CHANGES: 215 College Gallery Closes on June 26

Vermont Art Zine recently received the sad news that 215 College Gallery – one of Vermont’s most interesting, professional, and adventurous galleries – is closing. The editors of Vermont Art Zine each wished to write a few words about the gallery. Our remarks are followed by the gallery’s press release about the closing.

Marc Awodey:

Since 215 College St. Gallery doesn’t close until the end of June, I’ll write about it in the present tense. It’s one of Vermont’s best galleries, and an important fixture in the arts community because, in addition to having great shows for the last five years, it’s a truly cooperative artist-run gallery. The space isn’t a gallery with studios attached. It’s not primarily a retail space with various gift ideas and tchotchkes available. It’s not a cafe venue. 215 is a real gallery, with top notch curation and critically informed exhibitions. And incidentally, the cooperative of artists who founded and maintain 215 College are all women, as well as mature accomplished artists. It’s not a place devoted to “emerging” artists and designers the way so many Burlington venues are these days.

As a critic with Seven Days, and occasionally Art New England, I’ve written about 215 shows perhaps ten times over the last five years. Maybe more. The exhibitions there are always both challenging and rewarding. At 215 the artists inform fellow artists, as well as the public, on contemporary critical issues in the visual arts. There were, or I mean are, aesthetic epiphanies to be witnessed in every show. There’s also a feeling that each exhibiting artist is a “first among equals” during her exhibition, and every artist treats gallery visitors to their very best work.

Burlington is one of the most vibrant little art towns in America, and that reputation isn’t going away soon. Galleries here tend to come and go after a few years, and a temporary presence is practically expected when spaces don’t compromise on the material they present. At 215 College Gallery only the strongest visual art was allowed up the stairs and through the door on the left. That’s why it IS a successful gallery, at least till the end of June. After that its past exhibitions and cooperative model will continue to be inspiring for many years to come.

Janet Van Fleet:

When I visited 215 College, I could always depend on finding serious, top-of-the-line work, perfectly mounted in an attractive and well-maintained space. That’s because the gallery was owned and run by the accomplished artists who exhibited there. They were willing to put money and time into the gallery so they had choice about what they exhibited and how the space looked. But it also meant that they had to do everything themselves, and each artist had to be at the gallery to staff the place when their shows were up. I know what a big commitment this was, because I was one of the guest artists at the gallery, exhibiting with Ayn Baldwin Riehle in 2008.

This is one of the huge tensions in the life of committed, professional artists – the number of non-art things that have to be done to manage an even moderately- successful career. Art is like Good Food – you need to make sure there’s quality control from seed to table. Artists have to make good work, but also frame or finish well, find venues, cultivate collectors, and try to hustle the press to get some ink (or pixels, in the case of Vermont Art Zine). It made sense to the members of 215 to have the restaurant at the farm, so to speak.

I regret that, unlike Marc, I only wrote two reviews of shows at the gallery, and I know the exhibits there always deserved much more critical attention than they got. But, like 215 College Gallery, Vermont Art Zine is also an all-volunteer effort, and I live in Cabot, a long way from Burlington.

In the end, I suspect it got to be too much. They had done it. If the world didn’t exactly beat a path to the door with checkbooks in hand, they knew they had done a damned good job, and presented their artwork the way it needed to be presented. So hurrah for the artists of 215 College Gallery, who have put their money, their muscle, and their talent to work for the community for the last five years. Thank you.

215 College Gallery’s Closing Statement:

After five years on the Burlington arts scene, 215 College Gallery will be closing its doors on June 26th. What started five years ago on the heels of a "what if?" moment, grew, with tremendous encouragement, into a recognized and respected venue for contemporary, thoughtful exhibitions. In 2005, artists Charlotte Hastings and Catherine Hall got together at Hall's Burlington studio on College Street. "I invited her to look at the space…to ask her opinion of turning it into a cooperative gallery," recalls Hall. Hall and the current artist members credit Hastings with the requisite enthusiasm and energy to move the dream of a gallery into reality. Charlotte Hastings was a sculptor and educator who died in 2006 of pancreatic cancer, months before the first exhibition opened in April of that year at 215 College Gallery. We are proud to have been able to realize the goal of Charlotte's efforts: an independent, successful, artist run gallery.

Although 215 College Gallery will no longer exist as a formal space, the artists of 215 College Gallery continue their collective and individual involvements with their art practices. Our experience as a part of the growing community of Burlington art venues has been invaluable. We would like to thank you, the press, friends, artists, and art lovers for your enthusiastic appreciation and support for 215 College Gallery, and all the exhibition spaces, big and small, where art continues to matter.

CHANGES: GVAG Cricketers Gallery Opens in Grafton

Grafton Valley Arts Guild, a non profit marketing cooperative and arts education organization, is proud to announce the grand opening of their gallery, GVAG Cricketers Gallery, in the Cricketers Building at 45 Townshend Road in Grafton, Vermont. The guild will officially open the doors of their new space with a group show of all their members titled: Inception, on Friday May 27th from 2-6 PM. Inception will feature work in a variety of mediums including: sculpture, iron, textile, photography, painting, collage, wood and ceramics.

The organization was founded by several Grafton artists including: Frances Holliday Alford (textile, Embellishments Studio), Adam Howard (blacksmith, Grafton Forge), Bryce LeVan Cushing (sculptor, N2Galeria) and Jason Ballard (woodworker, My Minds Design). The organization’s mission is to make Grafton a world class arts destination. They have been doing that in recent months by producing exciting town-wide art events in partnership with area businesses including: The Old Tavern At Grafton, The Grafton Village Cheese Company, The Hunter Gallery of Fine Art and Blake Hill Preserves.

Friday May 27th marks the first of a four-day gala event being produced by the Grafton Valley Arts Guild. Saturday May 28th several of the members will have their private studios open in town as part of open studio weekend and the Cricketers Gallery will be open from 10 AM to 6 PM. Sunday May 29th we will repeat the same schedule and end the day with a cocktail party at the Phelps Barn at The Old Tavern At Grafton featuring Grafton Village Cheese.

Memorial Day (Monday May 30th) the Cricketers Gallery will be open from 10 AM to 6 PM and we will end the four day gala with a fundraising dinner at the White Chapel in Grafton (4 Main St.) from 6-8 PM, with food prepared by chef Bryce LeVan Cushing, featuring local cheese, produce and bread, the evening promises to be a great time! The dinner includes soup, salad, entree and dessert. No one turned away for lack of funds, $15 suggested donation, BYOB.

For more information about the Grafton Valley Arts Guild, our new gallery space or about any of our artists, please contact Bryce LeVan Cushing at 802 843 1062, or email brycelevancushing@gmail.com .

Images:
Top: Big Girl, by Bryce LeVan Cushing
Center: The Cricketers Building, photo by Dante Falcone
Bottom: Bacon and Eggs, by Adam Howard

CHANGES: John Brickels opens new Gallery at the Soda Plant in Burlington

John Brickels opens new Gallery, Studio and Mad Scientist Classroom

Gallery grand opening and reception:
Friday, May 6 from 5-8pm
The Soda Plant, 266 Pine St, Suite 104

Having outgrown his SPACE collaborative studio, Brickels has moved deeper into the heart of The Soda Plant. His new gallery/studio/classroom has room for paintings, sculpture and space for his popular 3am Mad Scientist Workshop.

Augmenting rusty toy pedal cars with realistic components Brickels blurs the line between adulthood and childhood. The viewer deciphers whether these sculptures are adult vehicles shrunk to a child’s perspective or a child’s toy amplified into an adult world.

1948 Buick gewgaws will be handed out to the first 50 visitors during the May 6th grand opening. There will also be a drawing for a seat in the 3am Mad Scientist Workshop VIII to be held July 16th.

Image: 64 1/2 Mustang

CHANGES: Vermont House of Representatives Recognizes SEABA

On April 12 the Vermont House of Representatives voted unanimously to approve resolution H.C.R. 132, recognizing the South End Arts and Business Association’s (SEABA) 25 years of supporting the development of South End Arts District and the creative economy in the City of Burlington. The resolution, offered by Chittenden County State Representative Suzi Wizowaty, along with Senators: Baruth, Fox, Lyons, Miller, and Snelling, offers an account of the history of this unique part of Vermont’s largest city. The resolution also cites how the South End Arts District, now in common usage in Burlington’s newspapers, is home to nearly one hundred artists’ studios, and numerous businesses directly involved in the creative economy.

SEABA directors Roy Feldman and Christy Mitchell, along with board members, Rick Norcross and Mark Waskow, were in attendance and were asked by Representative Wizowaty to stand and be recognized by the full house of State Representatives.

To complement this development in formalizing the South End Arts District, SEABA has created the SEABA Center at 404 Pine Street. The SEABA Center is a showcase for the organization’s commercial and artist membership, and will serve as an information center for those who wish to know more about exhibition spaces, galleries, and studios within the District, and throughout Burlington.

Image: SEABA Directors Christy Mitchell and Roy Feldman at the Statehouse in Montpelier. Photo by Rick Norcross

CHANGES: New Gallery in Randolph

The Korongo Gallery Opens in Randolph

by Dian Parker

Living in the East Village in Manhattan in the late 60's and all through the 70's, I’d often hang out with artists at a street café and we’d talk about our work incessantly. Bongo drummers lined 2nd Ave and the small alcove of my eight-floor walk up was often a place for bums to sleep. Artists opened their apartments as tiny makeshift art galleries. On one wall hung a tie dyed sheet and on the floor a double mattress. Not much else except art. And more art. It was everywhere, some of it not very good, but it was an outpouring nonetheless; a place to be seen. We never thought the East Village would become what it is now, one of the hip places to live in Manhattan, still filled with art, only much more expensive.

Along comes the Korongo Gallery to Randolph and we have promise again of a beginning that could very well burgeon into something hip and wonderful – a place for artists and writers to display and read their work, congregate and hang out. At the opening on March 17 there was a feeling of excitement and expectation that we might just be on the verge of a new happening, right here in downtown Randolph. The gallery was packed. Patrick Texier, the owner, schmoozed with the folks and Laurie Sverdlove Goldman, the painter, talked about her work which hung on three of the walls. Jack Rowell took photographs and everyone was smiling and milling about. The food was delicious. This was a real opening in a new little gallery that has a big and bright future.

Texier was born in France and spent his early childhood in the artists’ colony of Les Baux in Provence, where his next-door neighbors were the renowned engraver Louis Jou and the Belgian sculptor Adrien Mertens. His grandfather was an American painter and his grandmother was an artist’s model, who met in Paris in the Twenties. As Patrick tells it, "I wanted to be a painter, but my father said it wasn’t an option, so I became a safari guide in Africa instead." He’s now also published two of his illustrated children’s books, for sale in the gallery, inspired by living close to wild animals in Africa.

The inaugural show at the Korongo Gallery is Battlefields: WWI, the work of California landscape artist Laurie Sverdlove Goldman, who moved to Randolph from the Bay Area three years ago. Describing this body of work Goldman says, "I became interested in war landscapes as an outgrowth of my interest in other manmade landscapes. Explosions, mud, barbed wire, grass, sky, death – the conundrum that terrible and terrifying things can be beautiful." In the current show are two large composite paintings, oil on canvas, each composed of eighteen or nineteen 10" x 12" smaller paintings shown in a grid, either with off-white or black backgrounds, Soldiers in Trenches/Black and Soldiers in Trenches/White. These are accompanied by two 34" x 46" pastels of explosions, Battlefield 1 and Battlefield 4, elegant blasts of color in subtle shades of pink and blue, yellow and green, and they ARE beautiful. Goldman’s work has been widely exhibited in San Francisco, L.A. and San Diego and is included in many corporate and civic collections.

Besides showing art, the gallery’s other business is to layout, design and print books in small quantities for authors who would like to self publish (no editing however). Patrick and his wife, Sara Tucker, will also use the gallery for events such as receptions, readings, writing workshops, story-telling, and informal discussions.

Across the street from the gallery is the new restaurant, Black Krim, which will coordinate some of its events with Korongo. Imagine a glass of wine in one hand, a Nori sushi in the other, listening to a writer read from her new novel or an artist talk about his work, surrounded by art on the walls while Edith Piaf sings softly in the background. A bit of Europe, a bit of New York City, and every bit itself. It can happen, but we must frequent the gallery and come to the events. Korongo is a happening place if we make it so.

The next exhibit will open on April 29 and feature cartoons, stained glass, and sculptures by artist Phil Godenschwager. It will also include Jack Rowell’s photographs of Godenschwager’s work.

Gallery hours – Tues-Sat, 11 am – 7 pm
18 Merchant’s Row
802.728.6788

Images by Laurie Sverdlove Goldman:
Soldiers in Trenches - White/ series, oil on canvas, 12" x 10"
Soldiers in Trenches - Black/ series, oil on canvas, 12" x 10"

CHANGES: Happy New Year, Happy Birthday

We wish you a Happy 2011, and want to thank you for being a part of our visual arts community.

Vermont Art Zine published its first piece in January of 2009, so we'll be two years old at the end of this month!

Remember to tune in regularly to Vermont Art Zine, and let others know about us. It's also critical to make sure you send us news of exhibits, openings, and other information about the visual arts in the state of Vermont. We publish what comes to us, so keep those cards and letters coming!

Vermont Art Zine is a completely volunteer enterprise. Our editors and writers contribute their time and services to keep this online publication going. Thank you everybody!

Janet Van Fleet and Marc Awodey, Publishers

CHANGES: Governor Douglas Portrait Unveiled at Vermont Statehouse

By Theodore A. Hoppe

In the beginning of the month the State of Vermont received an early Christmas present, but it didn't have to wait until Christmas morning to take the wrappings off this gift. The gift, of course, is a new addition to the state's art collection, a portrait of Vermont's outgoing governor, Gov. Jim Douglas. The larger than life painting is a splendid likeness of Gov. Douglas. It depicts him in a dark blue suit and red striped tie, an American flag pin on his left lapel, with a beaming smile.

Speaking at a ceremony for the unveiling of the painting, David Schutz, who has been the State Curator since 1986, could not contain his delight about the new portrait, describing it as one of the top five among the several hundred portraits of governors, military heroes and other individuals exhibited in the Statehouse. Schultz added that it is "not just a portrait of a governor, but also a work of art."

It should be noted that governors’ portraits are not paid for with public funds. It has been a long-standing tradition that a committee of friends and supporters of a governor generally coordinate the fundraising effort. The Douglas portrait cost about $30,000, similar to that of his predecessor, Democratic Gov. Howard Dean. The artist Gov. Douglas selected to paint his portrait is Vermont artist Kate Gridley. She has previously taught at Middlebury College, and currently lives in Middlebury with her husband and children. Her work includes landscapes and interiors as well as portraits. She has painted portraits of a number of prominent Vermonters, including former Middlebury College President Timothy Light, former Green Mountain College President Thomas Benson and Vermont Law School Dean Max Kempner.

Speaking at the unveiling of the painting, she noted that the portrait is not yet varnished because the oil paint will need a year to cure. This means that the surface of the painting is uneven: parts of it appear dull, parts are shiny, the depth and richness of the colors and the range of dark and light are not fully visible. Gridley described how the task of painting a portrait is complicated, not simply about likeness. It is about layers of paint, but also layers of meaning about who the person is."I hope the painting captures the essence of a man who is as honest as they come," Gridley said. "A man who loves to meet people. A man who enjoys honoring the events and special occasions that take place in towns across this state. I'd hope the governor's sense of humor and the fact that he's both formal and approachable are evident."

Those who have never taken a tour of the Statehouse might not realize just how many portraits hang there. A portrait of George Washington, painted by Massachusetts artist George Gassner, in the style of American portrait artist Gilbert Stuart, was the first piece of art purchased by the State of Vermont. The painting has an interesting past, including the fact that it was rescued from a fire that burned the Vermont Statehouse to the ground a few years after the painting was purchased. There are portraits of other historical figures as well: Vermont’s two U.S. presidents, Chester Alan Arthur and Calvin Coolidge, and Montpelier’s own Admiral George Dewey, posed in a white navel uniform on the bridge of his battleship. Legend has it that no likeness of Vermont's first governor, Thomas Chittenden, was available to the artist, so he worked from a sketch of the governor’s grandson, who, it was assumed, bore a likeness to his grandfather. As Schultz has previously pointed out, “More than just a home for the legislature, the Statehouse is also a museum."

Do stop in to see the new portrait, as well as the others while the Statehouse is decked out with its seasonal decorations.

Here is a video of the unveiling:

Changes: THE SHELBURNE ART CENTER WELCOMES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Shelburne Art Center is excited to announce that Burlington artist and educator Sage Tucker-Ketcham has assumed the role of Executive Director.

Sage Tucker-Ketcham is a tenth generation Vermonter with a BFA from Maine College of Art and an MFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She has exhibited work at venues including The Amy Tarrant Gallery, The Firehouse Gallery, The Shelburne Museum, ICA Portland of Maine, Hudson Walker Gallery, Provincetown Art Association Museum and Berkshire Community College of Massachusetts. These exhibits and others have been reviewed in a variety of publications, including Art in New England, Seven Days, Art Scope, The Burlington Free Press and other community newspapers.

As a business owner and educator, Tucker-Ketcham was the co-founder of One Arts and Business, a not-for-profit dedicated to fostering arts and business in the North End of Burlington. She has worked as an educator and administrator for the YMCA, Head Start, Burlington City Arts, the Burlington School System, Cape Elizabeth Community Services, and Burlington College. Throughout her career, Sage has taught hundreds of children and adults, and has curated several art shows.

Now stepping up as the new Executive Director for the Shelburne Art Center, her goal is to develop and implement a smart growth plan for Shelburne’s historic arts and craft school. Ultimately, her aim is to see the Art Center function as a sustainable, efficient institution that is both forward-thinking and progressive, yet keeps to the core values on which it was founded over seventy years ago. With that mission in mind, the non-profit will work towards modernizing its facilities and administration to both save money and stream-line the day-to-day operations. At the same time, The Shelburne Art Center will invest more time and energy in its classrooms, studio spaces, and curriculum, allowing the arts community and partnerships with local schools—elementary through college-level—to thrive and grow.

CHANGES: Karl Prantl, father of International Sculpture Symposium, dies at 87

Austrian sculptor Karl Prantl died at his home on October 8, 2010. He is believed to have organized the first International Sculpture Symposium in 1959. He invited eight sculptors from around the world to work in an old Roman quarry in St. Margarethen in Burgenland, Austria. During the days, the sculptors worked together to create monumental stoneworks. At night they ate together, drank wine and discussed topics of common interest. The Greek definition of symposium: a drinking party with a free exchange of ideas. The sculptors returned to their respective countries inspired to organize more stone symposia.

The Carving Studio and Sculpture Center in West Rutland reports that in 1968, Karl Prantl came to Vermont to participate in the Vermont International Sculpture Symposium organized by UVM professor Paul Aschenbach. This sculpture, located in Springfield, Vermont, near interstate 89, was produced as part of that event.

CHANGES: Studio Place Arts (SPA) Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Celebrate! show in Barre

Studio Place Arts Ten years ago: On November 11, 2000, SPA first opened its doors for its "Grand Opening" celebration. We invite you to attend our Opening Reception for our Celebrate! holiday exhibit on Saturday, Nov. 20, 4-6PM for a slice of birthday cake to honor our first 10 years.

We thank our Board of Directors, past and current volunteers, and SPA founders for their dedicated work and vision for our young institution. SPA is a labor of love. It's been a very exciting and productive first decade. Thank you for being a part of our art center.

Current Show (through Dec 31): Celebrate! On all Three Floors at SPA.

SPA HRS: Tues. - Fri. 10AM-5PM; Sat. 10AM-4PM

Image: Floor Lamps by Nori Morimoto, sculpture lamps by Jim Sardonis, Painting (left) by Prudy Burnes, Collage (right) by Jane Davies.

CHANGES: Drawing Board Celebrates 35th Birthday in Montpelier

By Theodore A. Hoppe

One the iconic symbols of Montpelier, albeit a rather small one, is a neon blue sign that reads ART. It hangs in the side window of the Drawing Board, an art supply and framing shop at 22 Main Street, one of the first buildings you see when heading into Montpelier's downtown area. It is a beacon to artists and art lovers alike. This one three-letter word aptly describes everything one needs to know about the Drawing Board.

For the past thirty-five years, (has it really been that long?) the Drawing Board has been the place in Central Vermont to find everything "art": quality supplies of every kind – paints, brushes, easels, paper, "over 100 gorgeous handmade papers from around the world", pens, pencils, pastels, clay. There are bookbinding, printmaking, and drafting supplies, and many other surprises – post cards and greeting cards of famous art, and materials to create art "trading cards". The store exhibits works of art by local artists in the limited space on the brick wall above the counter. Even the window displays are thoughtfully artistic, and stand out among the other store-fronts on Main Street.

To celebrate, their 35 years in business, the Drawing Board is having a birthday party on Saturday, November 13, 2010, from 12:00- 5:00 P.M. There will be cake and balloons, and lots of prizes and surprises. Everything in the store will be 35% off, and they will be taking $35.00 off any custom frame order over $100. So stop into the Drawing Board to wish them a "Happy Birthday".

"The best part about being here in business is the customers, and the friends we've made over the years," says Ray Brown. When Ray and his wife, Jody Wilson Brown, took over the store, they knew about art and framing, but had no business experience. So being new to business, and new to Montpelier, they had to learn as they went along. "We have always had a great staff, great employees, and that helped," says Brown.

The art world is continually changing, and the Drawing Board has had to change along with the times, so they now have a website. Asked to recall some of the challenges they have had to face over the years, both Ray and Jody mention the flooding of Montpelier in March of 1992. "We had planned to make some changes to the store at some point, but the flood caused us to renovate everything. We got a lot of help after the flood to keep the business going. It's a lot nicer now than it was.”

When asked about some of the other memorable events of being in business, they recalled some of the contemporary artwork that they have had a chance to frame. "Andy Warhol, Chuck Close”, said Jody, to name a few. "We framed some pieces for the White House, and a Rembrandt etching," added Ray.

As Ray Brown thought for a minute about the many memories the business has provided, he said, "...and we're still having fun doing it." It is always a plus to have a job you love to do, but who wouldn't love to connect with people's inspiration and creativity every day. That is "fun" indeed. The rest of the story, as a saying goes, is that the Drawing Board has, over the years, become an active and generous part of the community, the art community as well as the business community. Thank you, Ray and Jody.

CHANGES: Bradley Fox Memorial Service in Johnson

Vermont artist Bradley Fox died last weekend, and there will be a memorial service for him at the Vermont Studio Center's Gallery 2 on Pearl Street in Johnson this Friday, October 26. There will be a potluck at 5:30, and a chance to share stories, photos, and reminiscences at 7PM. His work will also be on display.

Bradley’s work will be remembered for his paint handling and use of color. His works were deceptively simple, not about being flashy, just painted with joy and a sense of place. Centered in the Johnson area, he was actively involved with his community. Bradley was a driving force behind the East Johnson Plein Air Club (that we thank for the above image), and formerly ran the Painted Caravan Gallery. He earned his MFA from Johnson State College/Vermont Studio Center, Johnson VT in 2006, received a BFA from the Art Institute of Boston in 1990, and Diploma Academia Internazionale Estiva de Belle Arti, Duino Italy in 1991. He was a well-respected artist, and will be missed by many.