Saturday, April 28, 2012
PRESS RELEASE: Andrew Orr at The Bryan Gallery in Jeffersonville
The Bryan Gallery in Jeffersonville is featuring the landscapes and still lifes of Vermont artist Andrew Orr. Orr's work will be in the Middle Room Gallery for the spring season, from May 4 to July 8.
Please join us on Sunday, May 6 for the Artist's Roundtable at 2 pm, and the Artist's Reception from 3-5 pm.
Bryan Memorial Gallery is located at 180 Main Street, Jeffersonville, VT, and is open Thursday through Sunday, from 11-4, and by appointment at any time. Participating artists can be viewed at www.bryangallery.org. For more information call 802-644-5100.
Image: Andrew Orr, Raging Rapids
PRESS RELEASE: Land and Light and Water and Air at Bryan Memorial Gallery in Jeffersonville
On Sunday, May 6, the Bryan opens its doors to celebrate the exhibit. The Artists Roundtable will start at 2 pm, and the Artists Reception will take place from 3-5 pm. Awards will be announced at 3:30 pm. The events are free and open to the public.
Bryan Memorial Gallery is located at 180 Main Street, Jeffersonville, VT, and is open Thursday through Sunday, from 11-4, and by appointment at any time. Participating artists can be viewed at www.bryangallery.org. For more information call 802-644-5100.
Image: T.A. Charron, Sunset from Cadillac Mountain
PRESS RELEASE: Rachel Gross at Two Rivers Printmaking Studio in White River Junction
Rachel Gross is an artist and printmaker living in White River Junction, Vermont. She grew up in Swarthmore, PA and attended Oberlin College where she majored in Religion and Studio Art. Rachel received her MFA in Printmaking from Tyler School of Art. She has taught printmaking, drawing and design at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA. She is currently a faculty and board member of Two Rivers Printmaking Studio.
"I think of my prints as spaces to enter with the suggestion of landscape and essential architectural forms. Both the positive and negative shapes combine to form a sense of space and an illusion of depth. The new prints in this show combine woodblock relief printing with hand-painted elements. I have cut individual shapes out of wood and then juxtaposed them on the paper to create separate facets of a form. The transparency of the printing process creates one type of space, while the opacity of the painted shapes suggests another.
In many ways the process of printmaking, the suspension of control when the print goes through the press, the separation of multi-colored images into individual plates, the dialogue between plate and paper, has directly informed the content of this work. Working with layers, and color separations has made me think about how to construct a sense of space with flat forms. Having a matrix allows me to repeat forms, flipping the plates to create variations of a motif."
Image: Birds of Paradise
PRESS RELEASE: Harlad Aksdal at Emile A Gruppe Gallery in Jericho Center
Emile A Gruppe Gallery presents an exhibition of watercolor and ink paintings by Harlad Aksdal, entitled Colors, Lines and Dots with an artist reception Sunday, May 6, 2pm - 5pm. The show will hang May 3 through June 17. The Gallery is located in Jericho Center, 22 Barber Farm Road.
Aksdal uses colors, lines, and dots to adequately portray his admiration for the natural world, especially trees. Aksdal says "I try to move beyond my architect's critical eye to incorporate touches of the abstraction in an effort to convey a sense of presence and substance." His work , admired for its technical skill, also allows one a personal interpretation of his work.
Image: Quasimodo, 38" x 26"
PRESS RELEASE: Ann Young at The Art House Gallery, Studio, and School in Craftsbury Common
Ann Young will present her works of mass transit and people at the inaugural exhibit in our new space at 1376 North Craftsbury Road, just 1/4 mile from our current site. These images from underground cities and backwoods pubs will be on exhibit through the month of May.
Opening:
Friday, May 4
6:00 - 9:00 pm
First Friday Art Talk: 7:00 pm
PRESS RELEASE: UV PhotoSlam 2012 at PHOTOSTOP Gallery in White River Junction
The third Upper Valley PhotoSlam 2012 exhibit will be on display beginning May 4th at the PHOTOSTOP Gallery. An opening reception, open to the general public, is scheduled for May 4 (a White River Junction, VT First Friday) from 5-8 pm. The exhibit continues through June 1, 2012. Music, food, and award presentations will be part of the opening night festivities.
Gallery Director Lia Rothstein put out a call for photographers of all ages and levels of experience to submit their photos for this third annual photo event. Over 115 photographers of all ages (5 to who knows what), amateur to pro and everything in between, shared their photos for inclusion in the popular PhotoSlam event.
The Gallery had pledged to print at least one image from each photographer and, as a result, there will be over 185 photographs with diverse imagery on display once again. Color, black and white, and digitally manipulated images will all be shown.
PHOTOSTOP Gallery is located in Suite 150 on the first floor of the Tip Top Media Arts Building, 85 North Main Street, White River Jct.,VT 05001. Gallery hours are Weds. through Saturday from 12-5 pm during exhibitions. On First Fridays and opening nights, the gallery is open until 8 pm. Other hours are available by appointment.
For additional information, call 802.698.0320. PHOTOSTOP's website is www.photostopvt.com.
Images:
Love by Farren Stainton, 5 years old
Summer Rain by Shawna Gibbs
Friday, April 27, 2012
ESSAY: Thoughts About Living With Art
I never thought the work of this potter was that great. But it is after all only a toilet paper roll holder. This artist also made piggy banks. I remember her vaguely from my teen years growing up here. She was a rare example of someone in this small midwestern town who was interested in the same sort of things I was, art. Certainly I prefer while on my visit back "home" to be surrounded by reminders such as this. Yet while I lived here I simply thought, well it's not exactly fine art, it's not like any great breakthrough in creativity. It's just cutesy I thought.
Now in the process of settling in my own small town in Vermont where I find there are many more people interested in artsy things, I think maybe I understand my parents’ collection more. I hate to be so dense but I guess it's a sentimental collection. In fact the bulk of it is my own artwork, my sister’s artwork, and my grandmother’s paintings and my grandfather’s photographs. In 2010 I stopped making visual art and focused solely on writing as my art form. Anyway, now that I am setting down roots in my own small town I understand that you start to love the art of the artists in your geographic area, not necessarily because their art is great, or because they are geniuses, but because they are yours, and you make them great by the way you find a place for them in your heart and in your home. That's what I think when I think of the ceramic artisan-made toilet paper holder with the blue bird on it.
My parents, both of them, are very good at incorporating this "found" art in the most decorative and pleasing way. What I mean is they have found artists in their family, among their friends, and in their community.
Framing artwork has never been of any interest to me. My parents have made an art of framing the works on paper I have mailed off to them through the years though. An artist never gets paid what they should, yet I never mind sending my art to my parents, no charge. I owe them so much that it feels like I am getting paid when I give art to them. At least it soothes my indebtedness... Does that make sense? Probably not. I think there is something about trying to be an artist in the world that warps your mind. Maybe that is part of why I stopped making art. Though I always say the reason is because I wanted to simplify my life. Visual art requires deep involvement in the material world, whereas writing, not so much.
Speaking of great art, I remember once, I must have been about 16, I was teaching my first art class to kindergartners and I had, through my dad, acquired a large amount of colored sticker paper, the kind they use to customize cars. What happened teaching my first kindergarten art class at age 16 is another story, but I made a great piece of art with those materials.
I was feeling very bold. I said to myself I am going to make a great piece of art, just like Picasso with these stickers. And I tore them up and arranged them on a long white vertical piece of paper. The final work featured an angular silver spiral on top of blue and ochre squares, and there were a select few blue dots here and there. I titled it "untitled" with some roman numerals after it, and signed it with a grand artistic sounding name I had made up. I thought it was great. I thought I had hit the top. [NOTE: When writing this essay I described this piece from memory. When I dug it up I saw that it was a bit different than I remembered, and it also brought back memories of the inspiration of this "painting" and why I so fiercely felt it was great. It was inspired by my felt memories of New Orleans, a great place, where I grew up until the age of seven or eight. New Orleans has always been dear in my heart. With this art I hold on to that, and my belonging with that greatness, that I never wanted to leave back when I was a child.]
My parents have always believed in being humble, and they would not concede, especially my mom I remember, that this work was really as great as anything Picasso had ever done. I made a big stink about this while my sister was playing on the piano, demanding recognition for my genius. My mother wouldn't have it though. No matter how I argued and tried to draw her attention to the fact of my genius, she said that she simply did not care for that piece very much. The argument escalated, meanwhile my dear little sister tried to practice her piano lesson.
My little sister, I should mention, is a genius. She actually made up her own songs on the piano. She had been doing it since she was five. Whereas my piano teacher suggested I quit. Finally my mother grabbed a drawing of mine off the wall and tore it up, saying "this is what you are doing to your sisters music." Of course she was right. The gesture was very informative. I responded at the time the way any teenager would. I took my masterpiece and stormed upstairs to my room to sulk for an indefinite period of time.
To this day the masterpiece is undiscovered by my mother and the masses, stashed in a huge heavy oak file for architecture drawings that is currently in storage at a friend's house.
I'm not sure I've matured much when it comes to visual art. It helps though that I've given up visual art at least for a time, and that I am beginning to set roots in my own small town. By appreciating the artists near me, in the place where I live, I think I can begin to grow up.
Images: Toilet Paper Holder; Adele Dawson's painting and an Encaustic by Alice Eckles in box;
Composition IIIVX; painting by Ruth Eckles
PRESS RELEASE: Student Art Show at Helen Day Art Center in Stowe
May 3 - 27, 2012
Opening Reception: May 3, 3-5 pm
The artwork includes: painting, drawing, collage, metal work, ceramics, photography and graphic design, taught by five dedicated teachers: Jen Volansky, Stowe Elementary; Averill McDowell, Stowe Middle; Kate Crouse & Carleen Zimbalatti, Stowe HS; Nora Sk McDonough, Waitsfield Elementary. Subject matter is broad as well, encompassing imagery that is abstract, figurative, imaginary, Native American inspired, architectural, and representational of birds, animals and people.
Image: Claire Driscoll, Grade 2
PRESS RELEASE:Linda Maney and Missy Storrow The Green Bean Visual Art Gallery @ Capitol Grounds, Montpelier
Missy Storrow |
Linda Maney |
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
PRESS RELEASE: Shanley Triggs at River Arts, Morrisville
Sunday, April 22, 2012
PRESS RELEASE: Kathrena Ravenhorst-Adams at Blinking Light Gallery in Plainfield
A Show of Watercolors, Oils and Pastels by
Kathrena Ravenhorst-Adams
At the Blinking Light Gallery May 1 - June 30, 2012
Reception for the Artist May 12, 4-6 pm
Scenes of the details of nature and the landscape are Kathrena Ravenhorst-Adams' favorite subjects. A resident of Northfield, Vermont, she received her BA from Mary Baldwin College and later studied watercolor under the late Mitsue Elston in Aberdeen, Maryland.
Ravenhorst-Adams relocated to Vermont in 1982, and earned her Master of Arts Degree in Art and Natural History through The Graduate Program at Vermont College of Norwich University, spending many hours wandering the fields and woods painting and drawing from nature. During this time she taught watercolor painting, nature drawing and pen and ink sketching through Creative Education, Inc. of Northfield, Vermont.
After moving to Natick, Massachusetts in 1986, she was active in the Concord Artists Association and the Framingham Artists Guild and taught watercolor at the Danforth Museum School, during this time exhibiting in many individual and group shows including the Guild's show in Symphony Hall in Boston.
Since returning to Vermont in 1992, Ravenhorst-Adams has taught watercolor at Studio Place Arts in Barre and is active in many local groups including the Barre Paletteers, Chandler Gallery in Randolph, the Art Resource Association, the Greater Barre Craft Guild, Bryan Memorial Gallery, the Vermont Pastel Society, Vermont Watercolor Society, Vermont Hand Crafters, and others. She is a member of the art show committee of the Paine Mountain Arts Council and shows her work in the Annual Paine Mountain Art Show in Northfield. Her work may be seen at the Blinking Light Gallery in Plainfield, Vermont, the Creative Space Gallery in Vergennes, Vermont, Studio Eleven Gallery in Lexington, Virginia and at her home studio in Northfield during the Annual Vermont Open Studio Weekend in May.
Artist's Statement
My special love is nature. In celebration of the spring season, I've assembled an exhibit of paintings featuring flowers, birds and spring scenes. Some of my watercolors show the point of interest in detail with the background in soft focus, calling attention to the subject. In others, I've chosen a more expressionistic, energetic style showing the excitement and exuberance felt when viewing the bright colors and patterns of the floral subject. Although I am more known for my watercolors, also included in this show are several of my oils and pastels of garden scenes.
Image:
Dwarf Iris Garden, Watercolor
Saturday, April 21, 2012
PRESS RELEASE: Marie LaPre' Grabon at Korongo Gallery in Randolph
Marie LaPre' Grabon will exhibit her work from April 27- June 3 at Korongo Gallery, 18 Merchants Row in Randolph. Vernissage / Reception:Friday, April 27, from 5 to 7
Over the past thirty years Marie LaPre’ Grabon has exhibited her work in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. She has had numerous individual exhibitions, the latest to be held at River Arts in Morrisville, Vermont, and Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury. “I am visually interested in the minutiae of my immediate environment,” Marie says, “but my intent when painting is to seek out the essence of the place—to create a personal language in order to express a pure feeling. As we humans push the land to the brink of disaster I have begun to think of my paintings as small prayers, small pleas to the world to remember, to love.” Marie received her undergraduate degree from Massachusetts College of Art in Boston and a graduate degree in drawing and painting from Goddard College. She continues to maintain her studio in her home in Hardwick, Vermont, where she is currently producing drawings, paintings, and mixed-media works of art.
Image: Spring Thaw, acrylic on canvas, 21" x 26 1/2"
PRESS RELEASE: Tabbatha Henry and Sage Tucker-Ketcham at Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery in Shelburne and Select Design in Burlington
One part of the exhibit will take place at Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery, May 4-June 5, with an opening reception on Friday May 4, 6-8 p.m.
There will also be a concurrent exhibit of larger work by the two artists at Select Design, 208 Flynn Ave # 1A Burlington, (802) 864-9075. This will be showing May 4-June 30, with an opening reception on Friday May 18, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Tabbatha Henry is a ceramic artist based in Vermont. Having worked with clay for 20 years, she has chosen porcelain as her medium, designing and creating objects inspired by the landscape she inhabits. Her sculpture has been exhibited and installed internationally. "I am continuously inspired by the Vermont landscape. The ever changing seasons, the shifting light and shadows, the patterns and colors, all inform my work. I choose to create objects that reflect the tranquility and beauty I am able to experience only when alone in the woods. I believe that as humans our lives have become increasingly hectic and separate from nature and her processes. As such, I am constantly attempting to counteract that disparity. It is my hope that during someone’s busy day they might find solace, or a place of rest, in the work I create. Ultimately I hope that in that calm space they gain the ability to find their place in the order of things."
Sage Tucker-Ketcham is a tenth generation Vermonter who has her BFA from Maine College of Art and her MFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Many of her multi-layered abstractions in mixed media combine subtlety of color and texture with detailed ink drawings reminiscent of tattoo iconography. Others revel in boldness of design and a use of primary color, with a surface tension that rivets the viewer.
The exhibit is curated by Chris Copley, who is affiliated with Select Design.
Images:
Sage Tucker-Ketcham, Painting Pattern,mixed media
Tabbatha Henry, Mountains, ceramic
PRESS RELEASE: Hal Mayforth at Studio Place Arts in Barre
My Sketchbook Made Me Do It:
Sketchbooks and Paintings by Hal Mayforth
April 17 - May 27
3rd Floor Gallery, Studio Place Arts
Opening Reception April 27, 7-9 PM during the Annual SPA BASH (a ticketed event; more information at SPA website)
Artist's Statement: I set aside time every morning to draw and brainstorm in my sketchbooks, which I started in earnest in 1973. From these sessions, concepts for paintings emerge; ideas are formed by my love of petroglyphs of the Southwest, outsider and self-taught artists, sideshow banners, vintage cartoons and comics and automatic drawing. What holds these influences together is a certain off-kilter sensibility that I am told goes way back many generations in my family history.
PRESS RELEASE: Northshire Artist Group at Equinox Village in Manchester Center
Equinox Village is showing work by the Northshire Artist Group from April 20 -- May 14 at Equinox Village, 49 Maple Street, Manchester Center.
Shown are six members of the Northshire Artist Group--Marilynn Morrissey, Mary Cardel, Katherine Buchmayr, Maynard Deen, Muriel Roeth and Dorothy Mulherrin, standing before their work at The Gallery at Equinox Village. The exhibit is open to the public from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily.
PRESS RELEASE: The Grand opening of the Vermont Institute of Contemporary Arts (VTica) in Chester
On hand for the opening and gala ribbon cutting will be Megan Smith, commissioner of Marketing and Tourism. Patricia Moulton Powden, deputy secretary of of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development and Alex Aldrich, executive director of the Vermont Council on the Arts. As Smith said, “The arts have demonstrated their ability to be an economic driver in Vermont’s creative economy. With the opening of VTica dedicated to the contemporary arts we have another voice to add to our Green Mountain landscape of talented artists and innovative organizations that have made our State a special destination.”
In her Paradise Suite works, Carbonetti tackles the imagery of landscapes, still life and the figure. For her, paradise is “beauty, truth and love and represents the three faces of unity beyond the world of duality.” Of the nearly 65 paintings on display, many are large 40” x 40” subjects.Carbonetti has developed a unique method for emphasizing the fluidity of transparent color. She uses this technique to reinforce her special vision: the theme of natural rhythms. As she has written, “art is not a luxury; it is a necessity, not just for society, but for every individual as well.” Carbonetti will explain her approach to a subject and its interpretation in a free gallery talk on Sunday, May 6 at 2 p.m. at VTica.
The show, The Paradise Suite: Watercolors by Jeanne Carbonetti will be on view through June 17. Throughout the exhibition, special events are planned including performances by Barbara Ween/George Kay duo on May 12, the jazz of LaVoz des Res on May 25 and the Scott Mullett Jazz Trio on June 2. All performances are at 8 p.m. On May 18 Bruce Duncan of the Terasem Movement Foundation will present the final program in the three-part series with a live interview with Bina 48, the world’s most advanced social robot.
Image: For the Love of Matisse II
Friday, April 20, 2012
PRESS RELEASE: Helen Day Art Center features advance screenings of Art21 in May and June
On May 10, Helen Day Art Center, in partnership with Art21 as part of its Access '12 initiative, presents a sneak preview in advance of the premiere of the sixth season of Art in the Twenty-First Century, the only prime time national television series focused exclusively on contemporary art. The event features a preview of Art21 Season Six: Change. This event is free and open to the public.
Art21 Access '12 events are being hosted by museums, schools, libraries, art spaces, community centers, and universities worldwide. Each event features an exclusive advance screening of one or two episodes from Season Six of the documentary, as well as an educational component, such as talks by local, regional, and national artists; lectures; panel discussions; interactive art-making projects and question-and-answer sessions.
The following episode(s) will be screened during the May 10th event:
Episode 1: Change
This episode features artists who bear witness, through their work, to transformation—cultural, material, and aesthetic—and actively engage communities as collaborators and subjects. Ai Weiwei, El Anatsui, and Catherine Opie are featured.
MAY 24th:
Episode 4: Balance
Through sculpture, paintings, and installations, the artists in this hour grapple with equilibrium and disequilibrium as they create highly structured works that challenge conventional notions of perception and representation. Rackstraw Downes, Robert Mangold, and Sarah Sze are featured.
JUNE 7th:
Episode 3: History
In this episode, artists play with historical events, explore and expose commonly held assumptions about historic 'truth', and create narratives based on personal experiences. Marina Abramovic', Glenn Ligon, and Mary Reid Kelley are featured.
JUNE 21st:
Episode 2: Boundaries
This episode presents artists who synthesize disparate aesthetic traditions, present taboo subject matter, discover innovative uses of media, and explore the shape-shifting potential of the human figure. David Altmejd, assume vivid astro focus, Lynda Benglis, and Tabaimo are featured.
ABOUT ART21
Over the last decade, Art21 has established itself as the preeminent chronicler of contemporary art and artists through its Peabody Award-winning biennial television series Art in the Twenty-First Century. The organization has used the power of digital media to expose millions of people of all ages to contemporary art and artists and has created a new paradigm for teaching and learning about the creative process.
In addition to its PBS series and year-round series-based education and public programs efforts, Art21 has expanded its film production and educational efforts in recent years. Several new initiatives have been launched in the past year including New York Close Up, a new documentary series on Art and Life in New York City, and the premiere of Art21's first feature film, William Kentridge: Anything Is Possible. Art21 also offers Art21 Educators, an ongoing professional development program for teachers now entering its fourth year.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
PRESS RELEASE: Annual Student Art Show at the Chaffee Art Center in Rutland
The Chaffee Art Center will open a new exhibit on Saturday April 28, 2012. The Annual Student Art Show will feature artworks from K-12 public schools and home school students in the Rutland Area. There will be an opening reception on Saturday April 28 from 1-4 PM at the Chaffee Art Center, the reception is free and open to the public. The opening reception will feature cookies donated by Woodstock Cookie Co., milk donated by Thomas Dairy, and Orange Drink donated by McDonalds on Woodstock Avenue. Other exhibit sponsors include the Rutland Veterinary Clinic and Surgical Center, and the Vermont Country Store.
On Saturday May 12, from 10 AM-3 PM the Chaffee is inviting students to stop in for Arts Exploration Day. Chaffee Art Teacher Kristen Partesi and volunteers will be assisting with various art projects throughout the Chaffee galleries based on famous artists. Arts Exploration Day is free, donations are always appreciated.
The Annual Student Art Show will run through May 19, 2012.
Image: artwork by Ella Lawkes, Wallingford Elementary School
PRESS RELEASE: Galen Cheney at BCA Center in Burlington
Burlington City Arts is pleased to announce a new exhibition by Vermont artist Galen Cheney, entitled Street Level, opening Friday, May 4th from 5-8pm with an artist talk and reception. Street Level, featuring Cheney’s large abstract paintings, will run through June 23rd on the main floor of The BCA Center on Church Street in Burlington.
In Street Level, Vermont artist Galen Cheney creates abstract paintings using a multi-layered technique that makes them chaotic, vibrant and dense. Drawing inspiration from Aramaic script and urban graffiti, Cheney’s ethereal landscapes evoke the emerging sense of hybridization encapsulated by contemporary culture and global society. With a diverse visual vocabulary, Cheney’s work uses line, form and color in a way that pushes and pulls the audience, creating a completely unique experience with each piece.
In a recent artist statement, Cheney says “I have long been attracted to the history, complexity, and form of language. Much of my current work includes the use of nearly recognizable letters as abstract forms. The use of spray painted letters/language, embedded in a painterly, abstract wall painting also evokes the tension between street/outsider art and establishment/insider art. That conversation interests me; as a formally trained painter still working on the fringes, I feel like I walk the line between those two worlds.”
135 Church Street Burlington, VT 05401 P 802.865.7166 F 802.865.7044
Image: Calligraffiti 3, oil on wood panel, 48" x 32", 2012
PRESS RELEASE: Ed Epstein at the Supreme Court in Montpelier
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
PRESS RELEASE: Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition, Waitsfield
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFirst Annual Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition Opens to Rave ReviewsWhat is the result of seven Vermont Watercolor Artists coming together in a relatively new gallery space? It’s the First Annual Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition at the Festival Gallery in Waitsfield. The Valley Arts Foundation, operator of the gallery, anticipates that it will become a popular yearly watercolor exhibit.
The seven artists included in this year’s show each bring an individual approach to watercolor painting, giving a broad representation of the varied capabilities of the medium. Each of the 21 paintings, skillfully executed, belie the difficulties of the art form.
Upon entering the gallery, the viewer is immediately seized by one of three stunning floral paintings by Robert O’Brien of Perkinsville. The luminosity of his colors in “Smiling Gold” brings a brilliance and delicacy to floral painting that is only possible with watercolor.
Peter Huntoon of Middletown Springs classifies himself as an “Expressionist Representationalist” - a definition quite evident in his use of broad brush strokes and brilliant colors to interpret recognizable subjects. His painting of “Sugarbush”, with crisp white ski trails and cobalt blue mountains, evokes a cold, clear winter day one would experience approaching the Resort area.
Barbara Pafume’s (Cambridge) skillful interpretation of a sun-dappled autumn lane leaves one saying “I’ve been there!”, while James Gardner’s (Vershire) “Tunbridge Icon” pictures the quintessential white church found in nearly every Vermont village. Either of these paintings would be perfect in a Vermont tourism brochure or on a proud collector’s living room wall.
Grafton artist Peter Jeziorski’s painting “My Spot” uses soft brush strokes and subtle color in his quiet interpretation of a fly fisherman casting his line on a foggy Vermont morning. His technique in painting the gently flowing stream is masterful, while Robert Sydorowich of Andover uses bold brush work and vibrant contrasting colors reminiscent of the late Impressionist movement. Two different approaches, one response - “Wonderful!”
Gary Eckhart of Warren, a well respected Valley watercolorist, once again proves his expertise in the depiction of many different textural qualities. His image of a rusty latch on a rickety old barn door is a masterful interpretation of textures. The contrast of light and shadow gives a depth to the surface of the paper, giving one the urge to reach up and flick off the “peeling paint”.
Next year’s show is already scheduled for June 22 to July 29 in a much larger venue. If it matches the quality and diversity of this year’s exhibition, it is not to be missed.
The current Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition runs through May 4 at the Festival Gallery, 2 Village Square shopping center in Waitsfield. Contact the Valley Arts Foundation Director, Karen Nevin at 802-496-6682 or karen@vermontartfest.com for more information.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
PRESS RELEASE: Justin Hoekstra in Residence at Burlington City Arts Through May, 2012
Now through Saturday, May 26th, Burlington City Arts is pleased to announce the current BCA Center Fourth Floor ArtLab Artist in Residence, Burlington-based artist Justin Hoekstra. Justin will host open studio sessions on the Fourth Floor every Saturday through May from Noon-5pm. This will give visitors a chance to view the creative process, and speak with the artist about his work. There will also be a reception of Justin’s work on Friday, May 4th from 5-8pm.
Justin Hoekstra is a Burlington based artist and senior at the University of Vermont studying fine art. Hoekstra focus is primarily non-objective painting. His work is influenced by abstract expressionism, pop art, and post-modernism. Hoekstra was born in Hammond, Indiana and raised in the western suburbs of Chicago. Hoekstra plans to pursue an MFA in painting next fall at the Hoffberger School of Painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art.
The BCA Center ArtLab was created in 2004 to invigorate the dialogue between artists and the viewing public in downtown Burlington. After four successful residencies, BCA temporarily closed the fourth floor due to necessary renovations. However, in spring of 2007, the residency program was re-launched. Artists are invited to submit a proposal for the available residency periods, which range from one to three months in duration. During this time, artists can use the beautiful fourth floor studio at the BCA Center as well as Burlington City Arts' clay, photography, and printmaking studios. The resident works with Burlington City Arts staff to offer a workshop, lecture, or special project that engages the public in his/her creative process. The ideal applicant should be a local artist with a history of formally or conceptually rigorous work, excellent communication skills and enthusiasm for interacting with the public.
Image: Justin Hoekstra, C'Mon Do The Flumple, 2012
PRESS RELEASE: Awards to Aspiring Snowboard Designers at Helen Day Art Center in Stowe
While winning snowboards, gift certificates, and class scholarships is an incentive, perhaps the biggest reward for these emerging designers was to get their work in front of several of the top snowboard industry designers in Vermont, including Lance Violette of Violette Design, Stowe; Evan Rose of Burton; and Dennis Healy of Burton. All three were on hand for the award ceremony and happy to talk with several of the contestants.
The Center received 675 submissions from four states - Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Vermont - and from Canada.The design competition was a project of The Art on Burton exhibition which ran through April 15th at the Art Center in Stowe.
PRESS RELEASE: Jim Thompson at Townsend Gallery at Black Cap Coffee in Stowe
Townsend Gallery at Black Cap Coffee proudly presents painted kites by Jim Thompson from May 1- May 31, 2012. His reception is being held on Friday May 4th from 3-5 pm at 144 Main St in Stowe.
Jim Thompson’s unique kites are a wonder to see: a menagerie of beasts and birds and an occasional human. These are traditional diamond-shaped kites constructed of brown craft paper on a frame of wooden dowels and fish line. On each Jim uses acrylics to paint a face with eyes staring directly at the viewer, so when in the gallery you have the sense that it is you and not them who is being viewed.
Some gaze at you with curiosity, some with pleasure, some with caution, and some seem to stare in judgment. These kites are designed to fly, but few owners dare to take them outside. Those who do fly them report that they take on an even stronger personality when the wind breathes life into them.
Jim Thompson is an educator, musician and artist who has lived most of his life in Montpelier, Vermont. Although he made a few kites in the early 70’s, it wasn’t until March of 2011 that he took up the craft in earnest after a neck injury left him out of work and unable to perform music. Since then he and his kites have been featured in many galleries, publications, on radio, and on WCAX TV’s “Made in Vermont” segment.
For more information please contact 802-279-4239
PRESS RELEASE: Third Floor Artists from Howard Space Center at Flynndog in Burlington
Flynndog
May 4 - June 27, 2012
Reception May 4th 6-9pm
Dynamic new work from artists on the 3rd floor of Howard Space Center, 2-4 Howard St., Burlington, VT will be on exhibit at Flynndog during the months of May and June. The Third Floor Artists are a vibrant mini-community within the larger South End Arts District community. The following artists will have work on exhibit:
MAEA BRANDT: For this show, Brandt creates new symbols in pen and ink that reference the 2011 tsunami in Japan and the nuclear disaster that followed. Sensuous renderings with intensity and intelligence, they intrigue and hold the viewer's attention. With an eye on the outer world, Brandt makes images that are strikingly personal.
JULIE A. DAVIS: Sensuous oils painted in plein air with loose and expressive brushwork. She works quickly to capture both a representation of the scene before her, and an expression of her emotional responses to it. Here, she presents abstractions informed by landscape, as well as nature pieces. Davis' work is known for its variety, unique compositions, and its timeless and engaging quality.
WYLIE SOPHIA GARCIA: Luscious fabric pieces bend, bulk, and stitch contrasting materials to evoke feminine metaphors and anxious desires. Garcia pursues embellishments, myths, and performance art. Here, she works three-dimensionally with Maggie Sherman.
LINDA E. JONES: Rich abstractions full of detail that is telling and organic. Jones' provocative compositions are infused with personal distillations that are sensuous & powerful. She is a restless explorer of form and multiple layers. These painted surfaces celebrate a wide range of innovative techniques, including encaustic and oil, graphite, gouache, charcoal and pastel.
PAIGE BERG RIZVI: Vivid oil paintings have the feel of magic realism in them as she explores image and color with an exacting, yet playful hand. Using oils and encaustics, she creates imaginative, brilliant images that invite the eye and mind to linger.
MAGGIE SHERMAN: Collaborating here with Wylie Garcia in the creation of a whimsical winged chair, the well-known community artist blends humor and performance art.
MAGGIE STANDLEY: Inventive paintings that ooze with intuitive color, texture & elegance. A Renaissance woman who specializes in decorative painting, murals, and faux finishes, Standley also teaches French and visual art in a creative, interdisciplinary way at wingspan studio. She is also a founder of Avant Garden, a community garden and pocket park in Burlington's old north end.
SHARON WEBSTER: A new sculptural body of work, "Stairs for Heaven and Earth," free-standing sculptures and assemblage inspired by the recent death - and life - of her mother. Webster's work is "exhilaratingly abstract and surreal, yet poignantly expressive," according to Christopher Faris. "Her constructions are magically, mysteriously thought-provoking."
Flynndog is at 208 Flynn Ave., Burlington, VT; Hours are 7 am - 7pm daily
Images (top to bottom):
Untitled, by Maea Brandt
Detail of Blue Redbirds, by Paige Berg Rizvi
Detail of SCRIPT, Stairs for Heaven and Earth, by Sharon Webster
CHANGES: Shelburne Art Center Changes its Name Back to The Shelburne Craft School
In 1938, a local woodworker invited a handful of youngsters from the Shelburne Village School to learn the fundamentals of woodworking, and the joys of creating from wood, "articles both useful and pleasing to the eye." The woodworker, Reverend J. Lynwood Smith, held the classes in the basement of Shelburne's Trinity Episcopal Church rectory with the belief that crafts, either as a vocation or an avocation, are an indispensable part of our culture. Reverend Smith stated, "education is a process of opening creative doors--and allowing those doors to open to everyone." That passion and dedication became the foundation for what is now the Shelburne Craft School, one of the oldest craft organizations in Vermont. Six decades later, those doors still remain open to everyone.
Throughout the decades, the Shelburne Craft School has gone through many changes. In the early part of the 21st century, the Shelburne Craft School expanded to the Shelburne Art Center and the Gallery on the Green; changes have occurred and with them come revelations of core values. Changing the name back to the Shelburne Craft School represents a return to our roots as a place of education. We are refocusing our efforts on providing what Reverend Smith wished to provide to the community of Shelburne in the 1930's: an opportunity for creative education for everyone. Reverend Smith was a craftsperson who believed that "a creative outlet is essential to a well-balanced life..." and "when a man's productive labor is only a means of livelihood, he has lost the great return that should be his – the joy of creation – the satisfaction that comes from producing an article of superlative quality."
Today, the Shelburne Craft School has studios for ceramics, woodworking, stained glass, jewelry, and fine art. A core group of professional artists and artisans teach a variety of classes and workshops throughout the year. The School's programs for children include drop-in, after-school, and summer camps. The School hosts several events throughout the year, such as Wall to Canvas with Magic Hat Brewery, Winter Wreath and Wine Tasting at Shelburne Vineyard, and this year the Taste of Shelburne at the Shelburne Museum. We continue to revitalize programs, including upgrading the facility at 64 Harbor Road. Through school partnerships with Burlington College, Vermont Woodworking School, Shelburne Community School, Lake Champlain Waldorf School, and other area schools, the Shelburne Craft School continues to collaborate with the educational community year round. The Harness Shop's front space now showcases work made by the School's students, teachers, and staff.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
ESSAY: Recent Art Thefts in Vermont
By Alice Eckles
A sculpture was reported stolen from the Middlebury's Ilsley Public Library on February 29th, 2012. Alice knew the artist from the farmers market and she had been admiring the exhibit at the library, which she frequents a few times every week. The exhibit was Words to Stone, by stone carver Kerry O. Furlani. As a visual artist turned writer, Alice was very interested in this exhibit. The carved words seemed to find the stones, as if falling there in conversation, naturally finding forms that fit them.
Alice was there when Furlani came to take down her show on February 29. They soon became friends. Alice got into the elevator with Furlani to keep talking and to see if she could be any help unloading the stones, when David Clark, the director of the Ilsley Library, slipped into the elevator too. That's when Alice learned of the theft. David Clark asked Furlani how much the piece was priced at and she said $1,200. He offered to see if the loss could possibly go under the library's insurance, but that seemed doubtful. He was surprised that the piece was worth so much, and sorry that Furlani didn't have her own insurance. Alice continued talking to Furlani outside the library and began to feel that there was a story here that she wanted to tell, and told Furlani so.
Over the email Alice arranged an interview time for Sunday March 25. In the meantime thinking about the situation and what could be done Alice's thoughts went to a time when she lived in Burlington and her windshield was smashed. Broken windshield, Oh well yet another set back…then she thought it might be a good idea to report it to police, who knows maybe this was happening to others and the police should know about it. At the police station Alice saw a poster proclaiming that anyone who has had a windshield smashed should call this number for the Burlington Community Justice Center.
Through this program her windshield was replaced at no cost, and Alice realized that though she hadn't thought about it before: the vandalism did make her feel bad about the community. She was new in town and the smashed windshield was further alienating. Then the fact that someone, a community organization, did something to help her lifted the bad impression the vandalism had made and was an act of healing for Alice in the community. She was very impressed by the subtle power of the good deed done for her, and now she wanted to pass on that healing.
Now the trust of her Middlebury community was hurt by a theft of an artist's work at the Ilsley Public library. When an artist shows work in public, especially at a library, it is a public service. The artist most often does not walk away with profits from such events, and sometimes there is a loss.
While there is no Community Justice Center in Middlebury there is Addison County Court Diversion and Community Justice Projects. Alice hopes to start volunteer work there soon. The program is different than the Burlington one as it focuses more on the offenders who are sent there by a judge. Nonetheless the program seems positive. The volunteers meet with offenders to talk about what happened and see if they can develop a contract that will allow the one who has broken the law to make up for what has happened.
The Ilsley Library has put up a reward for the return of Furlani's piece, Attachment (at right), a bas-relief on slate measuring 17" ½" X 11"1/2" X ½". Alice is planning a benefit to raise money to help compensate artists who have had artwork stolen; there have been several other art thefts shortly after this one. On March 17 two paintings disappeared from the Chaffee Art Center, then late Friday afternoon, March 23, a sculpture was discovered missing. On March 28 these were returned by the person who stole them with a note of apology. Artisan's Gallery was hit twice with art thefts on March 3 and again sometime between March 12 and 15. These pieces including stained glass by Elga Gemst, felted pieces by Neysa Russo and glass sculptures by Melonie Leppla have not been returned.
What follows is an interview of Alice's conversation with Furlani. They talked for about five hours laughing like the guys from Car Talk the whole time; this is what happens when artists commiserate.
Alice Eckles: What so you think of the irony of a piece titled Attachment going missing? Do you muse on the possible meanings of that? We talked about your Buddhist philosophy outside the library that day, and the whole thing of letting go of your losses.
Kerry Furlani: hmm…that's a big one, that's so big. In regards to that particular piece it was the only piece in the Words to Stone exhibit that didn't have any lettering in it. It's an older piece that has been very popular. I put it in as eye candy. People seem to like it so much I made an edition of them. They are all a little different of course because I carve each one, but they are all based on the same drawing. So in that sense I was ready to let go, I was less attached to that piece. You take a risk when you put your art out there and I had decided to take that risk. I want to have my art out in the community.
AE: What does the loss of this sculpture mean to you in terms of the business of art?
KF: Well as I said it was a popular piece and I could have sold it for $1,200, so that's a loss. It took me three days of work to carve it.
AE: …and to get to the point where you can carve a piece like that, I know is also an investment…
KF: Yes, the tools aren't cheap, the chisels and the mallets all cost money, studio rent, the relationships you build up over time with the quarries where you can get the stone, and then there's the years of training, some of it self taught. In Dublin, I spent two years experimenting on my own with primarily wax forms and after moved to England to attend The Frink School of Figurative Sculpture. It was a small school focused on capturing the "spirit of the human figure." The school emphasized "hands on" techniques of sculpture (clay modeling, plaster carving and mold making, stone carving, welding) as well as rigorous training in life drawing and clay portraiture. There was also some critique and feedback from visiting and practicing professional sculptors. Of all the materials I experimented with, it was stone carving that captured my attention most. I love working with clay and the techniques of modeling -- but the process of carving seemed so well suited to my temperament. I love music and rhythm and carving with chisels and mallets is a very beautiful rhythmic act. I love the quality in stone carving of having material in front of you as a starting point. Stone has a kind of embodied spirit about is very attractive to me. I have a special fondness for carving fragments of stones versus perfect cubes. I love responding to the character in fragments and enjoy how they ignite my imagination.
AE: Has anything like this ever happened to you before and is there anything you would do differently in the future to prevent thefts?
KF: Well I looked into insurance just before this exhibit, it costs $600, I don't know. I have had tools stolen at craft fairs. It's hard when it is just you in your booth trying to talk to people, giving a demo and trying to keep an eye on everything. Once I caught someone as they were making off with a bag of my tools, I ran after him and when I caught him just stuck out my hand for the tools, which he handed back. So I've learned that you have to keep a very close eye on things even while trying to talk to people, be pleasant, and represent your art. This won't stop me though, there is a risk you take with placing your art in public. I will keep putting my work out there.
AE: Why did you choose the library for your exhibit? Some galleries, I checked with Edgewater in Middlebury for instance, would have had you covered, unlike the library, and libraries are changing. There is not always a librarian available and watching all that goes on. Fletcher Free Library does not allow small sculptures except under lock and key, because of past thefts.
KF: More and more I notice galleries are asking the artist to be responsible for this, and I wanted to reach everyone in the community not just art lovers and gallery goers. Since my subject was words and letters as images and objects themselves it seemed appropriate for a library, a place where culture and community can come together.
AE: I see from your Works in Stone artist statement that the Vermont Arts Council helped fund your travel to Wales. Showing at a library probably helps fulfill their guidelines for funded art creation to benefit as many people as possible.
KF: Well that's true too.
AE: How can the community come together to mitigate this loss, to show support for artists generally and also specifically artists like you who are victims of a crime?
KF: Well that's what this is, meeting you becoming friends, something good coming out of the bad. I fantasized that the community would come together in some way to help, and if you want to do a benefit I'll show up and do whatever. You mentioned the idea of a sort of green drinks for artists, a monthly gathering for artists to network and problem solve together, and that might be a good idea.
At first Alice thought the theft of Furlani's work was a single unlikely rare event, then after the other art thefts were reported in the Rutland Herald of items stolen from The Chaffee Art Center in Rutland and the Artisan's Gallery in Waitsfield, it started to seem like a rash of thefts.
Both galleries offered some compensation to artists for the stolen work not because it was necessarily covered by insurance but because it seemed like the right thing to do. Some artists refused money though feeling like it was their responsibility.
March 22 in the Addison Independent a headline reads: Antique thefts traced to Ferrisburgh. Art and antiques are often sold together. If not connected even the fact that an art theft happens more than in a blue moon here in Vermont is news to be alert to.
Art is so personal that as artists we just tend to say, "oh well" when something gets stolen. Lori Klien a partner at Artisan's Gallery, and also a jewelry artist with work in the gallery didn't report one of her own pieces missing. Perhaps stolen art should be treated more like other stolen property, sending out emails with pictures of the stolen art to dealers and registering stolen art online, sites like artloss.com or stolenart.com might be a good idea. In Vermont we like to just trust people but it may be wise to take a few precautions, security cameras, more people in the shop watching, bag checks - all these are things to think about, as well as what we can do in the community to help victims of crime and to heal our trust in community through talking, good deeds, and friendship.
Anyone interested in being a part of the benefit at the Ilsley Library, May 11, to raise money for Furlani's stolen art, or in developing a regular gathering of artists in every discipline to problem solve and support each other in healing and activating their community and the larger community, may contact Alice at aeckles@hotmail.com. Thank you.
Update: Police report from The Addison Independent, April 5, states: "Investigated the reported theft of two paintings from Edgewater Gallery on Mill Street on March 20. Store officials said the stolen paintings included a still-life and a landscape at a combined total of $650. Gallery officials suspect the paintings were lifted from the gallery and there were no signs of a break-in."
Images: Never Cut What You Can Untie
Attachment, by Kerry O. Furlani a bas-relief on slate measuring 17” ½” X 11”1/2” X ½” Stolen form the Ilsley Library. $100 reward for information leading to recovery of this artwork. Call David Clark, Ilsley Library, 388-4095.