Greta Gundersen : Afterimage II

Jun 18, 2022

July 6th – Extended to August 30th

 

Greta Gundersen was a prolific Belchertown-based artist who passed away in 2017. This exhibit is a selection of graphite drawings from her large body of work.

We are happy and grateful to once again host a series of Greta’s drawings in our gallery.

About Greta’s work: The drawings have identifiable single subjects — bats, birds, bulbs of garlic — but they exist in a hazy liminal space like they’re emerging from dream-like visions. She captured the essence of her subjects and gave us delicate images that feel like dream visions preserved before they fade upon waking.  These pieces draw us in, they speak to the non-verbal part of us, the places we can’t describe clearly but we know to exist. These are transitional images that exist between what is and what might be.

Peter has again graciously made these works available so they can be seen and appreciated – to get her work out of storage and back out into the world. For this reason, they are offered for sale at less than half their appraised value. We will be donating 15% of all sales to The Performing Arts Project: performanceproject.org

About Greta Gundersen (1952-2017):

A native New Yorker of Norwegian descent, Greta Gundersen lived in New York City, California, Spain, and South America. From 1981-1990, she was the director of BACA Downtown, a nonprofit visual and performing arts center in Brooklyn, where she curated more than 80 exhibitions and nine years of theatrical programming, which earned her an OBIE “for keeping experimental theater alive and well in New York City.” In 1990 she became the Artistic Director of The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council at the World Trade Center. There she worked with visual and performing artists to create public installations, events and festivals throughout the Financial District. For over 10 years she served as a panelist and consultant with The Rockefeller Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc., The Jerome Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, The New York State Council on the Arts, The Jim Henson Foundation, among others, reviewing work by artists and organizations from around the country. She left New York City for western MA in 1995, to paint full time. Her work was featured in numerous exhibitions in the US and abroad. Learn more about Greta at: gretagundersen.com

 

PLEASE NOTE: walk-ins are welcome for the gallery. 

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Donna Roy : A Walk in the Reeds

May 18, 2022

June 2nd – July 2nd

 

Artists Statement:

During the pandemic years, I longed to find places of peace and serenity.  To escape from the solitude, constant anxiety, and sadness that was omnipresent.  With lockdowns in place, I turned to nature and found soul-saving beauty in places that were empty of humans but filled with life and nutrients.  The Marshes, Swamps, Fens, and Bogs of Massachusetts provided me with calm beauty, and peace.  

A Walk in the Reeds is the body of work that culminated from time spent in the beautiful wetlands where I sketched, photographed, and found inspiration.  Exploring textures, colors, and organic compositions, I used soft pastels on paper because of the tactile feel and energetic mark-making.  Exploring washes, textured grounds, and a color palette that was new to me, I endeavored to capture the beauty of common places in an uncommon way.

Feelings of hope, serenity, clarity, and inspiration are what I want the viewer to take with them from this body of work.  Seeing color that is barely there yet vivid and bright, and to have a new perspective and appreciation for these quiet places that are so important in our Massachusetts eco-system. 

About the Artist:

Donna Roy is a Western Massachusetts artist who began her love of painting while studying privately with a local oil painter when she was ten years old. During weekly studio sessions, she learned traditional foundations of composition, perspective, color theory, and design.  This foundation cemented her love for painting and her creative journey.

A graduate of UMASS with a BFA, Donna continued her exploration of art through several mediums, including glass fusing and enamel painting.  During the last ten years, she developed a line of post-consumer glass and copper garden sculptures.

Learning to thrive in a pandemic, Donna pushed her passion for color full circle and found her home with soft pastels.  Addicted to vibrant color and energetic marks, her paintings center on New England landscapes and local natural beauty.  Her award-winning paintings have been exhibited in local, national, and international juried shows.

These days, you will find Donna visiting local farms, rivers, and trails with her trusty camera in search of inspiration, painting Plein Air, or in her small home studio creating pastel paintings inspired by beautiful New England character.

 

PLEASE NOTE: walk-ins are welcome for the gallery. Masks are appreciated indoors.

Sharon Loehr-Lapan : Common Thread

Feb 23, 2022

March 3rd – March 28th

Artists Statement:

Painting in different mediums of watercolor,  acrylic, and oil encourages new avenues of exploration. With a flat surface and a little paint, I combine the wonder and discovery of childhood with experiences I’ve gained over time.

By initially exploring abstract forms the paint determines the image’s composition and formal relationships.  I become the observer of my own painting and then expand upon what the paint has already provided. Using this method I get to enjoy the image as a viewer and author. As the artist, I actively enhance the journey the paint has taken me on. Then as I get closer to completing the painting, I delve into the technical aspects of more realistic elements. It is my turn to balance out the composition and influence the viewer’s experience.

The common thread of this exhibit is the interplay of the paint’s and the artist’s contribution. I get to be both the observer and the creator of each painting.

 

About Sharon Loehr Lapan:

Sharon has degrees in fine art and special education. She has lived and taught across the country in western Massachusetts, Delaware, Utah, and Missouri. Now back in Massachusetts, Sharon is a resident artist at the Sawmill River Arts Gallery. She enjoys working in the mediums of oil, acrylic, and watercolor.

PLEASE NOTE: walk-ins are welcome for the gallery. Masks are required indoors. 

Mairead Clifford Dambruch : Songs of the Sacred Harp

Jan 4, 2022

January 14th – February 28th

Artists Statement:

My work takes the form of a visual allegory which pulls from the endearments of craftsmanship and reaches to the ethers of spirit and folklore. Regarding the freedom of a fixed moment and the constrictions of eternity, the work ebbs and flows between the familiar and the foreign.

I cultivate inspiration from historical and personal narratives that are visually coded in handmade objects. I consider my process an act of remembrance through amplifying histories documented through textile, craft, and accessible means of expression. My work conveys human experience without a corporeal body, believing that the depicted body invites subjection from the viewer. In capitalism, the body carries burdens of identity, of objects, and of labor. My work encourages a release from our own lived experience, and into the subconscious mind; where we are free to associate with multiple overlapping narratives and tales – free of linear time and analytical thought. I document the maker and show their hand and mine. While the hand is often purposefully concealed and forgotten, I choose to meditate on the process, the material, the context and the story; asynchronously remembered and felt across barriers of language, body, time, and space.

 

About Mairead Clifford Dambruch:

Mairead Clifford Dambruch is a painter and a weaver. She is a failed multitasker and an amateur rug collector. She walks fast and paints slow. Painting, for her, is an extension of the self; a living document that absorbs a spectrum of energy and sentiment from the maker. She is a teacher of art to all ages. Her work is informed by research in the fields of cultural textiles, anthropology, folktale, and the sustainable and ethical practices of herbalism and farming. She believes in building upon the roots of other’s learned labor. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2020 at the School of Art of Carnegie Mellon University.

PLEASE NOTE: walk-ins are welcome for the gallery. Masks are required indoors. 

11th Annual Small Works Show

Oct 12, 2021

December 1, 2022 – January 12, 2023

Come celebrate the 11th annual Small Works Show at the Opening Reception & Pie Party Thursday, December 1st from 5-8pm.
This year small works got a little bigger! All works are 5×7″, 6×6″ or 8×10″ and all in fabulous frames! From paintings to photographs, illustrations to assemblages and more, the show features works in a wide variety of mediums. All cash-and-carry for easy holiday shopping.

All are welcome and please invite your friends and family.

*Keep in mind: Please note there may be limited parking in our parking lot. On-street parking available. Masks may be required depending on the current COVID-19 situation.

Information for Artists

 

Keep an eye on our facebook page and instagram for show updates and featured small work photos.

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Ruth Rinard: Solace

Sep 23, 2021

October 4th – October 29th

Artists Statement:
“At first unexpected storms threaten to overwhelm. Deep isolation slowly yielded to bonding walks. We explored local environments more deeply, learned to see with new eyes, and found unexpected solace – All residences of a pandemic year. “

About Ruth Rinard:
After careers in academe and health sciences, Ruth became intrigued with the freshness of pure pigment and the tactile possibilities of pastel. When she realized she could use her drawing skills within the painterly framework of pastel, she never looked back. Ruth has studied painting with Christine Labich and exhibited work with the Connecticut and New Hampshire pastel societies. 

 

PLEASE NOTE: walk-ins are welcome for the gallery. Masks are required indoors. 

10th Annual Small Works Show – Info for Artists

Sep 9, 2021

December 1, 2021 – January 11, 2022

This year we’re doing it again: we provide a 6×6″ or 5×7″ birch panel to create your masterpiece on! The $30 entry fee includes one panel, a frame, and glass. A variety of custom frames will be available for you to choose from when you drop off your entry (frames are first-come, first-serve).

Submission requirements:

  • Limit 4 entries per person.
  • Frame and/or glass not required (but please stay within 6×6 or 5×7 panel size).
  • Work must be for sale. There is no price limit. Gallery commission is 30% of sale price.
  • 3D/assemblage work is allowed – it must be attached to the panel and able to hang on the wall (and stay within 6×6 or 5×7 panel).
  • Plastic and clip frames will not be accepted.
  • Wet pieces not accepted – please make sure painted pieces are dry.
  • A limited quantity of shadowbox frames will be available (first come, first serve) but there will be a $5 fee for fitting.
  • Please make sure work on paper is cropped to 6×6″ or 5×7″ – or we are happy to crop for you for a $5 fee.
  • Panels & submission forms are available at the shop.

The show will be hung salon-style and is cash-and-carry which means that as art sells, it leaves the gallery and new work is hung in its place. While this allows us to accept many pieces, the show is still curated based on uniqueness and presentation. Due to limited wall space, even if work is accepted it may not make it into the first hanging of the show.

Panels Available: September 19th – until they run out!
Submissions Accepted & Frames Available: October 11 – November 26
Finalists Notified: by November 30
Unsold works pick-up dates: January 15 – 31

Exhibit Dates: December 2, 2021- January 11, 2022
Holiday Pie Party: Thursday, December 2nd, 5-8pm

Panels & submission forms are available at the shop.

Can’t get to the shop during business hours?

Questions? Contact us!

 

Dates & Deadlines

Panels Available:
September 19 – until we run out.

Submissions Drop Off
& Frames Available:
October 11th – November 26th

Finalists Notified:
On or before November 30th

Exhibit Dates:
December 1 – January 11, 2022

Opening & Pie Party:
December 2, 5-8pm

Unsold Work Pick Up Dates:
January 15 – 31

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Aaron Becker: Survivor Tree

Aug 16, 2021

September 2nd – October 2nd

We are excited to host Aaron Becker’s original drawings, watercolors, and prints from his new book Survivor Tree. Aaron will be here signing copies of his book on Friday, September 10th from 5-8 pm. Stop by and see this beautiful work and meet the artist!

About the Book:“This hopeful story of a resilient tree that grew (and still grows) at the base of the twin towers is a simple introduction for young readers to gain an understanding of September 11th and the impact it had on America.

One September day, the perfect blue sky exploded. Dust billowed. Buildings crumbled. And underneath it all, a tree sprouted green leaves in its distress. Pulled from the wreckage, the tree saw many seasons pass as it slowly recovered far away from home. Until one day, forever scarred and forever stronger, it was replanted at the 9/11 Memorial.

This story of the real Survivor Tree uses nature’s cycle of colors to reflect on the hope and healing that come after a tragedy—and assures readers of their own remarkable resilience.”

Listen to Aaron Becker’s interview on NEPR 

Learn more about Aaron Becker

See originals, prints, and books online 

PLEASE NOTE: walk-ins are welcome for the gallery. Masks are required indoors. 

Isabel Margolin: All This and More

Jun 21, 2021

July 8th – August 30th

Artists’ statement:

In the spring of 2009, I began to make mosaics choosing to work in the indirect method, a technique that I have employed ever since. For the indirect method, I place my materials face-side-down on sticky paper, not knowing the final results of my design until I turn the piece over into a bed of cement. It is through a certain controlled randomness, a willingness to cede one’s expectations to gravitational forces and the power of sticky tape that I apply the indirect technique to expand the boundaries of this art form.

This is a process of chance, choice, and discovery.

 

Learn more about Isabel Margolin

 

Come see a live demonstration Saturday, July 24th at 1:30 PM at Hope and Feathers! Learn about the indirect method and help Isabel create a sparkling mosaic. To RSVP click here.

 

PLEASE NOTE: walk-ins are welcome for the gallery. Masks optional. 

Corrin Halford : Out of This World

May 25, 2021

June 3nd – July 2nd

Artists’ statement:
97% of the human body consists of stardust. This must be why I feel such a deep connection to the beyond.  Everything in history has happened on this spinning ball in our galaxy. When time seems to fly and everything seems chaotic I look up, even just for a second, and feel a sense of wonder. I sought to bring the infinite space of the universe into each piece. Creating a dreamy, starry, and ever-expanding feel through my art. Hours began to fly by as I channeled myself into these pieces. This series is a direct reflection of that experience.

 

PLEASE NOTE: walk-ins are welcome for the gallery.