Le Point Commun

Established in 2010 in a residential neighborhood at the top of the hill in Cran-Gevrier, where Collines Theater, the recreation center, the library, and an elementary school all coexist in harmony, the center for contemporary art, Le Point Commun, seeks to connect and find common ground as a way to to spread culture within every community. The eighties spirit of democratization is fully intended.

At the beginning, Corinne Benoit contacted the city to propose the idea of a temporary art gallery, in the form of a non-profit (which it remains to this day), with a condensed program of exhibitions. When the gallery and interest grew, the concept transformed from temporary to permanent, and now two employees work for the non-profit organization. With these resources, Le Point Commun currently hosts a steady stream of exhibitions to the number of four per season: three solo and one group show. In addition, two performances mark the calendar, one in the fall and the other in the spring.

With free entry thanks to public funding (from the city, department, and region), the gallery continues to develop and build upon the area’s policy to encourage cultural education. In addition to opening its doors on a regular basis to school outings, Le Point Commun also offers guided visits every Saturday afternoon at 14:30, an exhibition pamphlet, a game booklet as a fun way to guide visitors the rest of the week, storytelling for little kids two years old and up, and guided visits using French sign language for the hearing impaired.

Family-oriented programs include guided tours and practical parent-child workshops to make it easy to initiate a discussion about art. And more often than not the kids, much less inhibited than their parents, take the lead. Piquing their curiosity, sharpening their minds, loosening their tongues, art’s many voices help lead the way towards critical thinking, and that is the power of a cultural center like this one.

To encourage to young contemporary artists, Le Point Commun makes a point of providing support, from getting the word out to helping to produce works of art. Guest artists receive much needed visibility. Le Point Commun works with local schools, organizes workshops and performances, and provide artists with help filling out grant applications.

When it comes enlivening the discussion, encouraging “different points of view” shows a willingness to create a strong bond between Le Point Commun, Collines Theater, and the Annecy art and media library. Waxing philosophic allows the general public to provide their points of view and feelings about art. Before elaborating any form of tangible explanation, art needs to be seen and experienced. So the next performance will require active participation from the audience.