Art Live: See art created

Posted by Constance McBride on October 29, 2019

Carol Hall demonstrates her work at Ivystone Studio Demos

Several exhibitions are opening this week. In fact, a whole lot of exhibitions and events featuring smaller works will be opening between now and December. It’s the time of year when many artists offer smaller pieces from their collections. If you still haven’t taken the plunge but are mulling over the idea of starting a collection for yourself or a friend, now is your chance to scoop up works, normally larger in scale and price, for a fraction of the cost. I’ll be sharing the details on these special events happening in and around the Delaware Valley, beginning this week and continuing through December.

"Fields of Gold" Wood Vessel by Carol and Mark Hall

Artist Carol Hall will be giving demos of her work at Ivystone Studio Gallery in Downingtown on First Friday, Nov. 1^st. Carol and her husband Mark create engaging pieces in wood, mostly found from local sources, including their own yard. Mark turns the wood and Carol enhances each piece using a variety of techniques. Carol will be showing visitors how she makes her embellishments. It is sure to fascinate viewers, I hear Hall’s demos go into amazing detail. In addition, the glassblowing studio will be open and staff will be showing visitors glassblowing techniques. This is always fun and sometimes nail biting to watch. Stop in between 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for a visit. For more information go to https://www.ivystonestudio.com.

Also on First Friday, Nov. 1^st, the show Little Gems opens at Square Pear Gallery in Kennett Square and will feature glass works by Dan Burstein, ceramic works by Rhoda Kahler and much more. You will surely find some lovely pieces to choose from in the array of paintings, ceramics, glass work, jewelry and works in wood on display.

Gallery 222 in Malvern announced some exciting news this week. A special guest is joining two artists slated for its November exhibition and one of Gallery 222’s artists’ will be trading places, so to speak. A show for Valerie Craig and Radhika Srinivas will be opening earlier in the week, on Wednesday, October 30th. Joining them will be Church Street Gallery owner and artist, John Suplee. This new exhibition will run through Nov. 22^nd. A reception will be held on Thurs., Nov. 7^th from 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Craig is known for her urban and rural landscapes as well as figures within a landscape. Srinivas, a former textile designer, is a water colorist and paints urban scenes inspired by her travels, among other things. Suplee, who has mainly focused on solo exhibitions for several decades now, creates works in what has become his predominant style part realism/part impressionism.

Meanwhile at Church Street Gallery in West Chester, another realist painter, Randall Graham, will be the featured artist for November. The exhibition titled, Atmospherics will feature Graham’s “en rain air” paintings and more. It opens on Friday Nov 8^th with a reception from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Graham exhibits frequently around the area and he teaches traditional painting fundamentals at Wayne Art Center, Chester County Art Association and at his studio in Malvern where students can choose from group, private and drop in classes. Visit https://gallery222malvern.com/ for more details.

Two popular craft shows taking place on the same weekend is not unusual this time of the year so now is the time to plan ahead. On the weekend of Nov. 8^th, you’ll have some decisions to make regarding which you take in. Or, if you are a diehard fan of craft, you can make an entire weekend of it and split your time between the two. The Sugarloaf Crafts Festival is where 325+ artisans will convene at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA. This event features fine arts, crafts, jewelry, artisan clothing and accessories, specialty foods, and more. The renowned Philadelphia Museum of Art kicks off its 43^rd Annual Contemporary Craft Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Nov. 8^th. This year 195 US craft artists are exhibiting work along with 22 artists from Israel all weekend. For more details about Sugarloaf, visit https://www.sugarloafcrafts.com/festivals/fall-tour/oaks. For more details and ticket information regarding the PMA Craft Show, visit https://www.pmacraftshow.org/.

Another event worth checking out: If you are a fan of big name artists of the 20^th century, See Works on Paper with Robert Motherwell, Alice Neel, Philip Guston, Willem de Kooning, Richard Diebenkorn, Joanna Pousette-Dart, and others, at Locks Gallery from Nov. 1^st – Dec. 14^th. For more info visit https://www.locksgallery.com/exhibitions/works-on-paper/

Whatever you do this week, support the arts!

About Constance McBride

A native of Philadelphia, Constance McBride lived in Arizona for 16 years, where desert observations made a transformative impact on her work as a research based visual artist. Passionate about contemporary art, she was actively engaged in the local arts community. She served as a board member for several art organizations, managed an artist collective/gallery space, curated and juried several exhibitions and wrote for two arts publications in Phoenix. She taught ceramics at Shemer Art Center and Museum and exhibited her work both locally and nationally. McBride returned to Pennsylvania in 2018 and resides in Chester Springs with her husband and two dogs. In West Chester, she serves as a board member at The Art Trust Gallery at Meridian Bank and teaches ceramics at Chester County Art Association. She also teaches at Clay on Main in Oley, PA. She is a member of American Craft Council, Philadelphia Sculptors, and Women’s Caucus for Art, Philadelphia Chapter.