The Ignon Memorial Art Show for Young Adult Artists
By Angela Romeo
The dream of Artist Don Porter is to foster the growth of young artists in the Coachella Valley and to honor the memory of his mentor, Gui Ignon. In cooperation with CREATE Center for the Arts and the Ignon Family, The Ignon Memorial Art Show for Young Adult Artists is the result of that dream.
“I was greatly influenced by my high school art teacher, Gui Marcel Ignon. A French resistance fighter in World War I, he went on to study with artists such as Lipchitz, Dufy and Arp in The School of Paris. M. Ignon had exhibitions in Washington DC, Los Angeles and San Francisco. He later became a revered teacher and mentor to hundreds of young artists in Ojai, California,” noted Don.
“Gui Ignon was a memorable character. A grizzled gentleman, a heavy smoker and with a marked French accent, he mentored us in a very relaxed and supportive manner. I would not be an artist today were it not for Monsieur Ignon. Young artists can be unsure of themselves – even more so than older ones. This program will help reward and encourage young artists to offer their art, indeed their souls, to all of us. It will also honor M. Ignon’s legacy of mentoring young artists.”
“I joined the Palm Springs Art Museum’s Artist Council Board in February 2016,” noted Don Porter. “I read PSAM’s vision for the future. I learned they wanted to reach out to our local community of young artists. A scholarship program which funded memberships for young artists in the Palm Springs Art Museum and its Artists Council seemed a logical choice.”
“Unfortunately, our proposal was a not a good fit for the museum. So Roger Ignon, Gui’s son and my high school classmate, his wife Jackie and I approached Debra Mumm, founder of CREATE Center for the Arts with our concept. She immediately and graciously accepted our proposal, and The Ignon Memorial Art Show for Young Adult Artists was born. As the driving force behind CREATE, Debra reminds me of Gui Ignon. Admittedly she is not French nor does she smoke, but Debra, like Gui, is a remarkable mentor to young artists. She and I believe we need to foster art in our world. Young artists will have an opportunity to be recognized for their contribution to the community and to humanity,” continued Don. “Mr. Ignon would agree.”
The Ignon Memorial Art Show is a juried exhibition open to young adult artists ages 18 – 35 from the Coachella Valley and neighboring communities. The show encourages, recognizes, and helps young artists with cash prizes and provides a venue to show and sell work to the public. Entry forms may be found at CREATE Center or online at www.createcenterforthearts.com/ignon-memorial-art-show-entry-form.
There will be an Artist Reception and Award Ceremony on April 7, 6-8pm at CREATE. The juried exhibit will be on view through April 28, 2018. CREATE Center of the arts is located at 73733 Fred Waring Drive, #106, Palm Desert CA.
For more information on CREATE visit www.createcenterforthearts.com. For more information about artist Don Porter visit donporter.com
