Tuesday, August 31, 2010

PRESS RELEASE: Pat Todd at Art House in Middlebury


WHAT: Art in My Lifetime, A retrospective of the work of Pat Todd in Pastels

WHERE: THE ART HOUSE in Middlebury's Marble Works

EXHIBIT DATES: September 10 - October 16, 2010 The Art House hours: Tues. - Fri. 2-6 p.m. and Sat. 9:30-3:00

OPENING RECEPTION: Friday September 10, 5-7:30 p.m. Live Music & Complimentary Refreshments. Coincides with Middllebury's Arts Walk. Free & Open to the Public.


FOR MORE INFO: Contact Mary Swanson: mary@arthousevt.com (802) Visit www.arthousevt.com for additional info & directions.

Pat Todd grew up watching her father paint advertising and magazine illustrations. In her own pastels, one can see his influence, as inventive compositions eagerly draw you in. Luscious shades of azure, deep plum and cobalt inhabit velvet shadows while adjacent highlights - ablaze with brilliance - splash across fields, barn walls and blossoms. These stunning proclamations illustrate, loud and clear, Pat's love of the natural world.

Image: Pat Todd, Rising Sun, pastel

PRESS RELEASE: See the new Brunelle art show this Friday!


August Afternoon is a series of ten paintings about urban streets as seen thru the eyes of a bored child on summer vacation in the city. The sun is hot, the light is bright, and the shadows are deep and dark. Nothing is moving, for there is no breeze. The child is lonely and has nothing to do.
The show will be at the North End Studio Gallery, at 294 North Winooski Ave thru the month of Sept, with a closing reception to be held on Sept. 24th. The gallery is open Mon-Friday, Noon to 5pm. To see more artwork by Robert Waldo Brunelle JR, visit www.mrbrunelle.com. For more info about gallery hours, etc., call 863-6713 or email thenorthendstudio@gmail.com.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

PRESS RELEASE: Jude Bond at 215 College Gallery in Burlington


A Gathering of Skirts by Jude Bond will be at 215 College Gallery, 215 College Street in Burlington from Sept. 10-Oct. 3. The opening reception will be on Friday, Sept. 17th from 5-8 PM, with an informal gallery talk at 5:30.

Jude Bond has gathered new two and three-dimensional works and several 2008 sculptures to present a quirky, slightly irreverent, slightly erotic look at women and gatherings – gatherings of fabric, gatherings of women, gatherings of food stuffs and more.

In the piece entitled Skirts three-dimensional fiber and glass dolls invite the viewer to explore what lies beneath – beneath their billowing hand stitched skirts that is. Think putting up, putting out, and putting by, à la ball jars in the root cellar.

In Stitch vintage photographic works are obfuscated by organza overlays and machine stitching to twin and double-expose the private lives of women and girls.

And look for the digitally altered photo series entitled Time Travel in which Jude has dressed in authentic period clothing (summer whites) for photographic portraits, and insinuated herself into scenes from the early 1900’s.

This mixed media show includes drawing, photography, sculpture, and art textiles stitched both by hand and machine. The materials are rich and varied and they work together to create a cohesive theme, A Gathering of Skirts.

Gallery Hours are Friday 12-8, Saturday 12-6, and Sunday 12-4.

Image: Lily and Lila

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

PRESS RELEASE: Kurt Budliger at Blinking Light in Plainfield


If you pick up a 2011 Vermont Life Calendar this coming year, you'll see that the work of award-winning photographer Kurt Budliger, of Middlesex, was chosen for the cover. Budliger is a frequent contributor to both Vermont Life and Vermont Magazine. He has shown at Stowe's Helen Day Art Center, and his work has drawn national notice, scoring an honorable mention in the prestigious International Conservation Photography Awards exhibit at the Burke Museum in Seattle, Washington. These things tell you something about the standout allure of his images of the natural world and Vermont landscapes in particular. The Blinking Light Gallery will present an exhibit of Budliger's work titled "Light on the Land: Autumn Selections" through the month of September. Meet and chat with Kurt at a reception for the artist to be held Saturday, Sept. 11 from 4-6 pm. (Enjoy Plainfield's Old Home Days celebration occurring the same day.)

Budliger studied environmental sciences in college, which paired well with his passions for backcountry hiking and photography. For a time he taught science to middle school students in Central Vermont. "As an environmental educator," he said, "I saw a lot of power in the use of imagery to inspire others to think about preserving the natural world." Budliger contributes 1% of his profits to worthy environmental groups through the funnel organization known as "1% for The Planet." Notably, Budliger was the first Vermont business to do so. (The corporate office of "1% for The Planet," established by Patagonia outdoor gear founder and president Yvon Chouinard, is located in Waitsfield, Vermont.)

Budliger currently teaches two levels of digital photography at Community College of Vermont. He holds private workshops and operates a photography business (www.kurtbudligerphotography.com) specializing in outdoor and landscape photography in Vermont and New England, as well as creative portraiture and wedding photojournalism.
The Blinking Light Gallery is a fine art and fun gift shop located on Main St. just off Route 2 in the village of Plainfield, Vermont. Hours are usually Thursdays from 2 to 6 P.M., and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 to 6 P.M. For more gallery information: www.blinkinglightgallery.com 802-454-0141.

Image: Portrait of Kurt Budliger by Mitch Moraski

Monday, August 23, 2010

PRESS RELEASE: Kathy Stark Talk at Art House in Craftsbury


The Art House Gallery is proud to present Kathy Stark as the visiting speaker in our September First Friday Art Talk. On the first Friday of each month, The Art House Gallery invites a different speaker to present his or her work and speak about his or her medium(s), inspirations, techniques, and life and experiences as an artist. On Friday, September 3rd at 6:30 in the evening, Kathy Stark will be showing and speaking about her newest work. In 2010 Kathy has exhibited in The Governor's Office in Vermont, T.W.Wood Gallery, "Vermont State Art Collection" in Vermont, TENRI Gallery in New York City, and George Segal Gallery in New Jersey. Kathy uses ink, graphite, colored pencils, watercolor, acrylic paint, glazes, tints, stains, a variety of wallpapers, decorative papers, photographs, and text, focusing on pattern and repeat motifs to create her final pieces.

Following the talk will be a small reception where visitors can meet Kathy Stark and the other artists showing in the gallery. For the months of September and October The Art House Gallery will feature a group exhibit of oil and acrylic New England landscapes, and Deborah Holmes’ watercolors. Artists included in this group show will be Louise Arnold, David Vickery, Meryl Lebowitz, Mark Curtis, Sarah Schummer, Margaret Gibson, Janet MacLeod, and Deborah Holmes.

The Art House is a small venue, and can fill up fast. We recommend that those who plan to come to a First Friday Art Talk fill out the RSVP form to help us estimate attendance. For more information, please visit www.vermontarthouse.com, email vtarthouse@gmail.com, or call 802.586.2545. The Art House Gallery is open Fridays and Saturdays 10:30 am - 4:30 pm, and by appointment.

Image: Kathy Stark, Cry Out Beyond the Edge of Dreams, 36x59", multimedia.

PRESS RELEASE: Habitat for Artists, Vermont Edition at Helen Day Art Center in Stowe


The Stowe Recreation Path has been the site of the Habitat for Artists Project (HFA), hosted by Helen Day Art Center, for the last month and a half. A simple 6’x6’ shed that acts as a temporary – and very public – studio, the Habitat is the invention of Simon Draper, an artist from the Hudson Valley. Draper’s idea, and Helen Day Art Center, attracted 15 artists to spend their creative time working in the Habitat. Together they covered 45 days and were visible to as many as 30,000 visitors, since the recreation path is a prime destination for locals and visitors alike during the summer.

Habitat for Artists: Vermont Edition is an exhibit of artwork by these artists at Helen Day Art Center, opening Friday, August 27th at 5pm. The exhibit runs: August 27-October 31, with gallery hours 12-5, Wednesday through Sunday. This summer’s HFA in Stowe has been a success, bringing artists into the public space and offering the public a window on the creative process. The Artists’ work ranges widely from Edward Alonzo’s written and video diary of his experience in the Studio, to Polly Motley’s dance movements on the grounds surrounding the Habitat. Nadine Faraj, a Canadian artist (also participating in the Exposed! sculpture exhibition) used the time to research and design an enormous mural on the history of aviation, part of her proposal for an artist competition in Dubai. Meg McDevitt, an artist and the Guest Curator of the exhibition, worked to paper the interior of the habitat with “Free” signs. Some astonished visitors found that she meant it, walking home with a hand lettered / drawn sign at no charge.

This Summer’s HFA project is a pilot program for 2011. Helen Day Art Center recently won $5,000 from the Vermont Arts Council to support HFA 2011, led by Helen Day Art Center in collaboration with River Arts of Morrisville; Vermont Festival of the Arts, Waitsfield; and Yestermorrow Design and Build School in Warren. This expanded version of the project is aimed at serving more artists and reaching a broader audience in the public.

Image: Interior view of the habitat: Meg McDevitt Free Signs, 2010, multiple dimensions, mixed media

PRESS RELEASE: The Shadow Show at T.W. Wood Gallery and Arts Center in Montpelier


The T.W, Wood Gallery & Arts Center is pleased to present its opening exhibition of works in all media created around the theme of The Shadow in Art. Artists from all over New England and beyond responded to the nationally publicized open call for submissions the Wood issued early in 2010 and now, the juried works of over 20 artists, from Vermont and "away" will be featured in a show, which opens August 24th and continues through October 24th. An opening reception from 5-7pm on Thursday, August 26th will honor the incredibly creative work or artists such as Phyllis Higgins, Axel Stohlberg, Lee Garrison, Amalia Elena Veralli, Melissa Storrow, Nancy Woodard, Joel Kerchner, Rebecca Kibby, Jack Sabon, Deborah Hillman, Susan Funk and others - many of whom will be in attendance.

But The Shadow Show is not the only thing opening at the gallery this month. August 24th also sees the opening of the Wood's new retail operation, The Wood Room, permanently installed in the South Gallery. This unique boutique will be an ongoing operation open during all regular Gallery hours (noon - 4:00pm Tuesdays through Sundays and at all special events). The Wood Shop will feature the works of a regularly rotating roster of some of Vermont's most exciting Artists who will offer a variety of paintings, photographs, crafts, cards, and more at accessible -to-all price points. The gallery premiers to the public featuring works by Stanford Stevens (watercolors) Axel Stohlberg's popular Marquettes, paintings and cards by Frank Woods, Alex Bottinelli, Missy Storrow, Linda Berg Maney and others.

And last, but surely not least, there will be a new exhibit of works from our Permanent Collection highlighting the artistic genius and expertise of our founder, Thomas Waterman Wood. For further information about this terrific triple-header opening event, for other special events the Wood will be hosting in the future, or about renting the Wood for your own memorable meeting or event, please contact is at 802-828-8743 or by email at info@twwoodgallery.org.

Image: Robert Chapla, Shadowline#3, Acrylic on Board

Sunday, August 22, 2010

INTERVIEW: Gewel Kafka at the Daily Planet, Burlington

by Darby Parsons

"Iamdog: the collected works of Gewel Kafka" is on display at the Daily Planet in Burlington until September 1st. Gewel’s spirited and vibrant paintings range from abstractions, realist sunsets and portraits such as Manifestation (pictured), and personalized surrealism such as The Ways in Which a Woman Will Dissasociate (pictured below). A few words from the artist:


What’s your primary drive as an artist?

Painting is an intimate, intuitive process that enables my meditation, prayer and helps me to cope with reality. It actually is a meditation in itself, and it’s a way of sharing that with people.

Where does your personal imagery come from?

Some of the stuff is inspired by my art history studies. The Virgin and Her Pussy was a self portrait of me and my cat. I put my face in a Byzantium time piece, some virgin and jesus painting from the iconoclast era. Most of my paintings come from manically searching for images; stuff from art history, magazines, photos. I spread them out and do sketches of images I find appealing, I’ll steal different pieces from different images.

This is one of Gewel’s first exhibitions in Burlington with several more in the works. A closing reception will be held for iamdog: the collected works at the Daily Planet on August 29, 3-4pm.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

WALKABOUT: Stone Art at the Dog River in Montpelier


By Theodore A. Hoppe

People have been building with stones and rocks probably since the beginning of recorded time, stacking them and fashioning them into buildings, monuments, and sculpture. There are endless examples: Stonehenge, the Pyramids, the Easter Island Moai. Frank Lloyd Wright is credited with the philosophy of "organic architecture," the central principle of which maintains that the building should develop out of its natural surroundings. It would follow that art should be organic as well: use the material in the natural surroundings. Vermont has no shortage of stone and rocks, and so it makes sense that people would find creative ways to make use of them, including using them in art.

Rock sculpture is an organic art form, and is Vermont's equivalent of sand castles at the beach. Lots of folks try their hand at it to while away the time on a summer day, but few turn it into an art form the way Bob Harris, of Montpelier has. Harris works in the evenings performing culinary art, which allows him to spend his daytime at the river creating a garden of sculpture with a Buddhist sensibility. Rock sculptures are about balance and centering and styles can vary. Some people stack them up, others seek ways to counter-balance them on end in seemingly precarious ways. Bob Harris's style is a blend of both, and can incorporate drift wood and tree roots carried downstream.

Since Harris's rock sculptures are all constructed in the river bed, he knows that at some point the waters will rise, and the river's force will carry the stones to a new resting place. There is also the chance that someone could come along and just knock them all down, which sometimes happens. Luckily, most people respect the effort Harris puts into his work. Indeed, many have trekked to the spot along the Dog River, which one person referred to as "Bobtown" just to take pictures of the towering pieces. With the notoriety Harris is receiving, he's been taking his art a little more seriously. He's been commissioned to create some sculptures for a garden and is creating a portfolio of his creations.

PRESS RELEASE: Railroad Photography at Photostop Gallery in White River Junction


PHOTOSTOP Gallery’s first juried show, All Aboard! Riding the Rails, will be on display from September 3rd through 25th with an opening reception on Sept. 3 (a White River Junction First Friday) from 5-8 pm. Juror Tony Decaneas, former owner of the Panopticon Gallery in Boston, has selected thirty-eight images from photographers all over New England for the exhibition which focuses on various aspects of the train experience.

In addition to the selected regional photographs, Shawn Michelle Smith, a professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, will be exhibiting a portfolio of her conceptual work during the exhibition. Using found photographs, her work documents the historical evolution of the train and photography as catalysts for mobility in the modern age.

The Gallery is located in White River Junction, VT, just steps from the Amtrak rail system. The town was the first and largest railroad center in Vermont and New England north of Boston.

On September 11, during the exhibit, White River Junction will hold its 18th Annual Glory Days of the Railroad Festival, an event chosen as one of the Top Ten events by the VT Chamber of Commerce in 2007.

Image: Stuart Lovell, In the Narrows

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

REVIEW: Linda Hogan at Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier


By Theodore A. Hoppe

As an artist, Linda Hogan has, in her own quiet way, become a creative force in the local community of Montpelier. Her photography is often on display around town at places like the State House, Montpelier City Hall and Artisans Hand. She documented the community's response to the potential of a late winter flood in 2008, and some of her images were used for the banners in front of City Hall.

In her current exhibition of photographs in the second floor Kitzmiller Room at Montpelier’s Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Nature's Six Basic Shapes: A Visual Exploration, Linda Hogan has accomplished two things that artists rarely do anymore – return to an exercise in academic discipline, and pay homage to an inspiring teacher and mentor of her life. The work is on exhibit through August 30.

Reserving a place to exhibit art is usually done months in advance, and while exploring a theme for the work she might hang, Hogan recalled a time back in the 90's when she had the chance to work closely with poet Deborah Digges. Both woman had a great love and respect for the wonders of nature. "Like it was yesterday, I recalled the day that she, in her signature soft, mesmerizing, and animated authority revealed to me, as she often did, yet another of her many favorite interests – The Six Basic Shapes in Nature. I decided it would be the perfect theme for the exhibit."

Over the years student and teacher fell out of touch with each other, as so often happens. Hogan attempted to reconnect with her mentor about the exhibit, and maybe encourage Digges to return to Vermont to give a "nature talk." Hogan says her heart sank when she discovered that the poet had passed on. Still the inspiration remains: "I dedicate this show to Deborah Digges, and her scholarly and immense voice and heart, and soft spirit," says Hogan.

Shape is a basic element of art. "The Six Basic Shapes in Nature" includes the star, sphere, spiral, helix and two others, poetically defined as "branching" and "meander". Each of the images carries a predominant shape, and in many one can also find a subtext of secondary shapes. Hogan's photographs capture these shapes repeating themselves in numerous ways: slices of fruit, asters and petunias, and a sleeping cat curled up in a ball.

Viewers of the show are asked to vote for their favorite image and it, in turn, will be donated to the Kellogg-Hubbard Library for their Silent Auction later this year.

Images: Citrus, Cat as Wooly Bear

Sunday, August 15, 2010

PRESS RELEASE: New Exhibitions opening at southern vermont Art center, Manchester

AWARD-WINNING ARTISTS FEATURED AT SOUTHERN VERMONT ARTS CENTER OPENING

Meet artists, mingle with friends and celebrate the opening of the Southern Vermont Arts Center August Solo Exhibitions at a free party on Saturday August 28, 2010 from 4:00 – 6:00 PM, at Yester House galleries on the Center’s campus. Exhibitor and award-winning photographer Kevin Bubriski will present a slide-lecture prior to the celebration at 2:00 PM in the Arkell Pavilion, withConversations with the Artists following at 3:00 in Gallery II of Yester House. Bubriski, Ben Moss, and Karen Hoving will be the participating artists in the pre-opening talk.

Judith Lee Page, Leslie Parke, Kathie Thompson, Polly Thompson and Tracy Baker White round out the eclectic group of artist exhibitors shown in the light-filled galleries of historic Yester House through September 26. All artwork is for sale, and the variety of styles and mediums represented run from the traditional watercolor landscapes of Judith Lee Page to the whimsical narrative paintings of Polly Thompson, to the powerfully stark images of Nepal’s evolution in Bubriski’s photographs. Moss, Baker-White and Kathie Thompson present the eye with three very different views of landscapes in oils, while Hoving brings a surreal, dream-like quality to her photographs.

Bubriski’s slide lecture chronicles an inside- and frequent-observer’s view of the country of Nepal, from which he has recently returned. The Peabody Museum’s Robert Gardner Visiting Artist Fellowship allowed him to continue an extensive photographic documentation of that country’s turmoil and recent precarious peace. Bubriski has exhibited worldwide, and his work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum, the International Center for Photography, and the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris.

The artists are present at the opening party, which includes free hors d’ouevres, cash bar, live music, and supervised children’s activities available for younger family members. All events and exhibits from 2:00 on are free and open to the public. Call the Arts Center at (802) 362-1405 for more information.

The Southern Vermont Arts Center (www.svac.org) is a non-profit educational institution whose mission is to make the visual and performing arts an integral part of the life of the community and region. SVAC is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10:00 am-5:00 pm and on Sunday from 11:00-5:00 pm.; there is free admission on Sunday (closed Monday).

Photo: Kevin Brubiski

Thursday, August 12, 2010

PRESS RELEASE: Annie Caswell and Jascha Sonis at Art on Main in Bristol

Art on Main announces its August-September 2010 Featured Artist Exhibit Women at Play. The exhibit features paintings & ceramics by Annie Caswell, of Burlington, and jewelry by Jascha Sonis, who is from Warren & West Addison. The community is invited to meet the artists at a celebratory reception on Friday August 20 from 5-7pm in the Gallery at 25 Main Street, Bristol. Both artists will be on hand and light refreshments will be served.

Annie Caswell is both a trained and self-taught artist who has been a freelance artist in a variety of media since 1981, living here in Vermont and around the world, particularly St. John, in the Virgin Islands. For this exhibit, her vibrant paintings are inspired by her tropical travels, the sea and sky, nature and the human form. “There is no separating art from life for me. My life is art. Exploring my creativity with passion and introspection fuels my soul,” she says. “I have traveled extensively, learning about cultures and traditions and expressing these experiences in my art. Painting the life around me leaves a piece of history, as seen through my eyes.”

For many years, Annie has also been working in figurative clay sculpture focusing mainly on the human form, women in particular. The history and relics of goddess imagery is of particular interest to her, and she creates goddess-inspired forms as sculpture, miniature meditation figures, and in jewelry. Her elegantly formed, unglazed, universal-featured women are expressive of passion and spirit, as well as compassion and reflection. In addition, she is currently working on Illustrations for a book to be released end of summer 2010.

Jascha Sonis is also inspired by ancient symbols and creates jewelry combining a variety of techniques and using the innovative, recycled material Precious Metal Clay. “I am fascinated by the combination of organic form, ancient ethnic symbols, and current urban designs,” she says, “juxtaposing ancient and modern symbols for the purpose of adornment. Jewelry allows me to use the body as a canvas to decorate in a playful manner.” Many of her pieces are designed to be reversible to enhance the wearer's adornment options.

She creates the designs and textures in her jewelry by first drawing them, then creating a texture plate from polymer clay using a technique called Tear Away. This process involves transferring the drawn images onto polymer clay with friction and then baking the plates in an oven. The Precious Metal Clay is then rolled over the texture to transfer the design. Once textured, the Precious Metal Clay is then formed into lentil beads, pendants, charms, and earrings. Often 24K gold is then added to the surface of a piece using an ancient Korean technique called Keum-boo.

Precious Metal Clay consists of microscopic particles of fine silver smaller than 20 microns in size mixed with a nontoxic organic binder. As a point of reference, it would take as many as 25 of these particles clumped together to equal a grain of salt. When heated to a high temperature, the nontoxic organic binder burns away and the metal particles fuse to form solid metal that can be sanded, soldered, colored and polished like conventional material. After firing, what remains can be hallmarked as .999 silver or gold. PMC is created using recycled silver, and Jascha reuses all the particles and dust created during her creative process in other steps of the process so her jewelry is, in essence, a green craft.


The exhibit will be on view in the Gallery through Thursday September 30th. Art on Main is open Monday thru Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 11am-3pm.

For more information, visit www.artonmain.net, find us on Facebook, or contact Carolyn Ashby, Gallery Manager at (802) 453-4032 or info@artonmain.net.

PRESS RELEASE: Linda Durkee at InView Art Center in Landgrove, VT


LANDGROVE -- Contemporary paintings and collages by Vermont visual artist Linda Durkee will be featured in a solo exhibition at the InView Center for the Arts at the Landgrove Inn from Aug. 21 to Sept. 6. The opening wine-and-cheese reception is Saturday, Aug. 21, from 4-6 p.m. It is free, and all are welcome.


The exhibition, entitled Of Mountains and Dreams, will showcase original paintings from Durkee’s Mountain Series and other bodies of work as well as original collages and a selection of limited edition fine art prints.


Durkee has exhibited her work widely in Vermont and elsewhere. Solo exhibitions have included the William Feick Arts Center, Green Mountain College, Poultney; Chaffee Art Center, Rutland; Latchis Theatre, Brattleboro; Canfield Gallery, Martha Canfield Library, Arlington; Janeway Wing, South Londonderry Free Library; Odyssey Series, Purdue University North Central Campus, Westville, IN; and the Diane and Norman Bernstein Gallery, Atlas Performing Arts Center, Washington, DC.


In addition, her art has been shown at Gallery in-the-Field, Brandon; Gallery at Brandon Music; ArtPath Gallery, Burlington; Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester; Gallery Redux, Dorset; Art & Antiques on Center, Rutland; Carving Studio and Sculpture Center, West Rutland; Woman Made Gallery, Chicago; and Market 5 Gallery, Washington, DC. It is in private collections in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia.


Now a painter for 30 years, Durkee returned to her native Vermont to create art full time following careers as a journalist and speechwriter in Washington, DC, which included a posting to the U.N. Environment Program in Geneva, Switzerland. She received her B.A. from Manhattanville College and M.A. from Georgetown University.


“In the core of our existence is a wellspring of creativity. It is a way of seeing, of knowing, of becoming,” according to Durkee, who says she taps into this wellspring to create art., and looks to the landscape for dynamic shapes and colors. Her paintings and collages may be seen online at www.lindadurkee.com.


The InView Center for the Arts, run by Tom and Maureen Checchia, owners of the Landgrove Inn, offers a range of workshops and seminars on fine and decorative arts and writing for all skill levels. The 2010 schedule is online at www.landgroveinn.com. The InView Center for the Arts is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.


For more information, please contact Tom and Maureen Checchia at (802) 824-6673, toll free (800) 669-8466; or Linda Durkee at (802) 293-2196.

image: Angel Dreamer, collage, mixed media, 13x9 inches.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

PRESS RELEASE: Interior Landscapes, paintings by Kathy Stark, Montpelier


Contact: Tracy Martin, Assistant State Curator

802 828-0749

tracy.martin@state.vt.us

Interior Landscapes, paintings by Kathy Stark

at the Governor’s Office for August and September

Interior Landscapes, a show of mixed media paintings by Kathy Stark, will be on display at the Governor’s Office on the fifth floor of the Pavilion Office Building in Montpelier from August 4th through October 1st.


A contemporary artist, Stark works with ink, graphite, colored pencils, watercolor, acrylic paint, glazes, tints and stains. She superimposes autobiographical and stream of consciousness writing over tinted patterned papers including: wallpaper, maps, photographs, travel memorabilia, and newspapers. Stark’s use of repeat imagery, pattern and subtle coloration imbues her work with a rhythmic complexity that challenges the viewer to stop and take time with each piece. She credits her travels in Europe and Israel and years of living in New York City with providing the experiences that continue to inform her work.


Kathy Stark has had solo shows in Boston, New York City and Cleveland, Ohio. She has also shown her work at numerous Vermont venues including: Pine Street Artworks in Burlington, the Brown Gallery at Sterling College, the Vermont Supreme Court in Montpelier and the Chaffee Gallery in Rutland. Stark is represented in galleries in New York City, Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts and her work is included in many public art collections. In 2008, Stark was the recipient of a Vermont Arts Council Development Grant and winner of the Audrey Hope Shirk Award and Francie Lieber Memorial Award.

She makes her home in Craftsbury, Vermont.


The public is invited to a reception at the Governor's Office in honor of the artist on Thursday, August 12th, from 3 to 5 PM. A photo ID is required for admission.


image: Deep in the Night the Deer Cry Out Beyond the Edge of Time II, mixed media on wood panel, 36” x 59”

PRESS RELEASE: Isaac Wasuck at Union Station, Burlington


ART’S ALIVE VERMONT PRESENTS: LAYERED

PAINTINGS BY ISAAC WASUCK

WHO: Art’s Alive Vermont & Isaac Wasuck

WHAT: Layered, Paintings by Isaac Wasuck

WHERE: Art’s Alive Gallery at Main Street Landing’s Union Station,

One Main Street Burlington VT

WHEN: Now until Tuesday August 31, 2010

HOW: Gallery is open to the public Monday – Friday, 10am – 6pm

Saturday 12pm – 4pm



BURLINGTON VT…Art’s Alive VT is pleased to present: Layereda body of work formed by exploration, created by building up and destructing, from sanding away previous layers and painting new layers upon those; constantly building more and more depth, in both physicality and profundity. These paintings by Burlington artist Isaac Wasuck are on display now until Tuesday August 31, 2010 at the Art’s Alive Gallery in Main Street Landing’s Union Station.




FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: ALEX DOSTIE

802.310.3211 "mailto:alexjdostie@yahoo.com"

"http://www.artsalivevt.org"

ART’S ALIVE VERMONT IS HOST SPONSORED BY MAIN STREET LANDING


Sunday, August 8, 2010

PRESS RELEASE: Sumru Tekin at 215 College Gallery in Burlington



215 College Gallery presents no end, an installation of new works on paper by Sumru Tekin, on view August 13th - September 5th. no end suggests the sites where history, memory, language, and silence intersect. Please join us for the opening reception Friday, August 13th, from 5-8 pm.

215 College Street, Second Floor
(802) 863-3662
Gallery hours: Friday 12-8; Saturday 12-6; Sunday 12-4, or by appointment.
www.215collegegallery.com
www.215college.blogspot.com

Image: Music Lesson, 12 x 18"

Saturday, August 7, 2010

PRESS RELEASE: Peggy Smith at Helen Day Art Center in Stowe

Helen Day Art Center announces a solo exhibition of sculpture by Stowe-based artist Peggy Smith in our East Gallery. The exhibition is a selection of recent work by the artist which she began during a two-month residency at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. The show runs from August 27th through October 9th. Please join us on Friday, August 27th at 5:00pm for an opening reception. The artist will give an artist talk and tour of the exhibit at 6:00pm.

Peggy Smith’s art practice is a daily meditation for her. Smith begins each day with a ball of clay which she considers a prayer for peace for that day. Freely pursuing a wide range of forms and interests, she acknowledges the tension in her work between harnessing her energy in one pursuit, and allowing her practice to range widely. The works in the exhibition are primarily vessels -some figurative and some abstract- all inspired by and generated from her ritual that begins with clay, prayer, and meditation.

Smith’s work is also part of the 2010 Exposed outdoor sculpture exhibition ongoing through October 9th in the village of Stowe.

Image: Peggy Smith, Untitled, 2010, Ceramic

Friday, August 6, 2010

Press Release: Landscapes Near and Far, St. Johnsbury

Oil Paintings and Drawings by Curtis Hale
From August 11 through September 28, the Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild will host an exhibition of Curtis Hale's work . The public is invited to an artist's reception on Saturday, August 21 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.

Curtis Hale is originally from Saint Johnsbury. He is fourth in a lineage of family painters who work in landscape. Hale paints with oils, working primarily from life. While celebrating the environment, and painting as ritual, his work often cites the effects of civilization on the natural world. His work is broadly painted, without excessive detail, and aims to establish a mood visually.

Hale is one of ten Vermont artists awarded commissions through the Art of Action project. This project is the inspiration of Lyman Orton, co-owner of the Vermont Country Store. Orton donated $250,000 to the Vermont Arts Council to reward and motivate Vermont artists to look at the Vermont landscape and envision ways to preserve the working landscape, its beauty and its unique qualities.

For his part in the Art of Action project, Hale chose bridges, inspired by the realization that about 1,200 of Vermont's bridges are functionally obsolete. He says, "I think that most Vermonters have a personal sense of self-reliance and innovation and embrace simplicity in our lives. But much of this self-image is based on imagery from the past -- the maple syrup can, the covered bridge . . . I feel Vermont struggling to find expressions of these traditional values in the modern age. With carefully crafted paintings and drawings of bridges and other infrastructure, I hope to affect Vermonters' shared sense of historic pride and responsibility and to inspire an ambitious collective vision for the future."

Hale returned to the Northeast Kingdom in 2003 after extensive travel in the United States, Europe and Asia. At age 32 he has settled in Danville, Vermont.

image: Old Ames (oil on canvas)

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

PRESS RELEASE: Greg Mamczak at Designhaus in Burlington





O'Cult, O'Cult
,
a small series of paintings by Burlington artist Greg Mamczak that depict the formation of a fake cult, will be on exhibit at Designhaus during the month of August. An opening reception during Gallery Walk on first Friday, August 6, is from 5-8 PM. Designhaus is on the second floor at 22 Church Street. After the reception, you can see the exhibit by appointment by calling 310-5019.

Image: Cult Preaching

Sunday, August 1, 2010

PRESS RELEASE: Wilma Lovely at City Center in Montpelier


Self-taught Cabot artist Wilma Lovely will exhibit her unusual and delightful artwork at City Center in Montpelier from August 8 - September 4, 2010. The pieces in this exhibit are all built on pieces of antique roofing slate, embellished with a variety of materials.

"I'm proud that everything I create is made from recycled or re-used materials," says Lovely. "Some of them have old jewelry and buttons, some use pieces of broken glass, some have the tops of medicine bottles from the unit where I get dialysis three times a week, and one even has pieces of a man's golden belt!"

Lovely's work includes abstract and decorative motifs, as well as figurative pieces representing animals, birds, and flowers.

Wilma Lovely was born on July 8, 1924 on a farm in Calais, Vermont, where she lived until she was orphaned at age 10. She and her siblings were then raised at the Junior Order of American Mechanics home in Tiffin, Ohio, which she remembers with great fondness.

After graduating from high school, Wilma returned to Vermont and married Lloyd Lovely, a granite worker. After a number of years Lloyd began to collect metals and other "junk" on the side for resale and recycling. It was at this point that Wilma, who always had an artistic nature, began to see the potential of the colorful electrical wire, resisters, capacitors, and other components in televisions and other small appliances. She began to use them as art materials, creating colorful assemblages on old pieces of board.

Lovely has continued to develop and expand into the use of new surfaces and materials, and this exhibit presents her most recent work on antique slates. City Center is located at State and Main Streets in Montpelier; the space there is managed by the Art Resource Association. More images of Wilma Lovely's work are available at wilmalovely.com.

Images: Top: Bubbles, dialysis materials and beads, 14 x 9", 2009; Bottom: A Red Bouquet, glass fragments, beads, plastic-coated wire, buttons, 14 x 8", 2007.