Katie Sachs Studio Concert & Fundraiser: November 1, 7pm

Katie Sachs is a former western Mass resident active in the local music scene, who left four years ago to continue her music career in Austin, TX. She returns for a special performance of original songs spanning three albums worth of material, as well as some covers and a Tom Petty tribute. Come for an intimate evening of soulful Jazz-Folk, and to support The Art Garden.

 

Wednesday, November 1, 7 pm

Suggested Donation $10 – $15

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Upcoming Printmaking Workshops at The Art Garden

We are pleased to be launching printmaking at The Art Garden with the following two monotype workshops and guest artist/teacher Joyce Silverstone:

Monotype Improvisation

Sunday, October 29, 1pm – 6pm

Monotype and Drypoint

Sunday, November 5, 1pm – 6pm

For a full description of the workshops with details about cost and registration, please scroll down to the bottom of our Calendar page.

 

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

 

to the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts
Mission Express Grant

which helped us purchase the equipment needed to offer printmaking in our studio! Thank you Peter Chadwick for donating the press that got this all started! Thank you Liz Chalfin and Zea Mays Printmaking for providing us with your expert guidance and support! Thank you Bruton Strange for your donated time and carpentry skills creating a movable press and installing our cabinets and new sink area shelving and counter.
And thank you! thank you! artist and board member Laura Iveson for your dedication to this program and your work to make it happen.

Creativity Supports Community

Photo by Anna Goldstein

Before summer’s abundance of creativity begins (in and outside The Art Garden),
I want to share some enchanting images from the third Fabulous Hilltown Draw-Around: our 12-hour creative community art-making extravaganza that local artist and Art Garden board member, Laura Iveson imagined, organized, coordinated and made happen with the help of over 50 volunteers.

First hour of the Draw-Around captured by James Smith

“Creativity is a force of Enchantment!”

                                                                    —from Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Photo by Emily Crehan

One of the most magical things about the Draw-Around, for me, is how it draws out (sorry for the pun) the creativity in everyone:

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Photo by Emily Crehan

The historic Cowell Gym (where the Draw-Around takes place) is big enough to get lost in; after 12 hours the floor and walls were covered with exquisite and humorous testaments to private musings and communal exchanges:

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Photo by Emily Crehan

This year, 400 people became a part of something ephemeral and enchanting and bigger than ourselves; something that encouraged us to be ourselves, which is essentially what it means to be IN community.

Photo of local artist Nancy Katz ‘having a blast’ by James Smith

ARTeen Micah drawing her dad while her sister Anna takes photos

Thank you! Thank you, LAURA IVESON!

Photo by Nancy Katz

Thank you to the core group of movers and shakers who met for weeks to help shape the event. Thank you to the volunteers who showed up to prepare the space and clean it up afterwards.

Photo by James Smith

Thank you to everyone who helped during the Draw-Around, the artists who led workshops and community members who donated healthy food. Thank you Janice Sorensen for organizing and managing our Cowell Café! Thank you Reed Arahood for creating the Draw-O-Saurus:

Photo by James Smith

Thank you Samantha Crawford for creating the elaborate drawings that we enlarged to become the walls of our 3D garden coloring book:

Photo by James Smith

We are so grateful and enchanted!

Thank you local businesses for your support and Suzanne Conway for your whimsical tribute to them (and 12-hour drawing performance!)

Thank you to the following Local Cultural Councils for your support: Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont/Hawley, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Heath, Leyden, Plainfield, Rowe, and Shelburne!

Thank you Phyllis Labanowski and ARTeen volunteers for welcoming everyone!

Photo by Phyllis Labanowski

All proceeds from the Draw-Around help support our ARTeens program.

Here are our current spring session ARTeens after Valley Gives Day
(which also supported their program!)

All this is what community looks like!

Please Support ARTeens on Valley Gives Day! May 2, 2017

The spring session of our ARTeens afterschool program is up and running. It’s popular! We are now offering it twice a week, with 21 teens coming from three public high schools (Mohawk, Frontier, Four Rivers) and home school networks.

The slideshow below takes you INSIDE ARTeens! See and read some of the reasons why teens LOVE this program:

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ARTeens is a pay-what-you-can program so that no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. 85% of our families require financial assistance to attend.

Do you want to help support ARTeens OR do you know others who might?

The Art Garden is participating in Valley Gives Day on Tuesday, May 2^nd.
This 24-hour day of giving supports the good work of hundreds of local non-profits.

All donations made on our Valley Gives page will support ARTeens*.
Every gift matters!
And each individual donor and each individual gift makes us eligible for prizes given out throughout the day.

Please pass this on to family, friends, and neighbors.

This link will take you to our Valley Gives page:
https://www.valley-gives.org/designee/the-art-garden-inc

Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

 

*ARTeens is a pay-what-you-can, afterschool program serving rural Franklin County teens. Teens come from three public schools (Mohawk, Frontier, Four Rivers) and home school networks. Teens come hungry for the freedom to express themselves and direct their own art-making in our community studio. Many of our teens have been marginalized or bullied for being different. Core to ARTeens is the co-creation of an inclusive community that fosters safety, acceptance, and responsibility using democratic processes to ensure everyone’s participation. ARTeens are encouraged to develop their understanding of themselves as engaged and compassionate artists, contributing to our communities with their artistic skills and creativity.

ARTeens has become a signature program of The Art Garden, embodying key components of our mission to nurture diverse creative processes, support the exchange of ideas, explore and build relationships in a non-judgmental and intergenerational art studio and engage people of all ages and abilities in community art projects that serve the common good. Our pay-what-you-can model reflects The Art Garden’s commitment to broad community access to quality arts programming. Artist co-facilitators, Phyllis Labanowski and Jane Beatrice Wegscheider, develop curriculum that incorporates exploration of new materials and creative engagement with contemporary issues; helping emerging teen artists understand the powerful impact their art-making can have in our communities and in the world.

 

Liz Chalfin, Artist Presentation, May 6th, 6pm – 8pm

This event is free and open to the public. Please see our map for directions.

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

Small Things Add Up

Stop in to The Art Garden before April 1st to see
our Small Things Matter Community Exhibit!
There are 144 pieces by 66 artists in this delightful show.

There are prints, collages, paintings, paper cuts, assemblages, drawings, fiber works, photographs, tiny sculptures, tiny poems and more.
All of the pieces are under 5″ (all dimensions.)
Artists range in age from 6 years old to (well, I didn’t ask.)

This exhibit is supported in part by the following local cultural councils: Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont/Hawley, Colrain, Conway, Heath, Leyden, Plainfield, Rowe & Shelburne! Thank you! Thank You! Thank You!

Please note: During the month of March, The Art Garden will be open during these hours: Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 1 – 5 pm, and Mondays 3 – 5 pm. It is also a good idea to call first if you are coming from afar: 413-625-2782.

SAVE THE DATE!

Saturday, April 8th is our 3rd annual

Fabulous Hilltown Draw-Around

from noon – midnight

at the Cowell Gym in Shelburne Falls!

For updates see The Art Garden’s Facebook page!

 

HATCH public art awards part of Fringe Fest, February 11

FRINGE FESTIVAL
Saturday, February 11 (almost all day long) in Shelburne Falls, MA
2 to 5pm: International Women’s Film Festival on the theme of LOVE!
5 to 7pm: HATCH 2 reveals the 6 recipients of public art grants.
7:30 to 8:30pm: The premier of the Shad Ladder Radio Hour

HATCH (Hilltown Art & Thriving Community Happenings) is a collaboration
between the Greater Shelburne Falls Area Business Association, The Art Garden
and Phyllis Labanowski (with support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.)

This is our second round of awards and we are excited to have you meet and hear from the artists about their upcoming public art projects!

Please join us (and them!) for a casual time of good food, good conversation, and good company! Artist presentations from 5:30 – 6:30.

$5 supports the program and gets you some yummy soup & snacks.
Cash bar. (Bring a snack or dessert to share and you’ll get a free drink.)