We’re starting our New Year with Small Kindnesses

photo by Laura Iveson

What are some of the small kindnesses you experience? That you offer yourself or others? That have been given to you? … a smile or hug on a gray day … a good book … a warm fire … making soup for a neighbor whose partner has been in the hospital … an unexpected call from an old friend … your dog’s kisses … ???

Emma (5 years old) creating a card at our recent “Gifts of Gratitude” workshop.

This exhibit is free and open to all ages and experience. All work should relate to the theme. Because this is a SMALL WORKS exhibit, we will be able to accept more than one piece from each artist.

This includes framing if your piece is framed. It does not have to be!
Writers please print or format your pieces to fit the size limit as well.

 

Drop off work at The Art Garden on:
Saturday, January 26, 1pm – 5pm
Tuesday, January 29, 2pm – 6pm
and Wednesday, January 30, 10am – 1pm & 3pm – 5pm

OR call to arrange a different time or to get mailing instructions: 413-625-2782

 

photo by Cheryl Dukes

More about the HooPla coming soon!

 

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Participate in a Community Exhibit about Trash

 

 

Re-purposing, re-cycling and re-using materials that would normally end up being discarded is something The Art Garden is committed to.

Our intergenerational studio is filled with high quality, traditional art supplies AND boxes and boxes of donated ‘discards’: fabric scraps, toilet rolls, bottle caps, buttons, tins and tea boxes, lace and netting, magazine images &&&.

Children regularly transform trash into imaginative creations.

With whimsical results!

If you would like to submit work for our Talkin’ Trash exhibit, please bring it to The Art Garden ready for display on either Thursday, Friday or Saturday, November 1, 2 or 3 between 1pm – 5pm. 

Call 413-625-2782 if you have questions.

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Call for Teen Art!

 

 

 

 

Thank you to the following
Local Cultural Councils:

Ashfield,
Buckland,
Charlemont/Hawley,
Colrain,
Conway,
Heath,
Plainfield,
Rowe
and
Shelburne!

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50 Artists and Writers in “Great and Small” Exhibit

There are over 60 works of art, poetry and prose by 50 artists and writers
in our current community exhibit about the animals we love:

 

Painting,

collage,

assemblage,

tapestry,

needle-felted

sculpture,

drawing,

photography,

drypoint

and

monoprint,

poetry,

prose,

and

a

beautiful garland

of dog tags

and bells,

are just some

of the variety

of media

on exhibit.

Poignant tributes to the animals we love
attest to the deep relationships we have
with the ‘other-than-human’ among us.

 

And lest we forget,

our

youngest

participant,

Theo,

age 6 ¾,

has a watercolor

entitled,

Humans

Are

Animals

Too.

 

 

You Don’t Have To Take A Dog

                                              for Zoey, in memoriam

You don’t have to take a dog when you walk at night,
but it helps.  Neighbors driving by don’t have to wonder
what tragic event has occurred to you—
whether you’re trying to escape from your past
or your future; your husband, your kids, or just
the unwashed macaroni pot hardening on the counter.
People who don’t know you don’t have to waste time
wondering who you are, though they might
slow a bit, on account of your dog.

The dog is oblivious. That’s part of her charm.
She trots on ahead of you, sniffing for rabbits
you’ll never let her have.  She knows
you’d spoil her chances, lose your cool
and  shriek, “No!” right at the critical moment.
She loves you anyway.  She’s a dog.

You, on the other hand, are inescapably human.
Even if you could bring yourself to charge into
the underbrush baying at the top of your lungs, seeking,
maybe even finding, something vast and elemental,
some scrap of insight trapped and trembling
down a badger hole, there’d still be laundry
to do when you got home.

The moon’s not full tonight but it’s smiling anyway—
a lax, sideways smile—indulging you, indulging your dog.
Cornstalks nudge one another as you pass.
All the decisions you’ve made lately,
all the tears you’ve cried or not cried,
and still this flat plain, this little piece of the world,
looks exactly the same.

The dog could have told you that.
She’s waiting for you now, having left behind
the field’s enticements to come onto the pavement
to find you.  She sits, calm, watchful, wondering
how it is you can walk such a straight line
and still be so far back there.

                                                             Trish Crapo

 

 

The poem above by Trish Crapo is one of many in this exhibit. Poetry will be part of the closing reception (that includes other performances) on:

April 14, 6pm – 8pm

Performances at 7pm

 

View the exhibit at The Art Garden

on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays:

1pm – 5pm

 

Perhaps Super Honey Bunny will be here to greet you!

 

 

 This exhibit

is supported in part

by the following

Local Cultural Councils:

Ashfield,

Buckland,

Colrain,

Charlemont/Hawley,

Conway,

Heath,

Plainfield,

Rowe,

& Shelburne!

 

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

 

And thank you James Smith & Laura Iveson for taking exhibit photos for this post!

 

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In the midst of winter: workshops, creativity, community!

  Edible gold ink valentine cookie that Jane made for Laura in 2017

The next few weeks are busy ones at The Art Garden!

We hope you can join us
for some [or all] of the following creative opportunities:

 

Laura Iveson and I will be facilitating this introductory drypoint workshop for adults [teens are welcome too!] using The Art Garden’s etching press and non-toxic Akua ink.

We’ll provide materials, prompts and instruction for exploring the beautiful mark-making that is characteristic of drypoint. No prior experience necessary. Registration is required! Please call or email The Art Garden to register: csartgarden@gmail.com or 413.625.2782

To see some of the amazing drypoint prints created by the artist, Louise Bourgeois, click here.

 

A week of intergenerational guest artist workshops:

February 19 – 23, 2018

The Art Garden has invited several guest artists to our studio for this full week, February Vacation program; providing special workshops in the mornings followed by mixed media studio projects in the afternoons.

All ages are welcome, including adults and teens!

The full week program meets from 9am – 3pm, February 19 – 23, 2018.

Morning workshops run from 9am – 11am.

Register for one or more workshops, full days or the whole week!
Click here for details.

 

Workshop Schedule:

On MONDAY morning, artist and set-designer Laura Iveson will guide students in the making of Shadow Puppets. She will provide a Shadow Puppet screen for us to use for creating shadow-puppet plays. Impromptu performances will happen throughout the day depending on participant schedules.

 

TUESDAY: Dream Catchers with Edite Cunhā

Dream Catchers (in Lakota Tradition) represent the web of life. They hang in homes to sift dreams and visions, letting the negative pass through, and holding the positive and helpful for the good of the people. In this workshop we will use vintage linens; colorful textiles, ribbons and yarns; fun notions and baubles; and natural materials, to make unique dream catchers as gifts for ourselves or others.

 

On WEDNESDAY, teaching artisan Leonore Alaniz invites participants to journey to the magic expanse of the sky and outer space. Inspired by music and visualizations, we will explore printing with recycled materials, gel plates and colorful non-toxic inks. Everyone will create a batch of unique images on paper and cloth: beautiful gifts that tell the story of imaginary space travel.

 

On THURSDAY, artist Mia Radysh will teach flat Needle Felting on wool felt. Cut out a crown, bracelet, play watch, or ornament shape to decorate, or make a patch for your favorite sweater. If you can draw or paint it, you can felt it!

 

On FRIDAY, Jen Luck Hale will demonstrate her process for making intricate,cut paper art using multi-colored and patterned origami paper and tiny scissors. Jen will show students the basics for creating their own designs and patterns.

 

All workshops are tailored to accommodate a mixed age group.
The Art Garden prides itself on fostering a culture of inclusion, where people of all ages and abilities are treated with equal respect. It is amazing what we learn from each other!

 

AND LASTLY:

 

Super Honey Bunny invites you

 

to celebrate the Year of the Dog

 

by participating in our next community exhibit

about the animals we love:

 

 

Drypoint with photoshop additions by Jane Beatrice Wegscheider

 

 

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Join us for a little light in the darkness!

                                                                              Photo by Laura Iveson

 

Winter HooPla

Saturday & Sunday, February 3 & 4

6:30 – 8:30pm

at The Art Garden

and the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum Railyard

 

Our Winter HooPla features a series of ephemeral, outdoor art installations using rail yard buildings, old rail and commuter train cars, and other site-specific features of the railyard landscape.

 

In 2017, shadows cast from Reed Arahood’s carboard birds flew between large-scale shadow boxes set inside Freight house doorways. The shadow screens were created by Samantha Crawford, Jumi Shots and Laura Iveson. Photo by Reed Arahood.

 

Under the co-direction of artists Laura Iveson and Jane Beatrice Wegscheider, guest artists and community volunteers co-create a magical environment focusing on winter myths, whimsical and ephemeral winter-related ideas and contemporary issues. Installations are created using found, re-purposed, and natural materials, paper and light.

 

Brazilian guests helped paint the giant mushroom caps for     Mia Radysh’ giant Mushroom Fairy Ring in 2017.       

 

2017 HooPla Fairy Ring created by Mia Radysh. Photo by James Smith.

 

2016 HooPla historic T-car installation created by Laura Iveson.                               

 

In 2017, Laura and volunteers transformed the historic T-car into an aquarium (using our giant Green River Festival cardboard fish.) What will it become this year?

 

Our Winter HooPla is free and open to all!

Hot cocoa will be served outside and light refreshments will be inside where visitors can also see Against All Odds: a community exhibit about Resistance & Resilience. There are 37 works in this exhibit made by 27 artists.

 

 

The HooPla is supported by a generous grant from The Art Angels. Thank you!

It would also not be possible without the hard work (often out in the cold) of many volunteers, community members and local artists. Thank you! Thank you!

Community exhibits at The Art Garden are supported by the following local cultural councils: Ashfield, Buckland, Colrain, Charlemont/Hawley, Conway, Heath, Leyden, Plainfield, Rowe & Shelburne! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

 

 

Thank you also to the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum where The Art Garden is located. We are so grateful for all your support and the permission to play.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

 

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An Invitation to Participate in our next Community Exhibit

You are invited to participate in a Community Exhibit about

 

Resistance & Resilience:

 

Participation is free and open to all ages and experience.

Submit a poem, painting, drawing, photograph, collage, etc. that relates to the themes. We will include at least one piece per person.

Some size restrictions apply. Call ahead if your work is larger than 3’ in any direction.

Bring work to The Art Garden on Nov. 22, 25 or 28.

 

Opening Reception:

 

Saturday, December 2, 2017

 

6 – 8 pm (performances at 7 pm)

 

Call by Nov. 28 if you have a story, poem, song or other performance that you would like to share during the reception. Performances are limited to 5 – 7 min.

Come see the Exhibit: Tuesdays – Saturdays, 1 – 5pm, until Dec. 28.

The Art Garden is located in the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum building.
Access to our parking is via Elm St. Please see our map!

Questions? 413-625-2782 or csartgarden@gmail.com

Thank you to the following Local Cultural councils whose resilience and support keep our communities vibrant: Ashfield, Buckland, Colrain, Charlemont/Hawley, Conway, Heath, Leyden, Plainfield, Rowe & Shelburne!

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