mercedes and her team hold painting sessions here several times a week. But
season ends with Easter, so you only have about thirty more chances this season
to experience Vino’s Picasso for yourself. Just go online to pick the day and
subject that interests you most. And when you do come out, you’ll discover just
what I, Bob Rauschenberg and Mercedes already know. We’re all artists at heart.
It’s a matter of attitude, not aptitude!
I have some important news to share. 
