The Grand Art Event at DeGallery began to give artists in Bryan/College Station a way to interact with professional and international artists. B/CS residents can come and watch professional artists create pieces inspired by the beauty of central Texas.
Dary Dega founded DeGallery as a way to foster the local art community and attract art lovers from around the world to B/CS. Her dream is to create a thriving art community like the one in Fredericksburg and the Grand Art Event is one of the many ways she goes about it, Dary explains.
“It’s more than just my business,” she says. “It’s my bubble and I try to fill it with art and culture — I try to make this gallery a bubble full of fairytale happiness then I invite more people to join us to grow and display all of our local community’s art.”
As the Grand Art Event has grown in scale so has support from the local community and businesses. Gaining partners and sponsors in The Ranch Harley Davidson, the city of Bryan, the Visual Art Society as well as kind individuals who donate to support the event.
“We have a grant from the city of Bryan and this art and culture grant [has] really helped us,” Dary says. “It has helped for more than advertising [because] we accommodate artists that have to travel to [Bryan]. It [has been] just fantastic.”
The Grand Art Event is about more than creating and appreciating art; its primary focus is raising money to allow people who are in dire need of an outlet to have easy access to classes and materials.
“I'm crazy,” Dary jokes. “A lot of other for-profit organizations do galas to support [their] organization, right? I do the opposite. And [with] this event what we [have done] and continue to do is [raise] money and all proceeds go to the Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center. These are art classes for kids and adults with disabilities.
“After this event we calculated that we can do a full [three] extra classes per week,” Dary explains. “[For] two semesters until the next [Grand Art Event]. These classes are for kids, teenagers and adults who live with disabilities, like stroke, down syndrome and autism. [Giving an opportunity to learn art to people who] have a lot of different disabilities from nerve surgery to everything else.”
While the Grand Art Event may be over, anyone can still view pieces both online and in the gallery. Dary is happy to show the pieces and discuss the artist’s biography anytime and interested art lovers can buy pieces made during the event in-person or online.
“All proceeds coming [from art made during the event] will go to continue to our at the Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center,” Dary adds. “This will be continue into next year’s event because every year we [invite] different artists. We try and invite a different diversity of artists every year so there’s more interest for people [to come and support].”
DeGallery will open a new exhibition called “Gig’Em Art” featuring pieces made by talented Texas A&M students, staff and faculty on Friday, April 12. Visit degallery.us for more information about current and future exhibits and view the online gallery featuring pieces made during the Grand Art Event.
