ArtCoz has named their featured artist and musician of the month for July.
David Spires, a guitar player, writer, and performer, has been named the musician of the month. Spires was raised in Zanesville but caught the music bug early in his teenage years. His love of music took him to Nashville for 23 years to play with the likes of headliners such as Jo Dee Messina, Josh Turner, and Shania Twain. While he relished his time in the music city, he is glad to be back in his hometown while still being able to express himself himself through his music because of organizations like ArtCoz.
“It’s just great to be included. There’s so many talented people here in the greater Zanesville area. My wife is one of the artists that belongs to ArtCoz. She paints under…Jessica Spires, and it’s just great to be recognized and given an opportunity to play, and be seen and be heard and encourage others to do the same,” said Spires.
Jennifer Johnston-Baker is the ArtCoz artist of the month. She is a retired United Methodist Minister who still preaches twice a month. When she isn’t preaching, she can be found sitting in a pew creating new pieces of art. Her reason for integrating creative expression into everyday life is due to the powerful influence she believes the arts can have.
“Well, it’s not just because it’s beautiful, but because it is inspiring. It causes people to at least be, maybe, filled with joy or evoke some kind of emotional response. But mostly for me, it’s about the thinking. I want to be able to look at someone’s art and think about it, and, what does that then do for not just me but for the community. And I’m not talking about just Zanesville, but us as human beings. How is it that it inspires each of us to be better people? ” Johnston-Baker said.
The next First Friday Art Walk will be on July 2, from 5-8 P.M.
