March 7, 2018

Welcome to the second snowstorm in the last week for the Chester County region!  I am practicing my “hygge” as I watch the flakes steadily pour down and stick to the ground this morning. If you haven’t heard of the term, hygge is the Danish term for “cozy” and it’s a lifestyle in their country. Small pleasures that keep the winter blues at bay such as soft pajamas, warm mugs of tea, the smell of a wood burning fire, or quietly reading a book you’ve been meaning to get around to, all count as hygge.  I’m grateful for the opportunity to practice my “cozy” skills but I’m ready to venture back out and take a look at what March has to offer in terms of art.

Let’s start off with a rescheduled event. Mala Galleria is giving this months scheduled reception another go around due to last weeks’ storm. Join the artists of “Wonders of Water” for wine, cheese, and mingling on Saturday, March 10 from 2 to 4 p.m. The irony of the exhibition of “Wonders of Water,” being postponed by a snow dump should not be lost on us.

You may have also missed Blue Streak Gallery’s reception for  “Materials in Space,” due to the weather. You have a month to check it out, as it runs through April 3. Artists include Jeff Bell, Stan Smokler, Anna Galer, Rob Sigafoos, and Bill Spiker. Gallery 222 has rescheduled their artist reception as well for the exhibition, “Hidden Wonders.” Take the chance to view the artwork of Fred Danziger, Alicia Asselta and Sarah Baptist during their artist reception on March 15th from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Exhibition runs through March 31.

Chester County Art Alliance has two new shows coming up in March. Check out the works of featured artist Abbe Resnick as well as a non juried group show, “Set the Table,”  at their reception on Thursday, March 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. Abbe Resnick creates vibrant fragmented compositions which nod to cubism. Culling inspiration from the everyday, Resnick paints landscapes, still life, and city scapes through a prismatic lens. “Set the Table,” is conceptually described as artwork inspired by meals, table settings etc. Check out the talent that CCAA has to offer in this group exhibition. Both shows run through April 12.

Speaking of hygge Wayne Arts Center will host “Art Quilt Elements 2018,” in Davenport and Ethel Sergeant Clark Smith Galleries. This is the 13th Biennial of this exhibition which features artists from all over the country. The exhibition aspires to elevate fabric and quilt art by presenting these quilts in a professional gallery setting. Quilts are traditionally shoved into the nebulous genre of “folk art,” if even getting there. This form of art, which often (not always) represents femme or black history, inspired artists such as Miriam Schapiro and Michael James.  On March 16th, check out a fiber bombing that coincides with the exhibition from 12 to 4 p.m. Meet the artists on March 17 from 3 to 4 and then stay for an opening reception which runs from 3 to 5 p.m. The exhibition is juried by Mi-Kyoung Lee, Program Director of Craft & Material Studies, University of the Arts and Marsha Moss, Public Art Curator and Consultant. While you’re at Wayne Arts Center, check out their “Clay QE,” exhibition in the Ceramics Studio. Sharing elements of pattern and three dimensional presentation, “Clay QE,” features members and instructors of Wayne Arts Center. Both shows runs through April 28.

Yesterday, I visited Somerville Manning gallery which is situated along Brecks Mill in Greenville, DE. As I perused gallery which is currently featuring a smattering of represented artists like Bo Bartlett, as well as famous posthumous names such as Helen Frankenthaler and N.C. Wyeth, I could see the water rushing below from the windows, and  it truly felt like the calm before the literal storm. Their upcoming exhibition of Francis di Fronzo, “The Half-Life of Dreams (Pt 2)” debuts March 23. The exhibition runs through April 21st with an artist talk and reception on Friday, April 6 from  5:30 to 7:30 p.m.  Artist Talk is at 6:30 pm.

Enjoy the snowy silence today, and once you dig yourself out of your snow cave, be sure to check out this months’ offerings. Spring is coming, I can feel it. Until next time!