Archive for May, 2012

“Stars and Stripes” will be the theme of Sharon Arts Center’s next ArtBar Studio Night, to be held Saturday, June 9 from 7 to 9 pm at their Exhibition Gallery, 30 Grove St.

Upcoming ArtBar themes will be “French Kitchen Still Life” July 14; “Pink and Green Lily Fest” Aug. 11; “Pop Art/Op Art” Sept. 15; “Monadnock Landscapes” Oct. 13; “Duck Decoys” Nov. 10; and “Star Bright, Starry Night” Dec. 8.

The long anticipated “A Garden of the Imagination: A Community Cardboard Collaboration,” created by renowned cardboard artist James Grashow, along with hundreds of area school children and adults during Grashow’s May 15-26 residency at Sharon Arts Center’s Exhibition Gallery, will officially open June 1 with a reception to be held from 5 to 7 pm.

The reception is free and open to the public and wine and refreshments will be served. The Exhibition Gallery is located at 30 Grove St., Peterborough. 

James Grashow workshop at the Sharon Arts Center, May 2012

“The experience of having Jimmy in our gallery over these past weeks has been tremendous,” said Executive Director Keri Wiederspahn. “We have had creatively enthusiastic children being able to whole-heartedly explore their imagination and discover the beauty of spontaneous creative process. The installation itself has been planted with amazing mythical, humorous and outrageous plants, vegetables and animals.  I hope everyone has a chance to walk-through and appreciate the impact of a community collaborative in cardboard–I am incredibly excited that we were able to grow such a magnificent show in our gallery.” 

James Grashow

 

James Grashow workshop at the Sharon Arts School, May 2012

Also a well-known woodcut artist, Grahow’s prints have appeared regularly in The New York Times and in virtually every well-known periodical and publication throughout the country. After receiving a BFA degree from  Pratt Institute he was awarded a Fulbright Travel Grant for painting and graphics to Florence, Italy, and then, following a year abroad, returned to Pratt to receive his MFA. He and his wife have two children and five grandchildren and reside in Redding, CT.

Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday 11 am to 5 pm. For more information call (603) 924-7676

While “A Garden of the Imagination” is currently being installed by Artist-in-Residence James Grashow in Sharon Arts Center’s main Exhibition Gallery, 30 Grove St., paintings by Dublin artist Earl Schofield are now on view in the Juried Fine Arts Gallery through June 16.

 

Earl Schofield Paintings at Sharon Arts Center

Earl Schofield exhibit at Sharon Arts Center

Sharon Arts Center Executive Director Keri Wiederspahn has announced that nine artists have been selected to participate in the non-profit art organization’s second Community Supported Art (CSArt) project, which will hold a Kick-Off Party at their downtown Exhibition Gallery, 30 Grove St., on Wednesday, May 23 from 6 to 8 pm.

The event is free and open to the public, who is invited to meet the artists, see some of their work, and consider buying shares in the project. Refreshments, along with wine and beer, will be served and live music will be provided by Girl and Piano.

“We have another particularly fine group of artists who will deliver specially created works of art to individual shareholders in the project,” Wiederspahn said. “This season we’re pleased to announce that our May artist-in-residence James Grashow has also agreed to participate.”

Grashow, a nationally renowned cardboard artist, will create a “Garden of the Imagination” at the Sharon Arts Exhibition Gallery during his residence from May 15 to 26. Born in Brooklyn in 1942, he has been creating works that address themes of man, nature, and mortality since the 1960s and is convinced that magical art can be made from the most mundane of materials. Constructing his pieces from cardboard, paper, and occasionally wood, the scale of his work ranges from large environmental installations, through which the viewer traverses, to the delicate and contained world of his houseplants, where homes and buildings replace flowers and buds in intricately constructed bouquets.

Jurors who selected the CSArt artists include Maureen Ahern, Director of the Thorne-Sagendorph Gallery, Keene State College, Keene, NH; Gary Samson, Chairman of the Photography Department, New Hampshire Insitute of Art, Manchester, NH; and Laina Barakat, Director of Artist Relations, The Starving Artist, Keene, NH.

Sharon Arts’ CSArt project, launched last fall, is modeled after the popular Community Supported Agriculture movement (CSA), where consumers buy seasonal food directly from local farms. In a similar “buy local” spirit, CSArt is an endeavor to support regional art, artists, and collectors.

“This is a great idea that originated at Minnesota’s Springboard for the Arts, which the Monadnock region embraced enthusiastically last fall,” Wiederspahn said.  ”This program is interesting because the similarities of a farmer and artist are very real, beginning with the dedication of their hands to the act of creation. Both local artists and farmers are dependent upon community support, and the long-term results of a project like this hold the potential for generating many wonderful relationships and educating the public on a specific set of local talent and artistry.”

The artists selected, in addition to James Grashow, are: Kristin Boyle, a ceramics artist; Tricia Gibbs, oil painter; Jenn Houle, creator of hand-cut images on polypropylene paper; Rachel Montroy, ceramics artist; Linda Widstrand, encaustic artist; Amy Marie Regan, photography; Brittany Kelly, printmaker; and Cheryl Z. Miller, collage artist.

Each of the artists will receive a stipend for creating 50 “shares” for the program, Wiederspahn explained. ”The artwork will be limited editions for CSArt only–art that is rare and unique, unavailable elsewhere.” Along with the prestige of being selected, the artists will gain enormous potential for marketing and visibility, while shareholders will have an opportunity to broaden their artistic appreciation through learning about the artists directly. Monthly box pick-up parties for artists and shareholders will be held in the Center’s downtown Peterborough gallery in June, July, and August.

Those interested in purchasing shares, which are $330 for 9 works of art over the three-month period, can do so at the Kick-Off Party or by calling (603) 924-7676.

Sharon Arts Center is pleased to announce the re-launch of “Artistas,” an all-women’s artist group, which is scheduled to meet on select Fridays, noon to 1 pm on May 18, June 22, July 20, August 24, September 21, and October 19 at the School of Art & Craft, 457 Rt. 123, Sharon. Continuing dates will be issued at a later time.

The goal of this group is to create a support forum for creative ideas, inspirational conversation, and the sharing of ideas and enthusiasm for local arts venues and events. Topics explored by the informal group include creativity, inspirations, artists, overcoming creative blocks, and more. Artistas is open to women of all ages who study any art form and are interested in chatting with peers. The possible activities include visiting local museums or artistic organizations, sharing artwork for peer review, or discussing books, films, challenges and goals as a modern creative individual. Each month group participants will have the ability to choose from a variety of topics in order to sustain an encouraging environment of their own.

Group organizer Anita Mendes said, “The reason for having supportive, homogenous groups is that its participants are able to explore more deeply their similarities. Their artistic differences can be used to walk the boundary of another person’s art while creating ownership of their own choices.  We can use the group’s responsiveness to strengthen our life’s interests, while creating new ways of seeing our craft, skill, and venues.”

The Artistas group met several times in 2011, covering discussion topics on creative expression, various mediums, and the healing power of art.

For more information or to join the email list, call (603) 924-7256, email anita@sharonarts.org,

The non-profit Sharon Arts Center has announced that it recently received a corporate sponsorship grant from C&S Wholesale Grocers to support and expand the reach of their upcoming “Garden of the Imagination: A Community Cardboard Collaboration” exhibit by renowned artist James Grashow, scheduled to open to the public May 15 when Grashow begins his creative residency.

The Sharon Arts Gallery, which is typically closed during exhibition installation, will open its doors so that gallery visitors will be able to explore Grashow’s creative process–witnessing and at times participating in the creation of three-dimensional cardboard sculptures in a garden theme. Sharon Arts anticipates that the exhibition, which will also be an important part of the Children & The Arts Festival May 19, will attract thousands of families from across New England. 

James Grashow workshop at the Sharon Arts Center School

In celebration of current artist-in-residence James Grashow, the non-profit Sharon Arts Center has scheduled a series of events to be held in their downtown Exhibition Gallery, 30 Grove St., Peterborough.

On June 1 at noon a Preview Luncheon for “Garden of the Imagination” will be held at the Waterhouse restaurant, Depot Square, Peterborough, to support Sharon Arts youth and teen programs. Grashow will be in attendance and after the luncheon will give a tour, lecture, and artist demonstration in the Gallery. Tickets are $60 and can be reserved by calling (603) 924-7256 or emailing camellia@sharonarts.org.

 

Grashow, who was born in Brooklyn in 1942, has been creating works that address themes of man, nature, and mortality since the 1960s and is convinced that magical art can be made from the most mundane of materials. Constructing his pieces from cardboard, paper, and occasionally wood, the scale of his work ranges from large environmental installations, through which the viewer traverses, to the delicate and contained world of his houseplants, where homes and buildings replace flowers and buds in intricately constructed bouquets.

James Grashow leading a workshop at the Sharon Arts Center School

 

 

Also a well-known woodcut artist, Grahow’s prints have appeared regularly in The New York Times and in virtually every well-known periodical and publication throughout the country. After receiving a BFA degree from  Pratt Institute he was awarded a Fulbright Travel Grant for painting and graphics to Florence, Italy, and then, following a year abroad, returned to Pratt to receive his MFA. He and his wife have two children and five grandchildren and reside in Redding, CT.

 

“We all need inspiration in our lives,” says Sharon Arts Executive Director Keri Wiederspahn, “and with the ability to view the creative and collaborative process with Jimmy Grashow’s residency we hope to reinforce the necessity, importance, and joy of the arts in our community.” 

 

The completed exhibition will be on view from June 1 through the 28th. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday 11 am to 5 pm. For more information call (603) 924-7676 

The Sharon Arts Center is sending out a call to school children and teens from ages 5 to 18 for an exhibit titled “Through a Child’s Eye: Youth Art Exhibition” to be held June 4-16 in the Members Gallery of the Downtown Exhibition Gallery, 30 Grove St., Peterborough. The submission deadline is May 19.

“In tradition with Peterborough celebrating our younger artists, we are asking the youth of the greater Peterborough area to submit their creations, the pieces they feel most strongly about and would like to share with others,” said Gallery Director Camellia Sousa. “Here is their chance to turn the volume up!”

James Grashow at the Sharon Arts School

All work will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis, Sousa said, due to limited exhibition space. The juror will be renowned cardboard artist James Grashow, who will be Artist-in-Residence at Sharon Arts from May 15 to 26 and working with local students to create a larger-than-life fantasy garden at the Exhibiton Gallery.

Born in Brooklyn in 1942, Grashow has been creating works that address themes of man, nature, and mortality since the 1960s. He attended Pratt Institute, where he received a BFA. On graduation, he was awarded a Fulbright Travel Grant for painting and graphics to Florence, Italy. After a year abroad, Grashow returned to Pratt to receive his MFA. He lives and works in Connecticut with his wife. They have two children and, according to Grashow, “five fabulous grandchildren.”

Awards will be given out including one-week summer art camp, one class, and one workshop. There will be two honorable mentions.

All submissions should be brought to the Gallery on Saturday, May 19 between 11 am and 5 pm. The notification of selection will be Friday, May 25 by telephone. An opening reception will be held Monday, June 4 from 5 to 6 pm.

For more information call (603) 924-7676.

The Sharon Arts Center is sending out a Call to Artists for a juried Colored Pencil Exhibit to be held July 6 through August 7 at their Exhibition Gallery, 30 Grove St., Peterborough. The submissions deadline is May 15.

Colored Pencil art by Gary Ruuska

The exhibit, sponsored in conjunction with the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA) New England chapter 112, will be a presentation of national and regional works exploring the medium of the colored pencil. The CPSA was established in 1990 with its sole focus set on colored pencils. Established in 16 countries and with over 1,600 members, the CPSA provides services such as international exhibitions, workshops, newsletters, and product research as well as a networking directory and chapters for members throughout the continental U.S.

Serving as juror for the exhibition is Kimberly Kersey Asbury, a painter and mixed media artist with a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from Boston University. She is a Fulbright grant recipient in the arts and is Assistant Professor of Art and Design at Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH.

Awards of $300 for first prize, $200 for second and $100 for third will be given. Artists must be 18 years old or older to enter and may submit two pieces of their work for review. Work must have been created after March 31, 2009 and if selected must be available for sale. There is an entry fee of $25 for Sharon Arts Center members and members of CPSA112 and $35 for all others.

For inquiries or questions, contact Gallery Director Camellia Sousa via email at camellia@sharonarts.org.
For full information and to download an entry form, CLICK HERE or visit www.cpsa112.org.

The Sharon Arts Center Good Neighbor Series will present an evening of poetry Saturday, May 19 from 7-9:30 pm at the Exhibition Gallery, 30 Grove St., Peterborough. Poets include Tucker Sampson, Dawn Coutu, and Jenn Monroe. There’s a $6 per person suggested donation, and wine and light refreshments will be available.

Originally from Connecticut, Tucker Sampson lives and works in New Hampshire as a substitute teacher. The recipient of an MFA in Poetry from New England College, he has published poems in Lyre,lyre and The Henniker Review and has written a book of poems, so far unpublished, titled “The Wooden Lake.”

A poet and freelance copy editor, Dawn Coutu received a BA in creative writing from Chester College of New England and is working toward her MFA at New England College. She leads a writers’ group based out of Concord and coordinates the Datum: Earth Reading Series in Keene. Her feature articles, interviews, and poems have appeared in Ad Hoc Monadnock, NH Writer, Compass Rose, The Henniker Review, Big Lucks, Today Magazine, and Amoskeag.

Jenn Monroe’s chapbook “Something More Like Love” was released by Finishing Line Press in February. Her work is forthcoming in Contemporary American Voices and has appeared in a number of journals, print and online. She is the founder and executive producer of Extract(s), a web-based literary project, and is an assistant professor of writing and literature at Chester College of New England.

For more information call (603) 924-7676.