From as young as I can remember, I’ve been surrounded by artists and submerged in the world of art. I owe this influence to my mother, who went to Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and has been actively creating and teaching art (and art history) ever since. Many years ago, she and a handful of her artist friends created an art collective and studio gallery in the Pocono Mountains. I spent countless hours there, learning that there is more than one way to look at things, and that creative imagery can provoke different thoughts and emotions for different people. I saw the effect their artwork had on patrons who entered the gallery. How they lit-up with thought and wonder. I also saw the energy it took for the artists to create these pieces, and the joy it brought them to see their work appreciated. But, I noticed that the time and effort that went into creating these pieces, far exceeded the amount of patrons who would step foot through the doorway to connect with them. Unfortunately, our current western culture doesn’t value art in the way that it deserves to be valued, which makes it tough for artists to get the exposure their work deserves. This also makes it difficult for artists to achieve the financial returns that they deserve and I am on a mission to change that. Many artists can use as much help as possible to have their creations reach more people’s eyes and that was one of the motivating forces to create Art Host… To help artists gain exposure to more people and to help more people gain exposure to more art!

Liam Flaherty