"What a splendid thing watercolor is to express atmosphere and
distance, so that the figure is surrounded by air and can breathe in it"
~ Vincent van Gogh
|
|
From the President
Had enough of national politics for now? Here's something better: The Town of Portsmouth is interested in partnering with the Portsmouth Arts Guild to develop (i.e. build) a permanent Arts and Cultural Center in town, very possibly at Glen Farm on East Main Road. At its last regular meeting, the Portsmouth Town Council appointed me Temporary Chair of an Arts and Culture Committee (yet to be formed) to explore the creation of a multi-use arts and culture center that would serve not just the visual arts, but also the various performing arts-music, theater, dance, etc.
(They specified "Temporary" Chair because Town committees are required to elect their own chairs. I'm temporary until committee members are approved by the Town Council, at which time the committee will elect its officers.)
The charge of this committee is to report back to the Town Council on which of several town properties this arts center should be located, what it might look like, who it should serve, what it might cost, and, most importantly, how it might be funded. At present, there is no such facility-a venue for both visual and performing arts-in the East Bay region. The expectation is that the Town would own the building and the Arts Guild would have the use of it for a nominal sum for the long term.
If the project proved viable, it would mean that the Portsmouth Arts Guild for the first time would have a home that would provide not just adequate gallery space, but proper space for classes and workshops in a variety of artistic mediums. And it would mean that the Aquidneck Island region, including surrounding towns, would have a true center for the visual and performing arts to serve its residents and visitors, from children to seniors.
It's an exciting prospect, but a project like this takes a number of years to complete. It would involve garnering town and regional support, excellent planning and project management, and some serious fund raising. The first baby steps have now been taken with the proposed establishment of an exploratory committee. All I can say at this point is that the Portsmouth Town Administrator Robert Driscoll and several members of the Portsmouth Town Council are very enthusiastic about the project.
Those who have been involved with the Portsmouth Arts Guild from the beginning will know we have come a long way now toward a permanent arts center in town from those early days of petition-gathering to acquire the Chase House on East Main Road for that purpose. The momentum for a permanent arts center has been slowly gathering over the last few years and perhaps now is the time to make it real.
On a related note, I'm pleased to report that we have just received a civic grant from the Town of Portsmouth for $1,547. This is the third year in succession that the Town has given the Guild a civic grant, ranking us in the top tier of its funding priorities. That speaks well for both the Arts Guild as well as the Town's interest in establishing an Arts and Culture Center for the region.
Stay tuned for further developments.
In the meantime, don't forget to attend the Sept. 19 members' meeting to hear the presentation by watercolor artist Hiroko Shikashio and view the new exhibition by 55 members of the Rhode Island Watercolor Society.
See you at the gallery!
~Eric Broudy |
Call for Artists
Fall River Art Association. 80 Belmont street, Fall River MA, 508-673-7212. First juried show. Drop off is Sept. 6&7, 12-3pm,
pick up for work not selected will be Sept. 12, 6-8pm. $10 for 1, 2 for
$15, 3 for $20. All media any subject. Ribbons only, no $$$.
|
|
Openings and Exhibits
 Avery Boruch is Hope Gallery's featured artist August 2-September 5.
At just eight years old, Avery is known to
artists
& collectors around the
world. Donations of her paintings have helped
numerous
local & national
charities. www.artbyavery.com
www.hopegalleryfineartfinecraft.com
|
The Island Photography Group. The Portsmouth Free Public Library hosts the Island Photography Group Exhibit, September 4-September 29.
The exhibit will be open during the library's regular hours except when
the room is being used for meetings. Call the library at 683-9457 for
more information. Opening reception: 5:30-7:30pm, Thursday, September 4. Refreshments will be provided and all are
welcome.
This
year's exhibit is a tribute to Will Dutra who passed away earlier this
year. Will was a founding member of the group, a friend to all, and
always willing to provide assistance to novice photographers. He was an
outstanding landscape and seascape photographer, and several examples
of his work will be on display at the exhibit.
The
Island Photography Group is an informal association and is open to
photographers of all skill levels. There are currently over a dozen
participants. We meet every Thursday morning for breakfast. We share
our pictures, exchange tips and advice, and have a good time. Then we
select a location for an hour or two of picture taking. For more
information, call Don Heywood at 683-1046.
Deblois Gallery. "Three Women" will be featured at the DeBlois Gallery from September
6-September 30. Opening
Reception to meet the artists is Saturday, September 6, 5-7pm.
The DeBlois Gallery, located at 138 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI, is
open Tuesday through Sunday, 12-5pm. For more information, visit
the website at www.debloisgallery.com or 401-847-9977
Hope Gallery.
Featuring its member
artists Sarah Fielding-Gunn
& Lorraine W. Trenholm, former president & vice-president of the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, MA. 435 Hope
Street, Bristol, RI 401-3969117 www.hopegalleryfineartfinecraft.com
Show runs from September 8-October
4 with an Opening Reception
Friday, September 19,
6pm-9pm.
Hours: Wed,
Thurs & Sun 12pm-5pm; Fri & Sat 12pm-6pm.
Pastel painting "Dos Burros"by
Sarah Fielding-Gunn
|
Artist Opportunities
Pottery Co-operative New Member Search. Domus
Luti Pottery Co-operative, 545 Pawtucket Ave, Pawtucket, RI,
is actively searching for a few good potters to join our 8 year old
co-op. We are a 12 member group sharing expenses, space, ideas and the
responsibility of owning and operating a pottery studio. Each member
pays a nominal monthly fee and firing fees based on use of kiln, plus a
one-time joining fee. We are a fun, down-to-earth crew of mudslingers
creating work ranging from functional wheel-thrown pieces to hand built
sculptural art. If you play well with others, love clay and are tired
of working in your basement alone...please call us!! For more
information and to start the application process email michelle@michellephaneufdesign.com
Don't forget: If you want to have your artwork posted on our Member
Galleries on the Portsmouth Arts Guild website, send 10-16 jpegs to Jan
Armor (along with $10) at jandarmor@fctvplus.net. The $10 fee pays for your participation for the rest of 2008.
Nine Guild members now have their work posted there. Check them out at PortsmouthArtsGuild.com and click on Member Galleries.
|
News
Extended Hours at PAG. New gallery hours for Thursdays are extended to 7pm in order to enable those with 9-5 jobs to
visit the gallery during the week.
Please pass the word.
New Gallery Hours: Thursday, 1-7pm; Friday-Sunday,1-5pm.
Gallery Sitters Needed. Please volunteer to gallery sit for one of the following
days at the Portsmouth Arts Guild gallery. If you haven't sat before,
Mary Ann Martin will be happy to fill you in on gallery procedures and
how to make sales. Sitting hours are 1-5 pm on any of the following
days:
Sept. 13, 14, 19
Oct. 12, 19, 24
Nov. 1, 9, 16, 22, 28, 29
Dec. 20, 21
Please respond to Mary Ann Martin at mam.ri@verizon.net 846-5750.
Editor's note: Besides the contribution you make in keeping the gallery open, gallery sitting gives you a place to read, relax, de-stress, and have pleasant personal time. (Been there). Of course, that's in between raking in thousands of dollars from selling work. Yay!
 Libby Gilpatric won Best in Show
Blue Ribbon in July's "10th Annual Little Compton Summer Art Show" with her 16x12 figure oil painting, "Red Rocks", available for purchase
through Libby directly.
http://www.libbygilpatric.com
Felicia
Touhey was also an award winner at the "10th Annual Little Compton Summer Art
Show". Her monoprint, "Winter Night", won the Molly Luce Burroughs
Award of Excellence.
Jay Egge won Honorable Mention in South County Art Association's "Annual Member's Show" for his pastiche of 15th century painter Rogier Van der Weyden's work (c.1440), "Lady in a Gauze Hat".
Eric Broudy, Kendra Ferreira and Judy Chaves were accepted into "The 52nd Regional" at
Mystic Arts Center, 9 Water St., Mystic, CT. Juror Susan
Swinand, Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, is a painting instructor
at the Worcester Art Museum, Clark University and Wellesley College.
The exhibition runs until September 21.
JP Fernandes Blog. Log onto member jp fernandes journal blog to see what's on his mind. He is focused on facilitating a discussion/share among artists :
http://journals.aol.com/jpfern/CreativeArtis
Pawtucket Arts Collaborative. "10th Annual Pawtucket Arts Festival" - September 3 through 21, 2008. The 10th
Annual Pawtucket Arts Festival planning is underway and promises to be
a spectacular celebration showcasing some of the creative community in
our City. This year's headlining act will be Buckwheat Zydeco who will perform on the Slater Mill grounds. Other
events throughout the festival include: Taste of Pawtucket/Festival
Gala, Chinese Dragonboat Races, Slater Mill Labor & Ethnic
Festival; an afternoon of Classical Music with Aurea and Sam Hill
Quartet; An Antique & Classic Car Exhibition, Rhode Island Mall
Antiques weekend, Dance RI - with JUMP!, Fusionworks and Cadence
Collaborative, Seven Nights of Film at the Mirror Image Film Festival;
Stone Soup Folk Fest/Arts Fest in Slater Park; Artist Open Studios/Open
House, Battle of the Bands; a performance by Greg Abate; City of
Pawtucket Photo Contest Awards; Pawtucket Nite Out including an
exhibition by Providence Roller Derby; John Turco's Comedy Clubhouse,
an evening with Donald Levine, creator of GI Joe Action Figure doll; Pops in the Park with Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, and more! www.pawtucketartsfestival.org or call 401-724-5200
Portsmouth Arts Guild Members. We invite you to come celebrate175 years of St. Paul's Episcopal
Church in Portsmouth, RI, Sunday, September 14, 2008. Holy Eucharist 4pm with a Buffet Supper to follow. Please rsvp by Sept. 10
to Linda Remington: 862-1466
or lindaremdean@earthlink.net
Blithewold Gradens. Blithewold celebrates gardeners and local growing at its 8th annual Fall Gardener's Day, scheduled for Saturday, September 20, from 10-2 (rain or shine). Professionals will lead a wide range of horticultural workshops on the grounds of Blithewold. Gardeners
old and new will be inspired by an impressive line-up of lectures and
workshops including: Fall Roses, Terrarium care, Miniature Landscaping,
Propagation, A Medicinal Herb Walk, A Seasonal Cooking Demonstration,
Botanical Papermaking, Organic Gardening and much more! The complete
schedule will be available online at www.blithewold.org. This event is $5 for members of Blithewold, and $10 for non-members. Pre-registration is not required. Info at 401-253-2707 ext. 16 with any questions.
RISCA. Join the Cause - Support Advocacy for the Arts! Since
1999, Rhode Island Citizens for the Arts has been working actively to
help protect and advance funding and other benefits for artists and
arts organizations in Rhode Island. Consider becoming a member! For
more info, visit www.ri4arts.org.
|
September Guest Artist
Hiroko Shikashio was born in Japan
and now lives in Rhode Island.
Hiroko has exhibited extensively in the United States and internationally and
has been a recipient of awards in many of these shows. She has taught workshops
at the Brown Learning Community, Attleboro Museum,
RI Watercolor Society, Wickford Art
Association and Newport
Art Museum. Her collage
works have been published in 2001 and 2003 and her biography was included in
the 2004-2005 edition of "Marquis Who's Who of American Women".
Hiroko is a member of the Watercolor USA Honor Society, Art League of Rhode Island, New Haven
Paints and Clay Club, Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, RI Watercolor Society
and 19 on Paper. Her works may be seen at http://www.Hirokoart.com |
|
Call for Instructors
Interested in teaching a class or workshop at the Portsmouth Arts
Guild? The Guild is beginning to plan its Spring 2009 courses. If you
think you'd like to teach what you've spent all those years learning,
contact Education chair Dawn Sanford for details, at dawnsanford@aol.com, 401-625-5051
|
Classes
The Rhode Island
Watercolor Society. RIWS announces its new schedule of adult watercolor classes,
including both day and evening classes, beginning in September and October.
The Society's classes are designed to provide an introduction to the
excitement of watercolor painting for beginning artists while helping
the maturing artist further hone their skills. Course registration
and tuition payments are due at the Society before the first day of
class. More info: Mary Lou Moore, Gallery Director, (401) 726-1876 and marylou.moore@cox.net, or visit the Society's
web site at www.riws.org. Classes fill up quickly, so register early!
|
Members Classified Do you have something to sell or give away? Something you're looking for? Send info to info@portsmouthartsguild.org for a free listing in the Member Classified.
|
|
|
Guild Ink
Issue no. 6
September 2008
|
CONTENTS AT A GLANCE
CALL FOR ARTISTS (1)
OPENINGS & EXHIBITS (4)
ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES (2)
NEWS (11)
NEW MEMBERS (4)
MEMBERS CLASSIFIED (0)
|
|
Next Member's Meeting:
Sept 16th, 6:30 pm
|
Art therapist and holistic counselor Cris McCulloiugh bids on "Sentinel Over Rose Island"
by Karen Talbot at the Newport Art Museum's annual Wet Paint Auction fundraiser in August
"Windswept"
a sculpture by Kathy Armor one of three women artists showing at Newport's Deblois Gallery
Lorraine W. Trenholm's pastel
"Horns"
|
Felicia Touhey's monoprint,
"Winter Night"
Jay Egge's pastiche,
"Lady in a Gauze Hat"
after Rogier Van der Weyden, c.1440
|
"Warm Island Escape"
by
RIWS artist and September's speaker Hiroko Shikashio
|
|
