The Art Institute and Gallery's annual "Holiday Artist Show and Sale" features nearly 60 works by 20 artists. In addition to paintings, watercolors, works in mixed media and photographs, the show also includes two sculptures in a simplified style that recalls folk art, decorative platters and other items in fused glass and jewelry.
Ken Basile judged the show, awarding three principal prizes and three honorable mentions. Basile, who has degrees in photography and museology, is a former director of the Salisbury University Galleries and of the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art. Since his retirement from the Ward Museum several years ago, he has devoted himself to photography and recently published "Mexico City--Out and About," a travel book co-authored with his wife, Karen.
The top prize-winners were Angela Herbert-Hodges, first prize for the watercolor, "Tugs on the Thames;" Carole Peirson, second prize for the oil painting, "Summer Memories;" and Fred Peterson, third prize for "Large Oaks Left," executed in watercolor and ink.
All three prize-winning works combine recognizable imagery with abstract elements. Peirson's "Summer Memories," for example, depicts a group of brightly colored, stacked canoes on a multi-level outdoor storage rack. Peirson contrasts the canoes' nearly abstract shapes, heavy paint textures and intense hues with the more naturalistic colors and textures of the background, which is painted in a more detailed, realistic manner.
Two photographs received honorable mentions: Dean Peterson's "Spirit Clouds and Rainbows," a color digital print of the empty Perdue Stadium under a vast sky with large cloudbanks and a double rainbow; and Kurt Reddersen's black and white "Grain Facility, Laurel, DE," which shows a detail of the facility complex, focusing on its abstract, geometric shapes and varied patterns and textures.
The third honorable mention went to Tricia Kowalewski for "Pixie Stix," a fused glass, decorative pink platter with a dynamic pattern of intersecting, scattered black lines.
All the works are for sale and, as usual at this time of year, may be taken home upon purchase.
In addition to the Holiday Show, the AI&G is hosting a sale of various handcrafted items in one of its studios. Items include "wearable art" and accessories, such as capes, shawls, scarves, hats, purses, and jewelry. Also available are books, mostly for children, by local authors; holiday wreaths; and an assortment of baked goods.
2011年12月11日星期日
2011年12月8日星期四
Christmas at Alberta House
A Christmas exhibition and sale is an end of the year tradition in galleries across the country and Alberta House is no exception. Every December the gallery crew puts up a Christmas tree and fills both galleries with items brought in for the big “Christmas at Alberta House” exhibition and sale.
The tree is trimmed with hand made ornaments—woven, beaded, birch bark and paper constructions, blown glass and hand painted balls, tiny toys, holly angels, miniature paintings, shot gun Santas and much more—the only limits are the artists’ imaginations. Buyers can pluck ornaments right from the tree.
There are hand made soaps in baskets and gift bags—even soaps with toys in them—from Judy Colein who also brought in room diffusers, paintings, framed photographs and cards. Diane Meyer has gnomes. Margaret La Ponsie has a variety of items from paintings and prints to embroidery and wreaths. Mary Stroba brought in new oil paintings; Maureen Mousley and Dave Bigelow, both paintings and framed prints and Gene Usimaki, original watercolor paintings.
It’s the beginning of the winter season, so there’s much that is warm. Janet Smith brought in quilted lap robes, and rugs woven of designer yarn. Hand knit sweaters, caps and scarves will keep one stylishly cozy. Hand woven table runners and place mats will warm the Christmas table; hooked rugs, a floor or wall. Hefty, hand thrown mugs will hold a hot cup of cocoa; hand thrown, lidded, oven proof casseroles, an entire meal.
Affordable luxuries include colorful blown and stained glass; a wide assortment of original jewelry—sterling, beaded, classic and funky; hand painted and decorated clothing; beautiful, silken, turned wood bowls by Garry Smith; hand woven and birch bark baskets; hand forged hooks, lamps, and wall sculpture; hand dyed silk scarves, and carvings of wood, antler and stone. Nautical work includes seascapes, lighthouses and ships, in paintings, photographs, prints and cards.
There is also much that is distinctively Sault and EUP. David Bigelow has cards and prints of Sault and EUP landmarks—the old Presbyterian and St. James Churches, St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, old Sault High, the Pte. Iroquois Lighthouse and more. Jeanne Tubman has a number of local lighthouses, ships and landmarks in cards and prints. Many of the artists have made cards with winter EUP scenes that would make beautiful Christmas cards. Zoey Wood-Salomon has large winter cards in her “Grandmother” series. Sharon Schmeltzer has playful and colorful snowman cards. Fred Peterson has a series of cards with animal drawings as well as cards with more traditional Christmas subjects.
Perhaps men don’t find men hard to buy for, but most women do and, let’s be realistic—who buys most of the gifts? If one looks at the above list one sees mugs, carvings and note cards that appeal to men. Add to these a generous assortment of wildlife and nautical paintings, drawings, photographs and prints; clever boxes and trays for odds and ends; unusual bottle stoppers and wildlife carvings. Then throw in books by local authors—Rich Hill’s Hitchhiking after Dark and Lake Effect, any of Bernie Arbic’s or Deidre Stevens’ many local history books, Jan Huttenstine’s Remotely Yours about Whitefish Point, or Peter Gianakura’s An American Café—and the problem is solved.
“Christmas at Alberta House” is an exhibit with great variety, with the work of many artists represented, and it changes as the month progresses because artists may resupply as items are sold. Shop now through Christmas Eve during regular hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. In preparation for the January cleaning and painting every item in the Alberta House Shop is on sale during December.
The tree is trimmed with hand made ornaments—woven, beaded, birch bark and paper constructions, blown glass and hand painted balls, tiny toys, holly angels, miniature paintings, shot gun Santas and much more—the only limits are the artists’ imaginations. Buyers can pluck ornaments right from the tree.
There are hand made soaps in baskets and gift bags—even soaps with toys in them—from Judy Colein who also brought in room diffusers, paintings, framed photographs and cards. Diane Meyer has gnomes. Margaret La Ponsie has a variety of items from paintings and prints to embroidery and wreaths. Mary Stroba brought in new oil paintings; Maureen Mousley and Dave Bigelow, both paintings and framed prints and Gene Usimaki, original watercolor paintings.
It’s the beginning of the winter season, so there’s much that is warm. Janet Smith brought in quilted lap robes, and rugs woven of designer yarn. Hand knit sweaters, caps and scarves will keep one stylishly cozy. Hand woven table runners and place mats will warm the Christmas table; hooked rugs, a floor or wall. Hefty, hand thrown mugs will hold a hot cup of cocoa; hand thrown, lidded, oven proof casseroles, an entire meal.
Affordable luxuries include colorful blown and stained glass; a wide assortment of original jewelry—sterling, beaded, classic and funky; hand painted and decorated clothing; beautiful, silken, turned wood bowls by Garry Smith; hand woven and birch bark baskets; hand forged hooks, lamps, and wall sculpture; hand dyed silk scarves, and carvings of wood, antler and stone. Nautical work includes seascapes, lighthouses and ships, in paintings, photographs, prints and cards.
There is also much that is distinctively Sault and EUP. David Bigelow has cards and prints of Sault and EUP landmarks—the old Presbyterian and St. James Churches, St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, old Sault High, the Pte. Iroquois Lighthouse and more. Jeanne Tubman has a number of local lighthouses, ships and landmarks in cards and prints. Many of the artists have made cards with winter EUP scenes that would make beautiful Christmas cards. Zoey Wood-Salomon has large winter cards in her “Grandmother” series. Sharon Schmeltzer has playful and colorful snowman cards. Fred Peterson has a series of cards with animal drawings as well as cards with more traditional Christmas subjects.
Perhaps men don’t find men hard to buy for, but most women do and, let’s be realistic—who buys most of the gifts? If one looks at the above list one sees mugs, carvings and note cards that appeal to men. Add to these a generous assortment of wildlife and nautical paintings, drawings, photographs and prints; clever boxes and trays for odds and ends; unusual bottle stoppers and wildlife carvings. Then throw in books by local authors—Rich Hill’s Hitchhiking after Dark and Lake Effect, any of Bernie Arbic’s or Deidre Stevens’ many local history books, Jan Huttenstine’s Remotely Yours about Whitefish Point, or Peter Gianakura’s An American Café—and the problem is solved.
“Christmas at Alberta House” is an exhibit with great variety, with the work of many artists represented, and it changes as the month progresses because artists may resupply as items are sold. Shop now through Christmas Eve during regular hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. In preparation for the January cleaning and painting every item in the Alberta House Shop is on sale during December.
2011年12月6日星期二
Pier Antiques Show Boasts Strongest Opening Line Yet
The Pier Antiques Show has built a following for presenting a solid and interesting mix of traditional antiques, Modern and design offerings, as well as collectibles at its shows. The November 19–20 edition lived up to its standards and then some.
With 500 exhibitors filling Pier 94, Stella Show Mgmt Co. also presents its popular Fashion Alley section of the show that draws in buyers seeking vintage couture and jewelry. The promoters upped the ante with a fall autograph show this year featuring 15 dealers from the Professional Autograph Dealers Association, ensuring there was something for every taste at the Pier.
"We are just getting out a survey this week to the dealers but things seemed very positive. The opening line was the longest ever," said Jeanne Stella after the show. Indeed, the line by 10 am when the gate officially opened had not only filled the lobby with buyers, but snaked around the outside of the building forming two lines heading off in opposite directions.
Americana and traditional antiques show fare were ably represented with such dealers as Art & Antique Gallery, Worcester, Mass. Standouts among elegant oil paintings included a Hayley Lever painting of a wagon crossing on a snowy winter's day, Louis Ritman's "The Looking Glass" and John White Alexander's still life titled "Beautiful Flowers." A more modern feel but equally compelling was achieved by Blanche Lazzell's colorful "Shore Boats."
One of the most talked-about objects at the show was a folky and handmade life-size horse in the booth of Kabinett & Kammer, which is a contemporary curiosity shop of antiques, natural wonders and art. With an upstate location since 2007, the company opened a branch in New York City in March, so it did not have far to travel to do this show.
Dealer Sean Scherer said the turn-of-the-Nineteenth Century tack shop display figure was made of paper mache and was the hit of the show. This was the dealers' first antiques show and Scherer was pleased with his decision to test the waters. The dealers mostly sold taxidermy mounts and the most interesting objects seemed to be the big sellers, including an antique bear skull and a Coney Island shooting game target, as well as Nineteenth Century prints and a charter.
Modern design was also well represented at the Pier. Among its purveyors were Linda and Dennis Elmore, Westfield, N.J., who seemed to have little in the way of merchandise to pack up by the show's end Sunday afternoon. "We had a great Pier Show," said Linda Elmore. "Among the things we sold was a pair of signed Danish chests, a Lucite-based center table, a pair of Bruno Mathsson webbed arm chairs [very popular with the attendees], a pair of 1950s Italian calla lily-shaped lamps and numerous decorative small items. Also, a nice set of zebrawood Italian bar stools. Essentially a clean, timeless, Modern design was our focus."
The industrial look was elegantly captured in the booth of Strawser & Smith, Brooklyn, N.Y., which featured a fetching pair of wooden chairs with their seats upholstered in an aviation-themed fabric, while oversized artworks of machines hung on the booth walls.
A great showing was also had by Nancy Steinbock Posters, Chestnut Hill, Mass.; Steinbock reported this was her best Pier Show since 2007. The vintage poster dealer only does the November edition of this show and said while many people were still price-conscious, it was a healthy sign that more people seemed to be buying again. Sales ran the gamut from posters relating to fashion, American literary, military, travel, bicycling and expositions.
With 500 exhibitors filling Pier 94, Stella Show Mgmt Co. also presents its popular Fashion Alley section of the show that draws in buyers seeking vintage couture and jewelry. The promoters upped the ante with a fall autograph show this year featuring 15 dealers from the Professional Autograph Dealers Association, ensuring there was something for every taste at the Pier.
"We are just getting out a survey this week to the dealers but things seemed very positive. The opening line was the longest ever," said Jeanne Stella after the show. Indeed, the line by 10 am when the gate officially opened had not only filled the lobby with buyers, but snaked around the outside of the building forming two lines heading off in opposite directions.
Americana and traditional antiques show fare were ably represented with such dealers as Art & Antique Gallery, Worcester, Mass. Standouts among elegant oil paintings included a Hayley Lever painting of a wagon crossing on a snowy winter's day, Louis Ritman's "The Looking Glass" and John White Alexander's still life titled "Beautiful Flowers." A more modern feel but equally compelling was achieved by Blanche Lazzell's colorful "Shore Boats."
One of the most talked-about objects at the show was a folky and handmade life-size horse in the booth of Kabinett & Kammer, which is a contemporary curiosity shop of antiques, natural wonders and art. With an upstate location since 2007, the company opened a branch in New York City in March, so it did not have far to travel to do this show.
Dealer Sean Scherer said the turn-of-the-Nineteenth Century tack shop display figure was made of paper mache and was the hit of the show. This was the dealers' first antiques show and Scherer was pleased with his decision to test the waters. The dealers mostly sold taxidermy mounts and the most interesting objects seemed to be the big sellers, including an antique bear skull and a Coney Island shooting game target, as well as Nineteenth Century prints and a charter.
Modern design was also well represented at the Pier. Among its purveyors were Linda and Dennis Elmore, Westfield, N.J., who seemed to have little in the way of merchandise to pack up by the show's end Sunday afternoon. "We had a great Pier Show," said Linda Elmore. "Among the things we sold was a pair of signed Danish chests, a Lucite-based center table, a pair of Bruno Mathsson webbed arm chairs [very popular with the attendees], a pair of 1950s Italian calla lily-shaped lamps and numerous decorative small items. Also, a nice set of zebrawood Italian bar stools. Essentially a clean, timeless, Modern design was our focus."
The industrial look was elegantly captured in the booth of Strawser & Smith, Brooklyn, N.Y., which featured a fetching pair of wooden chairs with their seats upholstered in an aviation-themed fabric, while oversized artworks of machines hung on the booth walls.
A great showing was also had by Nancy Steinbock Posters, Chestnut Hill, Mass.; Steinbock reported this was her best Pier Show since 2007. The vintage poster dealer only does the November edition of this show and said while many people were still price-conscious, it was a healthy sign that more people seemed to be buying again. Sales ran the gamut from posters relating to fashion, American literary, military, travel, bicycling and expositions.
2011年12月5日星期一
Sausalito's ICB show brings together artists of all varieties
Morganne Newsom is used to seeing her work in the spotlight. As a costume designer, she's worked with television, film and theatrical productions. She's dressed Burt Lancaster for a production of "Barnum" and designed a wardrobe that singer Britney Spears asked to keep after wearing it for an episode of a Disney Channel television series.
On Sunday, however, it was Newsom herself taking center stage, as the dresses, scarves and other items she created were on display for the Industrial Center Building's 43rd annual Open Studios event.
"I've done a lot of things for a lot of productions," Newsom said. "This is an opportunity to get my own, original work out there."
The weekend-long event turned the World War II-era building into a gallery for more than 80 painters, sculptors, photographers and designers of all varieties. Some had worked and presented at the Sausalito art center for decades. Others, like Newsom, were more recent arrivals seeking a space to show off their latest work.
"This is my amulet dress," Newsom said, presenting a mesh dress decorated with dozens of tiny dangling medallions. "A neighbor of mine loves to travel, and came back from Tibet with all of these amulets.
"It's a very charged dress," Newsom added.
Photographer E. Loren Soderberg, who shares a studio with painters Ann Turner and Peggy Garlinghouse, considers himself one of the old guard. He's been working at his ICB studio since 1986, a time when most of his neighbors were struggling artists doing their best to make the rent, he said.
These days, he said, ICB's profile has grown, and the rent is much higher, Soderberg said. But the artists — especially during the last three years of recession — are still struggling.
"It used to be that we'd have this yearly art sale, and that would enable me to pay my rent for the year," Soderberg said. "It's not the same any more. Last year, my sales were down $2,000."
Soderberg says he has to spend more time marketing his work online in order to make a living. He's also had to reconsider the focus of his work. Many of his older photographs showcase Soderberg's love of travel: remote canyons, dazzling seascapes, vistas glimpsed from foreign shores. These days, circumstances require Soderberg to stay closer to home.
"It's a wonderful opportunity to live and work in Marin County, even if I can't really afford to be here," Soderberg said. "At this point, I can hardly afford to leave."
Soderberg's attention to his own backyard has paid dividends. His photograph of the underside of a pier near Fort Mason was a top prizewinner at the Marin County Fair. While the image itself is striking, it's Soderberg's presentation — placing one stepped layer of the photograph on top of another to create a three-dimensional effect — that really makes the picture stand out, turning the waters beneath the pier into the passageway to some otherworldly portal.
Just a few feet away, on the other side of the studio, publicist Lizzie Garlinghouse is studying a portrait of herself, her two sisters and the family cat painted by her mother, artist Peggy Garlinghouse.
Though she knew that Peggy sketched from time to time — and had doodled images of the saints in her parochial school notebook as a girl — Lizzie Garlinghouse said she never thought of her mother as an artist until about ten years ago, when her youngest sister graduated from college, and her mother could turn her full attention to her art.
On Sunday, however, it was Newsom herself taking center stage, as the dresses, scarves and other items she created were on display for the Industrial Center Building's 43rd annual Open Studios event.
"I've done a lot of things for a lot of productions," Newsom said. "This is an opportunity to get my own, original work out there."
The weekend-long event turned the World War II-era building into a gallery for more than 80 painters, sculptors, photographers and designers of all varieties. Some had worked and presented at the Sausalito art center for decades. Others, like Newsom, were more recent arrivals seeking a space to show off their latest work.
"This is my amulet dress," Newsom said, presenting a mesh dress decorated with dozens of tiny dangling medallions. "A neighbor of mine loves to travel, and came back from Tibet with all of these amulets.
"It's a very charged dress," Newsom added.
Photographer E. Loren Soderberg, who shares a studio with painters Ann Turner and Peggy Garlinghouse, considers himself one of the old guard. He's been working at his ICB studio since 1986, a time when most of his neighbors were struggling artists doing their best to make the rent, he said.
These days, he said, ICB's profile has grown, and the rent is much higher, Soderberg said. But the artists — especially during the last three years of recession — are still struggling.
"It used to be that we'd have this yearly art sale, and that would enable me to pay my rent for the year," Soderberg said. "It's not the same any more. Last year, my sales were down $2,000."
Soderberg says he has to spend more time marketing his work online in order to make a living. He's also had to reconsider the focus of his work. Many of his older photographs showcase Soderberg's love of travel: remote canyons, dazzling seascapes, vistas glimpsed from foreign shores. These days, circumstances require Soderberg to stay closer to home.
"It's a wonderful opportunity to live and work in Marin County, even if I can't really afford to be here," Soderberg said. "At this point, I can hardly afford to leave."
Soderberg's attention to his own backyard has paid dividends. His photograph of the underside of a pier near Fort Mason was a top prizewinner at the Marin County Fair. While the image itself is striking, it's Soderberg's presentation — placing one stepped layer of the photograph on top of another to create a three-dimensional effect — that really makes the picture stand out, turning the waters beneath the pier into the passageway to some otherworldly portal.
Just a few feet away, on the other side of the studio, publicist Lizzie Garlinghouse is studying a portrait of herself, her two sisters and the family cat painted by her mother, artist Peggy Garlinghouse.
Though she knew that Peggy sketched from time to time — and had doodled images of the saints in her parochial school notebook as a girl — Lizzie Garlinghouse said she never thought of her mother as an artist until about ten years ago, when her youngest sister graduated from college, and her mother could turn her full attention to her art.
2011年12月4日星期日
What's your art?
Are you a cook, concrete specialist, bricklayer, building contractor, architect, musician, painter, illustrator, or sculptor? Do you sew, hook rugs, code html, draw or decorate seasonally or interiors? Creating is basic human nature whether a person's forte is making a pretty picture or making a comfortable home. Maybe this is why we have opposable thumbs, though animals create in their own sense. In particular, my pets usually create a mess, which is probably beauty to them.
As I sit in the quiet galleries at the Wassenberg Art Center on the eve of the holiday seasons the positive power of individuality silently echoes from each piece of work displayed under the gallery lights. I'm reminded of the power of good that there is in this world to create. The sculptures and paintings express a lack of fear and sense of pride residing in the artists who created them.
Individually they give voice and say this is who I am. Collectively, they say we are Van Wert, we are Northwest Ohio, we are Indiana, Toledo, Fort Wayne and the Tri-state area. They provide visual underscores to our culture. This is why art is so very important to our survival as a community, state and world.
So, what is your "art"? What do you create? The Wassenberg Art Center was established to provide this community the resources to find out, to help facilitate and to keep this crucial component of our identity alive and growing. So, in this time of thanksgiving and gift giving, consider the gift Charles Wassenberg left for this community and how you can say thank you by your participation.
The 22nd Annual Artists Exhibit and Sale, sponsored by Van Wert County Hospital and the Van Wert County Foundation, runs through Dec. 16. Our hours are, Tuesday-Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Stop in and give thought to the works representing the positive power of creation and identify us as community.
Tuesday night again is ArtNight from 6-8 p.m. Also starting Dec. 7 we'll begin offering ArtMorning! Wednesdays from 10 a.m.-noon. Nov. 30 starts, Beginning Oil Painting with Sally Geething. We still have a few openings, so if you are interested in signing up to explore the world of oil painting give us a call. The re-workability of oil paint and Sally's dynamic instruction technique and if the ruckus and sounds of laughter coming from the classroom is any indication, this class is pure fun.
As I sit in the quiet galleries at the Wassenberg Art Center on the eve of the holiday seasons the positive power of individuality silently echoes from each piece of work displayed under the gallery lights. I'm reminded of the power of good that there is in this world to create. The sculptures and paintings express a lack of fear and sense of pride residing in the artists who created them.
Individually they give voice and say this is who I am. Collectively, they say we are Van Wert, we are Northwest Ohio, we are Indiana, Toledo, Fort Wayne and the Tri-state area. They provide visual underscores to our culture. This is why art is so very important to our survival as a community, state and world.
So, what is your "art"? What do you create? The Wassenberg Art Center was established to provide this community the resources to find out, to help facilitate and to keep this crucial component of our identity alive and growing. So, in this time of thanksgiving and gift giving, consider the gift Charles Wassenberg left for this community and how you can say thank you by your participation.
The 22nd Annual Artists Exhibit and Sale, sponsored by Van Wert County Hospital and the Van Wert County Foundation, runs through Dec. 16. Our hours are, Tuesday-Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Stop in and give thought to the works representing the positive power of creation and identify us as community.
Tuesday night again is ArtNight from 6-8 p.m. Also starting Dec. 7 we'll begin offering ArtMorning! Wednesdays from 10 a.m.-noon. Nov. 30 starts, Beginning Oil Painting with Sally Geething. We still have a few openings, so if you are interested in signing up to explore the world of oil painting give us a call. The re-workability of oil paint and Sally's dynamic instruction technique and if the ruckus and sounds of laughter coming from the classroom is any indication, this class is pure fun.
2011年12月1日星期四
Fisher makes exhibiting an art
Perez Road has an eclectic mix of stores offering a variety of services and products from pet grooming and bumper repairs to bathroom fixtures and custom-made gun holsters.
The diversity of the businesses is one of the characteristics that attracted art gallery owner Colin Fisher to the area five years ago.
“I chose this location because it is off the beaten path,” Fisher said. “You think you're going to come here and get an oil change or some tile for your kitchen and you run into an art gallery.”
Walking through Fisher's gallery is akin to visiting a friend's house rather than entering a business.
Comfy couches and chairs, vases filled with flowers, and curios displaying trinkets are placed throughout the gallery amongst the artworks, creating a relaxed environment.
“Colin's gallery isn't like other galleries where they have so much stuff you can't focus on anything,” said artist Christopher Shoemaker, whose work is featured at the gallery. “There's an overall sense of tranquility. It's surreal.”
The homey atmosphere even includes a resident friendly feline, Gilligan, who welcomes guests and roams the gallery.
Fisher deals in unique artworks he finds visually interesting.
The more whimsical the piece, the more attracted Fisher is to it.
Art enthusiasts won't see western or landscape scenes, or plein air work in his gallery. Instead, a large sculpture of a gorilla made out of metals waits on a pedestal for a new owner.
Many of the artists featured in the gallery are also residents of the Coachella Valley and High Desert.
Shoemaker, who lives in Morongo Valley, got his big break through Fisher's gallery.
Shoemaker originally worked for Fisher helping with the construction build-out of the gallery.
Working in the gallery helped him learn about different artists and their methods as well as giving him a boost of energy to try his own hand at art, Shoemaker said.
“One day all of a sudden he says ‘What do you think of this?' and it was a painting he did,” Fisher said. “I started displaying his paintings and they have been selling like crazy.”
Putting on an art show is an enormous amount of work, Fisher said.
The gallery's current show, “Two Man Art Exhibition,” featuring paintings by Shoemaker and sculptures by Santa Barbara artist Scott Donadio, took Fisher and five employees three weeks to set up.
“We repainted the entire gallery, and changed up the furniture,” Fisher said. “It's crazy. It seems so easy to put together but it takes hours and hours to complete.”
In addition to artworks, the gallery has a menagerie of antique furniture, lighting fixtures and mirrors, as well as Asian and African artifacts for sale.
As a member of the newly formed Perez Road Business Partners, Fisher looks forward to collaborating with other businesses to attract more customers to the area.
“The automobile market right down the street has their own association so we figured if they had a group, the businesses on Perez Road should have one too,” Fisher said. “The group helps strengthen our chances of getting things done in the city.”
Fisher first became interested in art when he bought his first piece of artwork at age of 16. As life progressed, he began to accumulate more pieces.
“I left the advertising business and decided to start selling my things,” Fisher said.
Selling the items at auction didn't appeal to Fisher because it felt more like he was just unloading the items rather than selling them to people who had a genuine interest in the artworks.
Fisher wanted to be able to sell the items in an interesting environment where he could display the items himself — hence the beginning of the gallery.
He originally tried opening in Florida but quickly found the area was not what he was looking for, and he relocated to the Coachella Valley.
Fisher is happy with his little niche in its odd location. He said he wouldn't get the same reaction from shoppers if his gallery was on El Paseo or Palm Canyon Drive.
“You have to love this work or you're doing something wrong,” Fisher said. “I really enjoy that people seek us out.”
The diversity of the businesses is one of the characteristics that attracted art gallery owner Colin Fisher to the area five years ago.
“I chose this location because it is off the beaten path,” Fisher said. “You think you're going to come here and get an oil change or some tile for your kitchen and you run into an art gallery.”
Walking through Fisher's gallery is akin to visiting a friend's house rather than entering a business.
Comfy couches and chairs, vases filled with flowers, and curios displaying trinkets are placed throughout the gallery amongst the artworks, creating a relaxed environment.
“Colin's gallery isn't like other galleries where they have so much stuff you can't focus on anything,” said artist Christopher Shoemaker, whose work is featured at the gallery. “There's an overall sense of tranquility. It's surreal.”
The homey atmosphere even includes a resident friendly feline, Gilligan, who welcomes guests and roams the gallery.
Fisher deals in unique artworks he finds visually interesting.
The more whimsical the piece, the more attracted Fisher is to it.
Art enthusiasts won't see western or landscape scenes, or plein air work in his gallery. Instead, a large sculpture of a gorilla made out of metals waits on a pedestal for a new owner.
Many of the artists featured in the gallery are also residents of the Coachella Valley and High Desert.
Shoemaker, who lives in Morongo Valley, got his big break through Fisher's gallery.
Shoemaker originally worked for Fisher helping with the construction build-out of the gallery.
Working in the gallery helped him learn about different artists and their methods as well as giving him a boost of energy to try his own hand at art, Shoemaker said.
“One day all of a sudden he says ‘What do you think of this?' and it was a painting he did,” Fisher said. “I started displaying his paintings and they have been selling like crazy.”
Putting on an art show is an enormous amount of work, Fisher said.
The gallery's current show, “Two Man Art Exhibition,” featuring paintings by Shoemaker and sculptures by Santa Barbara artist Scott Donadio, took Fisher and five employees three weeks to set up.
“We repainted the entire gallery, and changed up the furniture,” Fisher said. “It's crazy. It seems so easy to put together but it takes hours and hours to complete.”
In addition to artworks, the gallery has a menagerie of antique furniture, lighting fixtures and mirrors, as well as Asian and African artifacts for sale.
As a member of the newly formed Perez Road Business Partners, Fisher looks forward to collaborating with other businesses to attract more customers to the area.
“The automobile market right down the street has their own association so we figured if they had a group, the businesses on Perez Road should have one too,” Fisher said. “The group helps strengthen our chances of getting things done in the city.”
Fisher first became interested in art when he bought his first piece of artwork at age of 16. As life progressed, he began to accumulate more pieces.
“I left the advertising business and decided to start selling my things,” Fisher said.
Selling the items at auction didn't appeal to Fisher because it felt more like he was just unloading the items rather than selling them to people who had a genuine interest in the artworks.
Fisher wanted to be able to sell the items in an interesting environment where he could display the items himself — hence the beginning of the gallery.
He originally tried opening in Florida but quickly found the area was not what he was looking for, and he relocated to the Coachella Valley.
Fisher is happy with his little niche in its odd location. He said he wouldn't get the same reaction from shoppers if his gallery was on El Paseo or Palm Canyon Drive.
“You have to love this work or you're doing something wrong,” Fisher said. “I really enjoy that people seek us out.”
2011年11月30日星期三
Next legal step uncertain for O'Keeffe art at Fisk
Fisk University's decade-long quest to generate cash from a 101-piece art collection donated by the late painter Georgia O'Keeffe is one step closer to fruition.
But it is unclear how quickly the historically black university in Nashville will be able to complete a $30 million deal to sell a 50 percent stake in the collection to the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Ark.
Under the agreement, the artworks including O'Keefe's own 1927 oil painting "Radiator Building — Night, New York — would move between Fisk and the Arkansas museum every two years.
A state appeals court ruling Tuesday threw out a judge's requirement for Fisk to reserve two-thirds of the proceeds to ensure future upkeep of the collection amid the university's shaky financial circumstances.
Fisk officials argued at last year's trial that the school had mortgaged all of its buildings, was running a $2 million annual deficit and had no unrestricted endowment available. The opinion notes that when President Hazel O'Leary was asked whether Fisk was "viable" given the scope of its financial challenges, she responded, "No, not at all."
The 2-1 decision found the lower court didn't have the authority to require the creation of the $20 million endowment to guard against creditors should Fisk declare bankruptcy.
"The record clearly reveals that that Ms. O'Keeffe never intended for the Collection to be sold or otherwise monetized in order for Fisk University to pay its general operating expenses," Clement wrote in his dissent.
Even with the endowment in place, Fisk would be able to use $10 million to "rise above its current financial predicament," while staying closer to O'Keeffe's original charitable intent, Clement said.
The Crystal Bridges Museum features artwork amassed by Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton, including Asher Durand's landscape painting "Kindred Spirits" and Norman Rockwell's "Rosie the Riveter."
While the majority opinion rules out the judge establishing an endowment requirement, it does not preclude the court from approving one or another "dedicated source of support" for the collection. It also calls on Fisk to lay out how it will use a $1 million pledge from Walton to upgrade the display space and outline how it plans to spend the $30 million from the deal.
The state attorney general's office, which has fought to keep the collection from leaving Nashville, has not yet decided whether to seek an appeal to the state Supreme Court. A Fisk spokesman did not return a message seeking comment.
In 1949, O'Keefe donated 97 pieces to Fisk from the estate of her late husband, the photographer Alfred Stieglitz. They include works by Picasso, Renoir, Cezanne, Marsden Hartley, Alfred Maurer and Charles Demuth, among others.
O'Keeffe, who died in 1986, also gave the school four of her own paintings as part of the gift, which was made to Fisk because the school educated blacks at a time when the South was segregated.
The gift carried the stipulation that it could not be sold or broken up. But Fisk has argued that it can't afford even the $131,000 it currently spends to display the collection each year.
The school in 2002 sought to send the collection on a foreign tour to raise money for the school. Three years later, Fisk announced plans to sell O'Keeffe's "Radiator Building" and Hartley's "Painting No. 3."
That move was blocked by the state attorney general, whose office is responsible for overseeing charitable giving in Tennessee. The current case is the result of protracted legal fights over the collection.
But it is unclear how quickly the historically black university in Nashville will be able to complete a $30 million deal to sell a 50 percent stake in the collection to the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Ark.
Under the agreement, the artworks including O'Keefe's own 1927 oil painting "Radiator Building — Night, New York — would move between Fisk and the Arkansas museum every two years.
A state appeals court ruling Tuesday threw out a judge's requirement for Fisk to reserve two-thirds of the proceeds to ensure future upkeep of the collection amid the university's shaky financial circumstances.
Fisk officials argued at last year's trial that the school had mortgaged all of its buildings, was running a $2 million annual deficit and had no unrestricted endowment available. The opinion notes that when President Hazel O'Leary was asked whether Fisk was "viable" given the scope of its financial challenges, she responded, "No, not at all."
The 2-1 decision found the lower court didn't have the authority to require the creation of the $20 million endowment to guard against creditors should Fisk declare bankruptcy.
"The record clearly reveals that that Ms. O'Keeffe never intended for the Collection to be sold or otherwise monetized in order for Fisk University to pay its general operating expenses," Clement wrote in his dissent.
Even with the endowment in place, Fisk would be able to use $10 million to "rise above its current financial predicament," while staying closer to O'Keeffe's original charitable intent, Clement said.
The Crystal Bridges Museum features artwork amassed by Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton, including Asher Durand's landscape painting "Kindred Spirits" and Norman Rockwell's "Rosie the Riveter."
While the majority opinion rules out the judge establishing an endowment requirement, it does not preclude the court from approving one or another "dedicated source of support" for the collection. It also calls on Fisk to lay out how it will use a $1 million pledge from Walton to upgrade the display space and outline how it plans to spend the $30 million from the deal.
The state attorney general's office, which has fought to keep the collection from leaving Nashville, has not yet decided whether to seek an appeal to the state Supreme Court. A Fisk spokesman did not return a message seeking comment.
In 1949, O'Keefe donated 97 pieces to Fisk from the estate of her late husband, the photographer Alfred Stieglitz. They include works by Picasso, Renoir, Cezanne, Marsden Hartley, Alfred Maurer and Charles Demuth, among others.
O'Keeffe, who died in 1986, also gave the school four of her own paintings as part of the gift, which was made to Fisk because the school educated blacks at a time when the South was segregated.
The gift carried the stipulation that it could not be sold or broken up. But Fisk has argued that it can't afford even the $131,000 it currently spends to display the collection each year.
The school in 2002 sought to send the collection on a foreign tour to raise money for the school. Three years later, Fisk announced plans to sell O'Keeffe's "Radiator Building" and Hartley's "Painting No. 3."
That move was blocked by the state attorney general, whose office is responsible for overseeing charitable giving in Tennessee. The current case is the result of protracted legal fights over the collection.
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