PRESS
RELEASE
please see our on-line
newsletter for the latest updates
BICYCLE
PRINCESSES ON EXHIBIT AT THE
BENNINGTON ARTS GUILD GALLERY
June 2, 2010, Bennington VT
Princess
Terra with her long spike
hair and Princess Celeste pouring forth heavenly bodies are now dancing
in the
windows of Bennington Arts Guild Gallery at 103 South St.
In 2009 Arla Foster and Paula LaPorte decided
to work on a project together and choose Grimms' Fairy Tale "The Twelve
Dancing Princesses." Each Princess
starts with an old bicycle frame and then is adorned with whatever
Paula and
Arla take a fancy to from their vast collections of natural and
man-made
objects. Each Princess contains the
elements of color, motion, and sound. Terra
and Celeste are the first of the four
Princesses created last
summer.
Foster and LaPorte will be continuing their collaboration this summer
and hope
to have all twelve sisters dancing together in 2011.
BENNINGTON
ARTS GUILD
INVITES YOU TO A HOLIDAY
ART
PARTY!
November 10, 2009 , Bennington
, VT
The Bennington Arts Guild cordially invites
you to its annual Holiday Open House on Saturday, November 21
from 5 to 8 PM, at the Guild Gallery at 103 South Street in downtown
Bennington. Free refreshments will be served. It is a perfect
opportunity to meet the local artists who fill the gallery with such
fabulous wares.
In fact, November is the perfect time to
visit the Guild, voted the #1 Gallery in Southwest Vermont, as members
are putting the finishing touches on their creations --
for decorating and gift-giving in anticipation of the coming holidays.
Ann Webster-Lang’s
lentil beads with silver accents are created individually by hand, and
are inspired by the simple forms in our natural world, as well as the
symbolism of circles and squares. Ann’s process for creating her
beads is labor-intensive. For her polymer beads, a polymer sheet of
combined colors is formed and cured; the pieces are sanded, buffed,
assembled, and re-cured to form their “lentil” shape. Finally, liquid
polymer is applied to each bead, which is cured yet again. Each
fine silver bead is also hand-crafted and textured, formed and fired in
a
kiln. After firing, each bead is brushed and tumbled. The
beads are
then strung to create a lovely necklace.
“The Chair of Transformation” is one
impressive result of the collaboration between Cyndi Saint and Paula LaPorte,
who are teamed together to create unique Art Chairs. Bringing
their
individual strengths and talents together, they’ve created an artistic
and functional chair which carries its own theme of
expression. Inspired by Native American art, they have used
the powerful symbolism of animal energy, which they believe offers us a
“medicine” to assist us on our way. By choosing the animals for
this
chair, they are bringing to you and your life, their medicine.
Painter Judith Kniffin's
“Chair by Paran Creek” is a 20” x 20” oil depicting a stretch of Paran
Creek in North Bennington , where a lone chair at the water’s edge
offers a quiet place to contemplate the snowy woods.
Yarn
from llamas and alpacas at Gayle and Lars Garrison’s West
Mountain Farm
in Stamford , VT are woven or knitted into just what you are looking
for during these chilly days. The large triangle shawl is woven
from
brown, black, white, and tan handspun yarn from several of their
animals, including Kerry and Easy Spirit who still reside on the
farm.
A throw rug was knit by Gayle with yarn spun by Lars. Large
needles
and 9 plys of yarn make a soft, durable surface underfoot. Two
ski
hats are knit from Lars’ brown, handspun alpaca yarn, with contrasting
bands of pink mohair, and blue soy silk and merino. Felted hats,
purses and a dog leash round out their display.
There
is much more new work to enjoy in November, so why not drop by now –
and come to the party on November 21 to join the festivities?
The Bennington Arts Guild Gallery,
located at 103 South Street at the Four Corners intersection of
Downtown Bennington, is
a cooperative run by artists from Bennington and the surrounding
communities with the common goal to bring public attention to, and
provide a viable market for, fine art and fine craft, locally produced.
Membership is open to artists throughout the greater Bennington Area.
And now, holiday hours are in effect: the Gallery is open daily from
10am to 5pm , and Sundays from noon to 4pm. For more information
contact
BAG at (802)442-7838 or at www.benningtonartsguild.org
.
BENNINGTON ARTS GUILD GLOWS YELLOW IN SEPTEMBER
August
21, 2009, Bennington, VT
- Shades of sunny yellow will grace the window of the Bennington Arts
Guild Gallery, at the Four Corners intersection of downtown Bennington,
during the month of September.
A
yellow, wooden box of glass, showcasing bubble windows with images, and
embellished with layers of beads and found objects, has been created by
Cyndi Saint,
a master in the use of recycled materials.
Each
item she makes uses a myriad of materials, reducing the carbon
footprint left behind while creating an enduring art object and
long-lasting enjoyment.
Painter
Judith Kniffin has
painted, in oil, a 12" x 12" canvas depicting "Two Lemons" that look
luscious.
Unframed, the canvas is painted
on all sides to accentuate the subject.
"Sunspots"
by ceramist
Marie DeVito,
is a sensuous set of three nesting bowls, brush-glazed in a creamy,
buttercup satin finish - the trio evokes a warm bath of sunshine in the
waning days of summer. "Vase" is a hand-built whimsical vessel, with a
waffled surface and twisty little add-ons, of yellow and red, and a
sea-water exterior.
The
24" x 7" image of "Black-Eyed Susans in the Rain," is as wide as the
smile sure to result when you see this impressive photo by
Gabe Palmer.
Stop by in
September and see why the Bennington Arts Guild was voted the #1 Art Gallery in Southwest Vermont!
The
Bennington Arts Guild Gallery, located at 103 South Street at the
Four Corners intersection of Downtown Bennington,
is
a cooperative run by artists from Bennington and the surrounding
communities with the common goal to bring public attention to, and
provide a viable market for, fine art and fine craft, locally produced.
Membership is open to artists throughout the greater Bennington Area.
The Gallery is open daily from 10 AM to 5PM, Sundays from Noon to 4PM,
and closed on Tuesdays. For more information contact B.A.G. at
(802)442-7838 or at
www.benningtonartsguild.org
.
31 JULY 2009
BENNINGTON ARTS
GUILD SINGS THE BLUES IN AUGUST
July 31, 2009, Bennington, VT - The vibrant blues of the season serve
as muse for this month's focus on "Blue" at the Bennington Arts Guild
Gallery, at 103 South Street.
Bright blue summer flowers inspire Arlington-based ceramic artist, Jessica Phillips, one of the Guild's
newer members.
"Cobalt Clematis Vine Bud Vase" and "Cobalt Peony Vase" are shining
examples of Phillips' intricate technique. These vessels, thrown on a
wheel, are allowed to dry to a "leather hard" state, at which point
cobalt slip is applied. After the slip has dried for a few days,
Phillips carves free-hand designs into the surface of her pieces, which
allows the underlying clay color to emerge, an integral part of the
overall design. The pieces are then left to air-dry for about two more
weeks. The pieces can then be bisque-fired, glazed, and fired again,
this time to a higher temperature.
Weaver Paula LaPorte is introducing
two new belt baskets for Blue Month. One is a canvas tote, which is
just right for carrying important papers to work. The other is a boldly
colored wall basket sure to brighten the bleakest day. LaPorte crafts
her baskets and purses from "found" materials, and many visitors to the
Guild are already familiar with her charming inventions woven from used
belts or neckties.
Gayle and Lars Garrison,
llama farmers who weave and knit from the llama yarn they produce, are
featuring a knitted blue baby set. It may be warm now, but any new baby
- boy or girl! - will love the snuggly blue softness of llama when the
weather turns cooler.
So if the rainy weather we've been experiencing is giving you the
blues, treat yourself to a visit to the #1 art gallery in town. Visit
the Bennington Arts Guild Gallery during August for a healing dose of
art!
The Bennington Arts Guild Gallery, located at 103 South Street at the
Four Corners intersection of Downtown Bennington, is a cooperative run
by artists from Bennington and the surrounding communities with the
common goal to bring public attention to, and provide a viable market
for, fine art and fine craft, locally produced. Membership is open to
artists throughout the greater Bennington Area. The Gallery is open
daily from 10 AM to 5PM, Sundays from Noon to 4PM, and closed on
Tuesdays. For more information contact B.A.G. at (802) 442-7838 or at www.benningtonartsguild.org .
4 JULY 2009
July 4,
2009, Bennington, VT - Stars!
Stripes! Art!
For the
month of July, The Bennington Arts Guild presents a colorful tribute to
America's independence with artwork celebrating the colors of our
nation's flag.
The weather
may be gloomy, but the windows and shelves of the BAG Gallery at 103
South Street - just voted the #1 Art Gallery in the Shires of Vermont
in the Bennington Banner's Reader's Choice poll - couldn't be more
festive, with red, white and blue bursting out all over.
Photographer
Gabe Palmer's
"Impatient Patriot" poignantly depicts an unfinished American flag
mural on a barn in rural Pennsylvania.
Palmer
describes his meeting with the artist:
"The
guy was painting a POW/MIA image along with the flag.
We stopped at the side of the road to watch him, at
the start of our 39,000 mile Blue Highway Journey through America.
I wanted to photograph his portrait, but he
refused.
‘You can just do the flag.' he
said, so I did."
Another
Palmer photo in this month's show, "Ground Zero," is his interpretation
of graffiti found on the wooden fence surrounding the site, a year
after the World Trade Center's towers fell.
One our
newest members, glass artist
Brendan
Miller, is exhibiting his elegant glass sculpture, "Red and
White," while rug hooker
Dan Barber
is showing two patriotic wall hangings/rugs.
Weaver
Paula LaPorte's latest creation
is a charming child's rocker featuring her interpretation of the
American flag.
The oak frame is painted a
translucent blue, accenting the wood grain.
The
50 charmingly hand-painted stars on the back slats lend a lively whimsy
to the piece, which is finished with woven red-and-white Shaker tape
stripes.
Deceivingly simple in its
finished form, it is a masterpiece of advanced weaving skill - with a
lot of humor and patience added.
Rounding
out the window display is a set of stylized Stars and Stripes plates by
ceramic artist
Marie DeVito -
just waiting for a hot dog!
Join the
parade of people marching to the #1 art gallery in town, and visit the
Bennington Arts Guild Gallery during July for a dose of good,
old-fashioned American art!
The
Bennington Arts Guild Gallery, located at 103 South Street at the
Four Corners intersection of Downtown Bennington,
is a
cooperative run by artists from Bennington and the surrounding
communities with the common goal to bring public attention to, and
provide a viable market for, fine art and fine craft, locally produced.
Membership is open to artists throughout the greater Bennington Area.
The Gallery is open daily from 10 AM to 5PM, Sundays from Noon to 4PM,
and closed on Tuesdays. For more information contact B.A.G. at
(802)442-7838 or at
www.benningtonartsguild.org
.
15 MAY 2009
BENNINGTON
ARTS GUILD PRESENTS NESTOR VALDES
The Bennington Arts Guild from time to time is fortunate to attract
outstanding works by area artists not often seen in Bennington.
Currently
on display is a work of outstanding beauty and elegance by one such
artist - Havana-born painter Nestor Valdes of North Adams.
Titled, "Memory of a Time of Innocence," this luminous oil on canvas is
a fantasy composition that can transport the viewer to another time,
another place.
Says Valdes
about his work: "This painting is based on a memory of a different time
and a different reality...a time of magic and beauty, with vibrant
color all around. This was a place where magical
creatures and humans lived together in peace. But news of a
cataclysmic change was brought to the magical creatures, by a
butterfly. This meant that the creatures would fade from the minds
of humans, not to be seen again except by a few with clear sight and
mind. This story was passed on from generation to generation,
anticipating the fulfillment of the promise that one day -- just as the
memory had once faded -- so it would return, on the wings of a
butterfly. With that sign, the magical creatures will be visible again
to humans, and peace will return to all men."
Originally
trained as a classical ballet dancer in his native Cuba, Valdes
migrated to the New York area where he continued his studies privately
under master ballet instructors. Equally interested in the visual
arts, Valdes fully mined his theatrical experiences by painting
backdrops for school productions and fully developed his interest in
drawing the human figure while sitting on the sidelines during ballet
classes.
By his late
twenties, Valdes immersed himself in painting and drawing and founded a
visual arts studio/gallery in Hoboken, NJ. Soon thereafter he began to
enter artwork into science-fiction/fantasy art shows, exhibiting at
sci-fi conventions such as the DragonCon in Atlanta, Arisia in Boston,
Philcon in Philadelphia and Lunacon in Secaucus, NJ.
Currently,
Nestor maintains his art studio in the historic Beaver Mill in North
Adams, MA and will be co-directing the North Adams Artist Cooperative
Gallery during the 2009 season.
Don't miss
this unique opportunity to take a flight of fancy, and enjoy this
masterful work, on display now at the Bennington Arts Guild.
The
Bennington Arts Guild Gallery is a cooperative run by artists from
Bennington and the surrounding communities with the common goal to
bring public attention to, and provide a viable market for, fine art
and fine craft, locally produced. Membership is open to artists
throughout the greater Bennington Area. The Gallery is open daily from
10 AM to 5PM, Sundays from Noon to 4PM, and closed on Tuesdays. For
more information contact B.A.G. at (802)442-7838 or at
www.benningtonartsguild.org
.
1 APRIL 2009
BENNINGTON
ARTS GUILD - FOCUS ON "PURPLE" FOR APRIL
March 30,
2009, Bennington, VT - As small purple crocuses finally emerge from the earth,
and we look forward to the soon-fragrant blooms of lilacs, we
thankfully emerge at last from our winter houses to welcome spring.
And the color Purple,
signifying the fresh rejuvenation of the long-awaiting new season,
inspires the artists at the Bennington Arts Guild.
Mixed-media artist Cyndi Saint gives a weathered 1940's
suitcase new life -- refurbishing it with a modern theme bridging the
generations it has seen. Cyndi explains, "in the 40's and 50's folks
traveled in style, with classy monogrammed suitcases with satin
interiors, and enjoyed their slower modes of travel, by bus or train,
watching the landscape go by."
Cyndi has also joined
artist forces with weaver Paula
LaPorte to redefine a pair of American Oak Ladder back chairs.
These old chairs are now more than just a sturdy place to rest -- they
now convey their own distinct and pleasing personalities. Boldly
sporting green and purple woven seats, each is uniquely hand-painted
with water images.
Come out of your winter
hibernation! Enjoy the spring-inspired art at the Bennington Arts Guild
Gallery.
The
Bennington Arts Guild Gallery is a cooperative run by artists from
Bennington and the surrounding communities with the common goal to
bring public attention to, and provide a viable market for, fine art
and fine craft, locally produced. Membership is open to artists
throughout the greater Bennington Area. The Gallery is open daily from
10 AM to 5PM, Sundays from Noon to 4PM, and closed on Tuesdays. For
more information contact B.A.G. at (802)442-7838 or at
www.benningtonartsguild.org
.
4 MARCH 2009
BENNINGTON
ARTS GUILD - FOCUS ON "GREEN" FOR MARCH
March 4,
2009, Bennington, VT - Spring arrives in March, and it is fitting for
the Bennington Arts Guild, located at the Four Corners intersection in
downtown Bennington, to focus on "Green." Shades
of green include the palest green to chartreuse, fluorescent greens, to
the deepest shade of hooker's green. It
inspires thoughts of grass, leaves, budding trees, and the Atlantic
Ocean. Green even inspires some members to think of poetry.
Kathryn Kosto describes the
inspiration for her framed mirror collage,
My Nest: "As the
birds seek nests outside my window at his time of year, I am reminded
of Anne Bradstreet's poem, ‘In Reference To Her Children,' in which her
maternal metaphor encompasses both new-hatched chicks and bold
fledglings.
She reveals that motherhood,
then as now, is a balance of protectiveness and pride."
Green makes
many of us think of the festivities of St. Patrick's Day parades and
celebrations, the green patches of Ireland's land, and the joy of Irish
music.
Stained
glass artist,
Joseph Tracy,
shares the inspiration for his window,
Flight From Glen Bolcain. "My
brother-in-law sent the poem, ‘Sweeney Astray: A Version from the
Irish' by Seamus Heaney, sure that I would like it. I have kept it
close to me for two years now and it has drawn from me much thought,
many drawings, and this window. I see the poem, about an Irish warrior
chieftain named Sweeney, who is cursed, or transformed into a bird, by
a cleric.
As a result, Sweeney's life is
turned into suffering and loss, yet the beauty he sees is all the more
piercing because of his hardship.
His
banishment from humanity is wildly offset by the fact that he becomes a
creature of flight, a bird of the air, unbound from gravity."
The
following is the passage of ‘Sweeney Astray' which is quoted on the
window:
"I am a
sheep without a fold
who
sleeps the sound sleep in the old tree at Kilnoo
dreaming
back the old days with Congal in Antrim
a
starry frost will come dropping on pools
and
I'll be astray here on unsheltered heights
herons
calling in cold Glenelly
flocks
of birds quickly coming and going
I
prefer the elusive rhapsody of blackbirds
To the
garrulous blather of men and women."
Tracy's
thoughts and description of the poem will be available to be read at
the Guild Gallery.
Judy Kniffin's green offering
is an oil painting, entitled
Sunspots! II. Her signature style
lends its customary grace to a soothing composition evoking the
long-awaited coming of spring.
Photographs
of green leaves, scarves, paintings, pottery, and jewelry all round out
the focus on "Green."
The
Bennington Arts Guild Gallery is a cooperative run by artists from
Bennington and the surrounding communities with the common goal to
bring public attention to, and provide a viable market for, fine art
and fine craft, locally produced. Membership is open to artists
throughout the greater Bennington Area. The Gallery is open daily from
10 AM to 5PM, Sundays from Noon to 4PM, and closed on Tuesdays. For
more information contact B.A.G. at (802)442-7838 or at
www.benningtonartsguild.org
.
6 FEB 2009
RED HEATS UP FEBRUARY AT THE GUILD
February
6, 2009, Bennington, VT - Escape from the winter doldrums by stopping
in at the Bennington Arts Guild, where you can find a wonderful array
of art as pleasing to the eye as it is to the purse.
During 2009, the Guild is focusing on monthly themes
which celebrate "Color." February's
theme celebrates "Red," showcasing many new creations pulsing with the
vibrancy of red. Functional
pottery, jewelry, and more -- in an eclectic assortment of forms, and a
wide palette of red shades to brighten up the gloomiest winter days. You can find
the ideal gift for loved ones in the original designs finely crafted by
local and regional artists.
Marie DeVito offers her whimsical emblems of the season in
hand-crafted ceramics - her red "kisses" and "hugs" are the perfect
Valentine's presents. Heart-studded
red candy dishes, charming and welcoming tiny vases, sweet little bowls
and magnetic tokens of affection, DeVito's creations are a welcome bit
of warmth during these, cold, cold days.
New jewelry by Teresa Slocumb, colorful
pottery by Arline Mayer, Barbara Henry's heart pins and
more round out the charming window display.
Wood-turned pens and bottle stoppers, metal sculpture,
paintings, photographs, framed collages on mirrors and hand-woven or
knitted items are just a sampling of what you can find in the Gallery
at reasonable prices.
Stop in to the beautifully re-modeled Bennington Arts
Guild -- re-opened in its newly expanded space -- and warm up with our
Reds!
The Bennington Arts Guild Gallery, located at 103
South Street at the Four Corners
intersection of downtown Bennington, is a cooperative run by artists from Bennington and
the surrounding communities with the common goal to bring public
attention to, and provide a viable market for, fine art and fine craft,
locally produced. Membership is open to artists throughout the greater
Bennington Area. The Gallery is open daily from 10-5, and 12-4 on
Sundays, but closed on Tuesdays. For more information contact B.A.G. at
(802)442-7838 or at www.benningtonartsguild.org.
|
|
