Summer Art Party/ Monster Draw
Transcription
Summer Art Party/ Monster Draw
A Publication of the Murray Art Guild • 500 N. 4th St., Murray, Ky., 42071 • 270-753-4059 • www.murrayartguild.org Artists Spotlight Summer Art Party/ Monster Draw Empty Bowls Valentine’s Sale murray art guild Unique handmade gifts for your special valentine. WOODWORK JEWELRY HANDMADE CARDS PAINTINGS www.murrayartguild.org AND MORE February 9, 2013 • 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Art Market • Murray Art Guild 500 N. 4th St. • Murray, Ky., 42071 Support Your Local Downtown Merchants Create Beauty ’ Mugsy s Ezell ’s Hideout Authentic Chicago Cuisine 504 Maple Street Murray, Kentucky Open Tues. – Sat. Like us on 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Facebook Financial aid available to those who qualify 410 Main Street • Murray www.mugsyshideout.com 270.753.4723 Come and at Ezell’s Cosmetology School Perms Color Cuts Highlighting & Tinting Waxing Facials Manicures Pedicures Sculptured Nails & Gel Polish OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC MAG Events ............................................................................... 2 Staff Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary with the Murray Art Hop by Angie Hatton ........................................................................ 3 Executive Director Debi Henry Danielson Intern Meg Henry Executive Committee Community Cultural Center Interest Group Continues Work by Catherine Bates .................................................................... 5 p.10 President Brad Robertson Treasurer Eileen Wirsig Secretary Heather Duffy p.8 New Life 270-767-0020 Empty Bowls by Pam Rockwell .....................................................................10 HappyGoLicky Jewelry; on a Personal Note by Tonda Thomas .................................................................. 13 Top 10 Creative Ways to Support MAG by Melissa Drake .................................................................... 15 p.13 10% discount for senior citizens and MSU students with I.D. www.EzellsCosmetology.com • [email protected] New Life “Serving You For 24 Years” On the cover: Yarn Bomb Bicycle, by MAG weavers. Photoshop enhanced illustration by Melissa Shown. See page 10 for related story. More Than A Artists Spotlight by Brad Robertson, Pam Rockwell and Debi Henry Danielson ..................................................... 6 Summer Art Party/Monster Draw by Pam Rockwell ...................................................................... 8 Board Members Melissa Drake Cooper Levering Stacey Mills Michael Muehleman Melissa Shown Jerry Speight Jenni Todd New classes beginning in January, April & September. Enroll Any Monday. Christian Bookstore 2012 – 2013 Murray Art Guild Board of Directors 2012 Discover Treasure, Far and Near, with Etsy.com by Melissa Drake .................................................................... 19 Weave a Rug in a Day or Make a Platter from Clay There’s a Workshop for That by Eva King ............................................................................... 21 Bookstore... • Willow Tree Angels • WebKinz “Serving You for 24 Years.” • Gifts • Music More than a bookstore ... • DVDs Christian Bookstore • Wi-Fi • Gourmet Coffee Lower Level • Whole Bean Coffee of New Life • Willow Tree Angels • WebKinz • Gifts • Music • DVDs Lower level of New Life Christian Bookstore Christian Bookstore 5TH & MAIN • COURT SQUARE • MURRAY • 753-1622 5TH & MAIN • COURT SQUARE • MURRAY • 753-1622 Contributing EditorS Melissa Drake and Pam Rockwell Layout & design Melissa Shown Printing Murray Ledger and Times, Murray, Kentucky The Murray Art Guild is a community based non-profit organization dedicated to supporting arts enrichment. The Guild was established in 1967 when several like-minded community members decided to establish a place where artists could create art as well as exhibit and sell their work. Forty-six years and several locations later, this goal is still key to our mission as we provide arts programming for local youth and adults in a range of disciplines, host year round exhibitions and house community studios and an Art Market. The Murray Art Guild welcomes participants of all ages and abilities. MAG is committed to principles of equal opportunity and diversity. We are proud to promote the delectation that comes from art. 2013 January 15th GUILD OPENS 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Tuesday – Friday February 9th VALENTINE’S SALE in the Art Market 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. WINTER BLUES EVENT : TBA March 30th SPRING ART/TROLLEY HOP Around town, 6 – 9 p.m. June & July TBA YOUTH SUMMER ART WORKSHOPS Schedules available in April July 5th SUMMER ART PARTY/ MONSTER ART RALLY 6 – 8 p.m. October 18th EMPTY BOWLS SOUP SUPPER 5 – 7 p.m. November 15th – 17th MAG HOLIDAY SALE Friday, 4 – 7 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday, Noon – 4 p.m. (vendor applications due in August) December 8th ART MARKET HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE 2 – 4 p.m. 23rd GUILD CLOSED UNTIL JANUARY 14, 2014 GUILD GALLERY February Blankets: MAG Weaving Studios Opening Reception: Feb. 1, 5 – 7 p.m. July Clay: Wayne Bates & Cooper Levering Opening Reception: July 5, 6 – 8 p.m. March Recent Works: MAG Life Drawing Studio Closing Reception: Mar. 30, 6 – 9 p.m. August Student Work: Murray State University April Student Work: Calloway County High School October Woods: curated by Wyatt Severs May Recent Works: MAG Painting Studio June Painting: Mary Fuhrmann September Clay: Reid Parish November Student Work: Calloway County Middle School December Small Works: MAG Members EXHIBITIONS March 30 – April 15, 2013 Visual Evidence regional juried exhibition, Miller Center, Downtown Murray Opening Reception and Art Hop, March 30, 6 – 9 p.m. (deadline digital entries, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013) October 4 – October 28, 2013 PROOFS regional juried photo exhibition, Miller Center, Downtown Murray Opening Reception: October 4, 6 – 8 p.m. (deadline digital entries Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013) December 8 – 19, 2013 Small Works MAG members exhibition and Art Market Holiday Open House at Murray Art Guild Opening Reception: Dec. 8, 2 – 4 p.m. (deadline entries Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013) ONGOING: MAG Art Market at the Guild. 500 N. 4th. Murray. Juried. Year round. Commission based sales. 2 Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary with the Murray Art Hop by Angie Hatton T he big blue and yellow Murray-Calloway Transit Authority trolley pulls up to the Robert O. Miller Conference Center. With a hydraulic swish, the doors open and passengers spill out onto the sidewalk for their next stop on the semi-annual Art Hop. Inside, a little over two dozen photographs hang in the regional juried exhibition, PROOFS. The children rush to the snack table, looking for sweets, as the adults greet the people they know, and walk around the gallery, admiring the art and glancing at the captions for familiar names. I think this is needed in Murray. Most of the time, you can see art at the guild or at the university, but with the Art Hop, people go to both and spread their experience. Murrayan Paula Hulick grabs the arm of a friend. “Have you seen Chuck’s picture?” she says. Chuck Hulick is one of at least five first time exhibitors in this PROOFS competition. In “Misty Patriotric Sunrise,” an American flag hangs off a front porch sill, light from an early morning sun lending a brilliant glow in the middle of the field of stars. Hulick calls himself a “snapshot type,” though he’s been taking photographs of landscapes and documenting his travels for 40 years. “This picture was accidental,” he said. “I went outside to get the newspaper in June and it was foggy, which was different because we had been in a dry time. As I walked by the flag, I thought it might make an interesting picture.” Finding something unique in the everyday is an important part of being an artist, Gallery 109 owner Jennifer Fairbanks said. Looking at one of her own paintings, an orange slice beside a china cup, she says it’s about letting your perspective come out. “Sometimes it’s composition, sometimes you see something and it’s beautiful, like the way the light comes through it,” Fairbanks said. Those who go on the Art Hop are always sure to encounter something surprising and beautiful. For Thomas Snodgrass, 14, of Murray, it was a flyswatter. Tina Sexton’s “Flyswat” is a close-up black and white image of an intricately patterned flyswatter against a blurred backyard background. “Sometimes the simpler the picture, the more it stands out,” said Snodgrass. He said he’s also drawn to the metal sculptures he’s seen in which wrought iron twists or crumples into shapes that defy logic. Snodgrass and his family have been to almost all of the Art Hops. He likes looking, but he’s also explored creating art: drawing pictures, weaving a rug, and making a miniature sculpture out of a clothespin. Art students are often most creative when they’re forced to experiment, Shannon Duffy observed. Duffy teaches classes at Murray State University, and finds inspiration for her own work on hikes through the woods with her children. Duffy’s jewelry incorporates bits of bark, shells, and stones her children have found and carried home. “We often think of jewelry as a precious object,” she said. “But work like mine, especially the found objects that were held by my children… are more about the memory embedded in it.” It’s important for Art Hop organizers to showcase a variety of forms and techniques, from a child’s first still life to ink prints from Finland. For many in the community, this is the only time of year they go to galleries. And they seem to be spreading the word. Murray Art Guild Board President, Brad Robertson, said that the Art Hop has grown over the past two years, with more of the community joining in at each event. “I’m glad to see it’s not the same people every time. I see new ones,” Robertson said. “I think this is needed in Murray. Most of the time, you can see art at the guild or at the university, but with the Art Hop, people go to both and spread their experience.” The partnerships with Murray State and local businesses during the Art Hop have been special to MAG Executive Director, Debi Danielson, because, she said, it’s encouraging to see different groups working together toward a common goal. “As far at the guild is concerned, one of my goals when I started working there was just to have a higher profile in the community, and I think the Art Hop has really helped us to do that,” said Danielson. 3 Community Cultural Center Interest Group Continues Work F by Catherine Bates or a little over a year now an interested group of citizens continue to gather each month in effort to envision a Community Cultural Center. Baby steps are being made in answering the questions of the cultural values of our community. MurrayCalloway County continues to grow in many ways, it only seems fitting for us to imagine a space that could enhance cultural civic pride. This group feels that a space should be created that will encompass the various cultural avenues that exist in our small, yet, diverse community. Our vision includes 926 S. 12th. • Bel-Air Center • Murray Murray’s choice for private parties, meetings, dances and catering 270-761-6800 The PREFERRED vendor of all your LICENSED Murray State and Greek apparel. 1409 MAIN ST. • MURRAY 270-759-4180 Elle’s Dance Studio JAZZ, TAP, BALLET, LYRICAL AND MODERN promoting a cultural ecosystem that is open to community activity on various levels. A Community Cultural Center could be a gathering place of activities for all ages and a variety of civic and arts related events that occur daily. As the community grows so do we outgrow spaces, and as buildings age, so do we require a need to assess what is available and find ways to envision new or reusable areas. When asked, what is a Community Cultural Center? The mission statement of the group suggests this: “a gathering place for sharing, creating, exploring, performing and being inspired and through partnerships and cooperation the Center provides a cultural platform for our community.” If you are interested in supporting the work being done, or in finding out more about a Community Cultural Center in Murray, information and contacts can be found at www.mccartscenter.org. “The arts are not a frill. The arts are a response to our individuality and our nature, and help to shape our identity. What is there that can transcend deep difference and stubborn divisions? The arts. They have a wonderful universality. Art has the potential to unify. It can speak many languages without a translator. The arts do not discriminate. The arts can lift us up.” ~ Former Texas Congresswoman Barbara Jordan Ages 3 & up New Hip-Ho p Class! 903 Arcadia Circle Murray, KY 42071 270-753-5352 Cell 227-3260 Elle Arant-Rose ~ Director/Owner BARBARA BARNETT, OWNER [email protected] WWW.BLINGITONFASHION.COM 270.753.4222 270.293.9372 Like us on Facebook Facebook.com/blingiton2 906-A S. 12TH ST.• MURRAY 4 5 Artists SPOTLIGHT SHANNON DUFFY Shannon Smeltzer Duffy’s show, “Lost and Found,” was recently featured at the Murray Art Guild during the Trolley Hop in September. Shannon is currently teaching art education full-time at Murray State University, where she received her B.F.A. focusing on woodworking in 1999. Duffy continued her education at Arizona State University where she earned her M.F.A. in metalsmithing in 2004. Shannon’s metalsmithing skills are highlighted in works from Helicopter Studios, the at-home art studio, where she also designs and produces unique toys for children. Items can be found online at Etsy.com or in person at many events including the Murray Art Guild’s Annual Holiday Sale. Not only is Duffy a dedicated art educator, she is also the mother of two wonderfully gifted children, ages 9 and 7, from whom she undoubtedly draws inspiration for some of her works. Duffy recently taught children’s weaving and felting courses at the Murray Art Guild and will be teaching VSA courses for children with disabilities, alongside some of her MSU students. What an asset Shannon has become for the MAG and our arts community. Dr. Camille Serre is a long-standing contributor to the Murray Art Guild. The 45-year veteran of art education recently retired from her post at Murray State University after 27 years of service, having also taught at Purdue University and K-12 art in Dearborn, Mich. Among her exceptional list of accomplishments, Serre most recently published Recipes For Sculpture: Methods For Creating Toilet Paper Food Sculpture & More, a textbook encompassing her expertise in the art form. Serre is probably most prolific in the area of metalsmithing/jewelry for which she received her M.F.A. at Eastern Michigan University, followed by her Ph.D. in art education at Purdue. When the 2011 Kentucky Art Educator of the Year was asked to reflect on our arts community, Serre said, “Over the past 27 years, my involvement with the Murray Art Guild provided many rewarding experiences, from conducting workshops and developing programs for children to jurying exhibitions as well as exhibiting my own work. For these opportunities to work within the arts community of Murray, I am forever grateful.” Please join us in wishing Camille a wonderful retirement! TERRY JOE SLEDD 6 Artists SPOTLIGHT Stacy Frett, a mixed media artist originally from Northern Illinois, has been making some form of art since childhood. Although she is interested in many mediums, she prefers to make photographs for now. Her work tends to follow different paths along the way, most recently working with studies in reflection, both visually and emotionally. The content of Frett’s work also conveys a sense of geometrical patterns and organic shapes colliding together in a symphony of color. The use of color became more interesting to her after moving to the south. “The hues are amazing and with each changing season I become more entranced by what my eye and camera are capturing.” Frett’s work can be seen at the Murray Art Guild, online at Etsy and Bonanza. Photo title: Silence STACY FRETT REID PARISH CAMILLE SERRE Art can answer varying needs: sometimes a need to say something, others a need to do something. Terry Joe Sledd of Stella needed something to do. Interested in the creative process of writing but needing new challenges, Terry Joe opted to try his hand in the visual arts. After his first choice, sculpture, proved to be more physically demanding than he was able, Terry Joe combined his interests in writing and sculpture and began creating one-of-a-kind artist’s books. Sledd studied the art of bookmaking at Arrowmont School of Arts and Craft, Gatlinburg, Tenn., and Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. Today he divides his studio time between blank sculptural books, which suggest a story with covers of wood, metal, leather and found objects; and unique hand-bound journals of leather, handmade papers, and candy boxes. Sledd is an exhibiting member of the Murray Art Guild and a juried member of the Appalachian Artisan Center in Hindman, Ky. “I see design in everything that I look at or touch,” says Murray Art Guild’s resident clay artist, Reid Parish. “I grew up in a home where both parents were actively involved in making or building things: whether it was oil paints or slip-cast ceramics or construction or boat repair.” Parish earned a B.A. in ceramic arts at Alabama’s University of Montevallo and a master’s in ceramics at Murray State. He has taught in every imaginable venue including artists’ co-ops, art schools and public schools from pre-K through college. “After working in clay for the past 30+ years it is still an adventure,” says Parish. “I love the process!” In 2010 Parish refurbished an outbuilding at MAG and opened Rainwater Studio where, in addition to creating beautifully refined white stoneware pottery he shares his expertise by conducting classes and workshops. He is responsible for bringing the Empty Bowls Project to the Murray community helping raise more than $4,000 for Murray Need Line, while exposing countless volunteers of all ages to his art form. TERRI HJETLAND Metals artist Terri Hjetland recently retired from her career teaching in the Calloway County Homebound Program. She grew up in New Jersey and earned her K-12 teaching certification from the University of Missouri and Keane College. She moved with her husband to Calloway County in 1979. “I started creating at the age of seven,” Hjetland states, “and over the years have searched for old, unique, and intricate techniques.” Those techniques include a Japanese braiding technique known as kumihimo, an ancient 3D Japanese embroidery technique, temari and scrimshaw. Five years ago Hjtland began working in metals. She has explored chasing and repoussé, and her fascination with intricate detail has resulted in the beautiful line of intricately crafted chainmaille jewelry available in MAG’s Art Market. Terri states, “I love working with metal – hammering, etching, manipulating, etc. The creative process is therapy for me – it helps keep me sane.” 7 MAG weavers display the bicycle bomb. From left, Jane Hall, ???, Eilleen Wirsig. Patrons chat with Harper in the MAG Gallery. MAG members Mary Jane Littleton and Jennifer Fairbanks enjoy the Summer Art Party/Monster Draw. SUMMER ART PARTY/ MONSTER DRAW M AG weavers and friends were up and hard at work early on the morning of July 6, 2012. They were on a mission. Their job was to sock the guild with Yarn Bombs to kick off Murray Art Guild’s Annual Membership Drive and Summer Art Party Extravaganza. The party is a come-and-go event that runs from 6 – 9 p.m. on Friday during Freedom Fest each year. It brings the community together for an evening of music, art, food and fun in support of our community arts center at 500 N. 4th Street in Murray. MAG director, Debi Danielson states the purpose of the event is, “… to give the community the opportunity to experience the many different aspects of the guild, build the guild community and create awareness of the arts and artists in our community.” And, she states, “I tell you what... It’s just to have fun!” And a fun time it was! Attendees were treated to great music by Wayne and Bobby Harper in the community garden throughout the evening. Everyone had the opportunity to try their hand at making a clay bowl (or two or three) under the expert guidance of clay artists (and MAG board members) Cooper Levering and Michael Muehleman. All bowls made at the event were contributed to the Empty Bowls Project, proceeds from the sale of which benefit Murray Need Line. And what July party would be complete without homemade lemonade? Made and sold by young guild member Jayne Bishop, all proceeds from the 8 delicious quench were donated to the guild. In addition to the festivities going on out back, inside, the Guild Gallery opened an exhibition of pastel and charcoal drawings and watercolors by artist Kathryn Harper. Her work featured landscapes both local and from her travels abroad. The Summer Art Party Extravaganza had an exciting, new fundraising feature this year: the first ever, annual Monster Draw Rally. Artists Marie Dolchan, Francis Wells, Sue Gregan, Annette Sitton, Jennifer Fairbanks, Mary Fuhrmann, Ken Kictzke, Rick Mjos, Heather Duffy, Joy Thomas, Tom Jackson and Reid Parish created 11 individual drawings in the community studios during the event. Attendees were able to watch the drawings evolve over the course of an hour. Eleven tickets were sold at $50 each and 11 ticket holders went home with a work randomly drawn from the batch. Danielson states that the fundraiser not only generated much needed revenue for guild operations but it also “demystified art-making” by allowing the public to witness the creative process. The event was so popular among attendees that Danielson intends to expand the concept in July, 2013 (see calendar) with a Monster Art Rally to include artists not only drawing but working in a variety of art mediums. Murray Art Guild is a not for profit community organization devoted to providing support to area artists and exposure to the arts for all citizens. Its operation depends on memberships, fundraising and volunteers. Membership is open to anyone in the community. Participation in events and activities, memberships, and donations support the guild’s mission: motivating artistic growth through community arts development. Check out the schedule of events in this MAGazine and make plans to join us! MAG welcomed Governor’s Scholars students from across the state who donated their time helping with preparations, assisting with workshops and bombing the guild for the Summer Art Party Extravaganza. Young MAG supporters help raise funds by selling freshly squeezed lemonade. Heather Duffy (left) and Joy Thomas (right) create drawings for the first annual Monster Draw event. MAG board member, Cooper Levering, assists young artists in creating bowls for the Empty Bowl Project. MAG patrons enjoy the colorful and creative array of hors d’ouvres served at the summer art party. Charcoal drawing by Kathryn Harper 9 EMPTY BOWLS O n a chilly day last October with a fire crackling and lively music ringing through the Community Garden the Murray Art Guild and MSU Student Nutrition Association (SNA) served up more than 150 handcrafted clay bowls full of piping hot, homemade soup. MAG’s 2nd Annual Empty Bowls Soup Supper was a smashing success netting $2,500 for Murray Need Line, which, according to Director Tonia Casey is the largest food bank in an 8 county area. MAG director Debi Danielson attributes the rapid growth of the Empty Bowls Project at the guild to partnerships. MSU nutrition student NIcole Schmittou organized the Student Nutrition Association which, with help from MSU faculty Kathy Timmons and Beth Rice, and contributions from local businesses prepared the many gallons of soup served at the event. Two hundred bowls were created throughout the year at the guild by guild members, volunteers, the Murray/Calloway Special Olympics Delegation, Governor’s Scholar Program Students; bowl donations were also made by local 2012 ceramic artists Wayne Bates, Reid Parish, Allyce Capps, Cooper Levering and Michael Muehleman, Tom Jackson and the MSU Clay Club students. Attendees who came out in support of Empty Bowls were making a contribution at the local level to this international grass roots effort to fight hunger and create positive and lasting social change through the arts and education. It’s a simple concept. Local artisans contribute bowls and for a minimum donation of $15 guests receive a meal of soup and bread and take home a beautiful, locally crafted bowl as a reminder of those with food insecurities and to support local organizations like Need Line which provide not only food but personal hygiene products, medical prescriptions, assistance with rent and medical travel and shelter for the homeless and working poor in our community. Left: supporters Dr. and Mrs. Charles Cella choose a handmade bowl in return for their Needline donation. Above and below: Murray State nutrition students serve up homemade soup and bread. Bottom photo: Live music was provided by ??? MAG members present a handmade bowl along with a $2000 check to Needline director, ?????. From left, Reid Parish, director, ??, Nicole Schmittou?, and MAG president, Brad Robertson. 10 11 “Build Your Own” HappyGoLicky Jewelry; on a Personal Note (by Tonda Thomas) We use only fresh, high quality ingredients. Alaskan pollock, freshly picked vegetables, 100% beef, boneless chicken breast and long grain brown rice. Everything is prepped and cooked daily in our kitchen! 12 Melissa Drake, nicknamed “Licky” by her sister in early childhood, has made art for as long as she can remember. She credits both her grandmothers for sparking her interest in creating beautiful things. They provided her with endless supplies, arranged for her participation in workshops at the Murray Art Guild and even taught her to sew, always encouraging her to explore different mediums and express her individuality. Drake was also a water baby, spending hours on Kentucky Lake with her family. Her father had her navigating their 36’ cabin cruiser by the time she was 16. Upon graduation from Murray High School she received a partial scholarship in theater to attend Penn State, but before the end of her first semester she began enrolling in art classes and eventually returned and acquired her BFA in studio art from Murray State University. During her college years she read about an island in the Bahamas known for its shark research program. Always up for adventure, Drake wrote to the director requesting an interview and when her calls went unanswered she journeyed to the tiny island of Bimini and knocked on the door of the “Shark Lab.” She convinced the director that although she did not have a background in marine biology she had a certification as a Dive Master, boating experience, and could even do a bit of plumbing if necessary. Convinced, he hired her on the spot. Her first assignment was painting murals on all the walls of the facility and since she accepted lower wages her first year there, she helped support herself by bartering for goods with her paintings. She lived and worked on the little island for eight years, spending the latter five as the manager of the lab. She was in the ocean daily, swimming and feeding the sharks, enveloped in the colors and textures of the sea. Unencumbered by civilization in a way that many people never experience, she developed an even deeper and more intense devotion to her passion of visual arts. Called back home to help her father with his growing firearms and furniture company, Lewis Drake & Associates, Melissa gained valuable business insight to combine with her previous managerial skills. Completely enthralled with her newest hobby, metalsmithing, she started researching the possibilities of internet sales for her jewelry on the global artist’s marketplace, Etsy.com. Drake began saving money to invest in the best tools and buy supplies in bulk. Working past midnight became a regular occurrence – developing her products, learning about self-employment, and reading up on what makes a successful craft business. When she reached her set goals much faster than expected she mustered the courage to tell her father it was time to leave the family business. Drake says, “It was an instant relief to hear him say, ‘I’ve known since you were born that you were meant to do something creative.’ “ HappyGoLicky was born. Fast forward to today … samples of Drake’s work can be acquired at the Murray Art Guild, and her entire collection browsed and purchased on her website, www.HappyGoLickyJewelry.com. Using “fine” silver that is 99.9% pure and 100% reclaimed, she creates eco-friendly unique rings, necklaces, bracelets, and medallions. A wrap bracelet was featured in Better Homes and Gardens as a favorite holiday gift pick. Her plan to attend more craft fairs has been altered by her internet sales tripling in the last year. She has hired a full time assistant to help with orders, shipping, and customer service. She resists hiring more staff in order to be able to give each piece her own touch, insuring the depth and detail of her evolving style are present in every item. She enjoys working individually with clients to create jewelry to their specifications. Nature continues to be her greatest inspiration and HappyGoLicky jewelry owners often share comments post purchase about the joy they feel when wearing designs that evoke memories of things and places they love. Drake is now a member of the same Guild that that provided classes for her as a little girl. She serves on the board of directors and is passionate about her involvement. She loves that the Murray Art Guild offers so much to all different ages: education, fellowship with other artists, and a place to generate and share those creations. She says she is now a part of an organization that helped bring her to this place of bliss that is now her life. Melissa Drake’s art can be viewed and purchased on her website: www. HappyGoLickyJewelry.com 13 Top 10 creative ways to support your Murray Art Guild Become a Member and Spread the Word Murray Dance e r t n e C 200 N. 4th Stop by the Guild or join online to enjoy discounts on all workshops, open studio space, and other cool perks. Like us on Facebook and then share our posts to let your friends know about interesting projects and exciting events MAG offers. Attend Events Murray Bring a friend to an opening of an exhibit. Join others on the MAG Trolley Art Hop to view artwork in galleries all over Murray. Take home a handmade piece of art after a dinner of hot soup at the Empty Bowls project. See the online calendar. JAZZ • TAP • BALLET • IRISH STEP • MODERN Sign up for Goodsearch.com. [email protected] To register call Rebecca It’s a search engine which donates 50% of its sponsored search revenue to organizations like ours. Join & select the Murray Art Guild as your cause, then shop companies like JCPenney, Office Depot, Lowe’s, & WalMart and they will donate a portion of the sale to the MAG. 270.210.0053 Volunteer VIEWED TO BE THE BEST www.pella.com 270.767.2500 PELLA CORPORATION Murray Operations 307 Pella Way • Murray, KY 42071 Bake some cookies for an opening of a show. Assist in preparing the gallery space for an exhibit. Help clean up after a special project. It can be as quick and easy as bringing plastic utensils & napkins to an event. Just call and ask. 753-4059. Advertise in the MAGazine Be seen by your community in the highly anticipated annual MAGazine that is circulated in the Murray Ledger and present at all Art Guild events. An economical way to gain exposure for your business. Take a Workshop Learn to paint or draw, weave a rug, create beautiful jewelry, throw some pots. There is always an array of neat classes for all ages. Check the website for a schedule, www.MurrayArtGuid.org. By far the most fun way to support the Guild! Make a Donation A good old fashioned check in the mail always works, or try the more tech savvy approach by clicking the Paypal button on the website. Either way, it’s tax deductible. Plus, it makes you feel good. Enter Work into Exhibits Are you a budding photographer, or simply take a neat shot on vacation you believe others would appreciate? Enter it into the juried PROOFS photography exhibit, for example. Or enter your arts & crafts for sale into the Holiday Show where a percentage of the proceeds benefits the Guild. Check the website for shows and entry deadlines. 711 Main St. Murray, Kentucky 42071 Endowment Fund Plan for the MAG in your future to guarantee it flourishes and continues to inspire the younger generation to expand their creativity and appreciate the arts. It’s a truly selfless way to keep the artistic fire burning in your own community for years to come. Ask Eileen Wirsig, MAG treasurer, about the Murray-Calloway County Community Foundation. Shop at the Murray Art Guild 14 A collection of handmade items can be purchased at the Guild, Tues.-Fri., 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. From woodworking, ceramics, weavings, paintings, jewelry, soaps and more, find artisan hand crafted gifts for someone special … or yourself. What’s your favorite way to support the Murray Art Guild? 15 Allergy & Asthma Clinic Richard M. Stout, M.D. WORKSHOPS 2013 Diagnosis and Treatment of • Asthma • Allergies • Hay Fever • Sinusitis • Cough • Insect Allergy • Food Allergy Whirl • Side by Side • Spiral Drawing • Oil Painting • Clay Open Studios ADULT AND PEDIATRIC PATIENTS www.murrayartguild.org/ workshops Office Locations: Murray, KY • Union City, TN • Paris, TN 1-800-756-5551 201 South Third Street Murray, Ky., 42071 (270) 753-2411 Owners: Mike Garland and Jeremy Grogan www.thejhchurchillfuneralhome.com 16 Pierce & Associates, PLLC Fax: (270)753-0275 [email protected] Murray Athletes Partner with MAG on Community Service Projects (by Pam Rockwell) Athletes, coaches, unified partners and volunteers from the Murray/ Calloway Special Olympics Delegation rolled up their sleeves to lend a hand with MAG’s community garden and Empty Bowls projects last spring. The delegation weeded, turned and readied for spring planting the garden beds located behind the Guild at 500 N. 4th street in Murray. The beds are available for rent by anyone in the community. No one stood idle that warm day in early March. Participants who needed a break from toiling outdoors were set to work creating clay bowls for MAG’s Empty Bowls Project. Under the instruction of resident clay artist Reid Parish, the group contributed to the production of more than 200 stoneware bowls. The bowls were filled with hot soup and sold at the Guild’s annual Empty Bowls Soup Supper in October which raised $2,500 for Need Line of Murray. Tools, labor, dirt and manure were provided by Jereme Rose’s Life Team from the Journey Church of Murray. The delegation’s athletes and volunteers were very proud to be a part of these community service events. For information on renting a garden plot or participating in Empty Bowls contact the Murray Art Guild at www.murrayartguild.org or 270-753-4059. Thanks for supporting the arts! 310 Main Street • Murray, KY 17 SAYS Thanks for supporting your local artists Polymer Clay Kaleidoscope Pillow Beads at Aimee Bailey’s Wildflower Wonders Etsy shop Steele & Allbritten, Inc. Plumbing and Electrical Contractors Swimming Pool Retailer Discover Treasure, Far and Near, with Etsy.com 270-753-5341 (by Melissa Drake) FAX 270-753-1270 Josh Schecter Brad Erwin Michael Mott 209 S. 3rd St. • Murray Rockhouse Creek Photography by Stacey Mills 270.761.PICS (7427) Cell: 270.752.7047 www.rockhousecreekphoto.com [email protected] 260 Crestview Lane • Almo, KY 42020 18 Hand-poured, 100% soy candle at Robert Schwenck’s Murray Candle Etsy shop H ave you ever needed a truly special gift, maybe something hand crafted, monogrammed perhaps, or even a one-of-a-kind surprise for someone special? Finding just the right present could be tricky and time consuming… until now. Enter Etsy.com, an online handmade global marketplace, and say goodbye to days of pounding the pavement at the mall or scouring mail order catalogs. Etsy.com, launched in the summer of 2005, was derived to change the way the global economy works by empowering the small business owner, building on the belief that people value hand crafted items and provenance just as much as price and convenience. Etsy extends a worldwide venue to artists where each sets up their own “virtual shop” to sell their wares. The beauty of Etsy.com is found in its copious assortment of artsy goods – photography, painting, jewelry, sculpture, clothing, pottery, needlecraft, woodworking, even edibles and bath & beauty products. Dream of an art form and Etsy offers it. And if you cannot find the perfect piece, you can surely find an artist to custom make it for you, as most welcome commissioned work and personalized requests. Currently, the number of artisans ranges into the hundreds of thousands, with new shops opening daily, promising a diversity found on no other commerce website. Internationally handmade products are at your fingertips in the collection of galleries from all over the map. Browse intricately crocheted scarves from Istanbul, wooden beads carved in Peru, Portuguese ceramic tiles, origami sculptures from Japan, metal belt buckles forged by a Spaniard, or candles poured by Robert Schwenck right here in Murray, Ky. Yes, right here in Murray, Ky. Looking online for handmade goods can still mean shopping locally, too. Etsy boasts at least 20 artists and crafters living in Murray, and the numbers rise into the hundreds as you stretch further out into western Kentucky. The value of Etsy as a bazaar is different to each of them. Art Guild member and “Chaise Longue Gallery” Etsy shop owner, Stacy Frett, appreciates the international reach, stating, “Just today I had a conversation with a woman in Estonia about a photo I took in New Concord. Twenty years ago that sort of exchange wouldn’t have been so easy.” While she likes having her prints for sale locally at Murray Art Guild, she also enjoys discussing her nature-themed photographs with many distant admirers. It has given her a new confidence just knowing that someone as far away as India has been influenced by her work. Local artist, Amy Washington, specializes in wool diaper covers and credits Etsy with providing her sufficient income after her husband was tragically killed in a car accident last April. Washington’s shop, “Mama Bear Baby Wear,” enables her to keep working from her house so she can continue to homeschool her two small children. Hoping to grow her polymer clay jewelry hobby info her full time job, Aimee Bailey, sells locally but increases sales for her miniature food charms & seasonal beads through her Etsy shop, Wildflower Wonders. Murray Art Guild member and recent exhibitor, Shannon Duffy, scored the highly coveted Etsy “Featured Artist” blog article for her very successful shop, “HELICOPTERstudios,” which is undergoing renovation as she adds her new metal work. By simply emailing her customers their purchase of her digital collage sheets, Tamara Bennett, owner of “Custom Creations,” loves the ease of Etsy. Like many shop owners she is also an Etsy buyer. Her favorite acquisition is a personalized necklace bought for her motherin-law with all the grandchildren’s names hand stamped on it along with their birthstones. Robert Schwenck calls Etsy the “world’s largest craft fair,” and is happy to have found an outlet for his soy scented candles though his aptly named shop, Murray Candle. His citronella candles were a huge hit during the summer, with his fall fragrances now picking up speed. Encouraged by his sales he is expanding his exposure on the internet with social media by linking his shop to his Facebook fan page and Twitter account. Finding artwork made by these locals, fellow Kentuckians, or people from any other part of the world is quick and easy. You can narrow down a search on Etsy by country, state, city, or even zip code. Refine it further to browse by price, category, color, specific item, or shop owner. The artists are easily contacted for questions. With so many talented artists showcasing a variety of high quality work it is easy to see why Etsy is growing by leaps and bounds. In one month alone, July, 2012, Etsy reported sales over $69 million, and new members totaled nearly 800,000. It is free to join as a buyer. Sellers pay a small commission when their work is sold, well worth the cost considering their shop is perused by millions who might otherwise be unaware of their craft. Whether you are an artist or craftsperson with unique items to sell or a shopper with an important handmade present to find, give Etsy.com a try, and you will discover treasure. 19 Weave a Rug in a Day or Make a Platter from Clay: There’s a Workshop for That (by Eva King) W hether you are foraging to feed an artistic interest, seeking to strengthen an area, or just looking to learn a new technique, Crowns! - These hats were made in a workshop directed by the Guild in partnership with the Playhouse in the Park, the Calloway County Public Library and the Murray State University Women’s Center. The Hat Making workshop was in conjunction with Playhouse in the Park’s production of CROWNS directed by Stephen Keene. For a complete 2013 workshop schedule visit www.murrayartguild.org/workshops 20 a Murray Art Guild workshop may be the perfect avenue to take you there. Workshops are appealing and appropriate for a number of reasons. Because they typically focus on a specific issue, they are usually short in duration, lasting anywhere from a few hours to an entire day to a full week or two. The concentrated nature of a workshop can provide an extremely productive experience exploring a particular topic. Workshops are generally affordable with reasonable fees that sometimes include materials and supplies. Workshop settings are individualized, friendly and energizing, and offer unique opportunities to develop interests, explore areas and fortify techniques. The Murray Art Guild provides a variety of workshops in areas such as painting, drawing, woodworking, photography, jewelry making, ceramics and weaving, on different days of the week and at different times of day. The instructors are highly qualified artists and art educators, skilled and experienced craftspeople who are willing to mentor, teach and share information. Reid Parish, who holds a B.F.A. and masters degree in art with concentrations in ceramics, offers numerous clay workshops at the Murray Art Guild. Parish’s workshops can be one-time events where the participants produce a single piece such as a summer memory frame, a platter or a coin box. He also offers extended projects that can take one or two days or a week to complete. Parish sees the workshop format as an opportunity to “feed an interest without pressures of an academic environment.” Most of his adult students have no background in art; they are simply interested in pottery. Children’s workshops are available after school and during the summer. Parish provides beginning, intermediate and advanced classes for students who want to explore ceramics, and he teaches wheelwork and firing. Experienced weavers Eileen Wirsig and Mary Cates are available to teach loom weaving. They offer a four-harness loom class for children and adults, in which students plan a project, wind a warp, dress a loom and then weave a rug or scarf. The adult workshop normally lasts 2 1/2 days in order to create a single project from planning to weaving, although larger five-day projects that explore different types of stitches are available. Many adult weaving students are retired teachers or those with experience in other fiber arts such as knitting or quilting. The children’s classes, which are offered only in the summer and last five halfdays, are generally filled. All students take home a project at the end of a workshop. Guild weavers will continue to coach and mentor students who are interested in further exploring the craft after they’ve participated in a workshop. Looms and fiber are available at the Murray Art Guild. Anyone wanting to just sample the art of weaving can schedule to weave a rug in a day; the project will be already planned, and only the choice of fabric has to be made. They also offer weaving workshops on the rigid heddle loom and the triangle loom. Silversmith and jewelry designer Beverly Kietzke instructs in the art of jewelry making. With a minimum of tools, such as a good set of pliers, and some ideas, students can create earrings, bracelets, and necklaces with chains. Beginning with inexpensive wire and moving up to sterling silver, Kietzke teaches wire bending and shaping, bead stringing and silversmithing. She will also teach metal chasing and stamping, and the ancient chain maile technique of making individual chain links connected with jump rings — a time consuming process with beautiful results. Diana Fuller, who loves and has always wanted to make jewelry, is a student of Kietzke’s, meeting once a week at the Murray Art Guild for two hours. Fuller brings her own ideas to the work sessions, and Kietzke shows her how to make the ideas into jewelry. Keitzke also shares resources for materials and supplies with her students and explains the intricacies of metal ordering. Fuller was given the opportunity to show and sell her work alongside Kietzke at the 2012 Gourd Patch Art Festival in Mayfield, Ky., in September. Marie Dolchan, a retiree whose background is in ceramics education, wanted to develop her potential in painting and drawing. After attending a beginning painting workshop taught by Gene Snowden at the Murray Art Guild, she began to joyfully explore the use of pastels and paint to create still-life compositions. From Snowden, Dolchan acquired a variety of valuable information ranging from basic matters such as a realistic place to start when purchasing materials, to formal issues such as use of space, lighting and color. Dolchan found the condensed information presented in the workshop appealing, and appreciated the individualized attention she received. My own MAG workshop experience helped me find a fresh approach to creating art. After having worked mostly in oil paint on canvas and board for a number of years, I began searching for a medium that would exploit my interest in bright colors, bold patterns and simplified forms. In the summer of 2010, I decided to participate in a oneday workshop at the Murray Art Guild, conducted by paper appliqué artist Jody Stokes-Casey of Milam, Tenn. In the workshop, I was introduced to a tracing paper technique of making patterns and shapes, then cutting and assembling the shapes to create a picture. After the workshop, I continued to explore the process, refining it to suit my purposes. I now use cut pieces of paper rather than paint to create compositions. The results are very much pattern-oriented with simplified forms, flattened perspectives and bright, bold colors. So if you are searching for a new art medium, yearning to learn a new technique, or simply wanting to experience the joy of creating, check out the Murray Art Guild. Most likely there will be a workshop for that. 21 Katrina Coffelt, LPCC, NCC•Ashley Champion, LPCC