Think you can’t draw? Don’t tell that to local artist Dan Wahl, who will not only
disagree, he’ll encourage you to be part of his interactive equine exhibit in Walnut Grove
By Per Peterson
Dan Wahl is looking to fill his stable with artists of all ages and talent levels this summer.
On April 1, Wahl, a rural Revere native and acclaimed artist, will present his “Don’t Doubt Your Horses” art exhibit in Walnut Grove. But this isn’t your ordinary exhibit where art lovers simply make their way through myriad works, examining art and trying to figure out what this piece means or what that piece signifies.
Instead, this exhibit encourages those who attend to literally become part of the exhibit by drawing their own horses. The exhibit will take place in two venues — the Wilder Museum, as well as the old Masters Store and Hall building across 8th St. — and is kind of a public extension of Wahl’s oft-recited request to others: “Could you please draw a horse?”
Wahl said that everyone has creativity in them, and he enjoys bringing that out in them through his exhibit.
“I think at some level, everyone is an artist — you don’t have to label yourself that to be an artist,” said Wahl. “This project has been going on for decades, and specifically, this horse drawing-public participation aspect is something I’ve been developing over the last six years.”
Wahl began his own personal “400 Horses” project in 2015, with a goal of drawing 400 horses in one year. The project was born from a desire of his to understand the equine body structure. More than that, he’s on a mission. He wants others to share their perspective on horses and help them “melt their blocks.” That’s where his exhibit comes into play.
“It’s an interactive exhibit that invites public participation — it invites people to draw horses,” he said. “For me, it’s important to involve people in the drawing of horses. When you’re involved in drawing something focused, you’re in a mindfulness state and to me, it’s important to help people experience that. It’s something that I experience when I’m drawing.”
See this week’s Headlight Herald for more on this article.