La Grande Lessive--Art on a Clothesline

Place Carnot

Today we celebrated the Great Laundry Line of art.  This is actually celebrated annually worldwide and Carcassonne has participated for the last six years.  Such a simple concept has a powerful effect.  In our own way, each of us have the capability to produce art.

At the newly renovated park at the post office

By the fountain at Carnot

Basically any art form is accepted as long as it will fit in a standard sheet protector.  The city puts up lines throughout the public spaces and people pin their creations to these lines: thus the laundry line theme. 

A list of events

Students at the workshops

When I saw this festival in 2014, there were more clotheslines but fewer activities.  This year, I noticed that it was not just school children who contributed, but various groups presented.  There were a couple of civic organizations whose members produced artwork.  There were more activities: lectures, hands-on tables and workshops, and a concert this evening.  On my way home from the market, Alan and Mirhela from the Occitan center were at the Dominican chapel, and Alan was in full form, telling stories in Occitan to enthralled school children sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of him.

Laundry blowing in the wind

Not all were "whites" handing on the line

I saw bead art, photography, collages, abstract art, contour drawings, mobiles along with pencil and crayon sketches and studies. 

Contour lines

cut-outs and paste-on

celebration of color

Where are those notes going?

"Mobiles"

This really does look like laundry

What was as impressive as the fact that all of this art was created and encouraged was the fact that people were actually taking time to look at it.  And think. 

Two of my favorites

 

Such is art's power. 

Art needs to be viewed