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ENLARGE
First visitor to postcard show Pat Lewis.
Best Kept Secret: Crocheted sculpture, beaded necklaces, and paintings
By Allison Sarmo
Cultural Confidential Contributor
The Grand Junction City Hall at Second and Rood has a new exhibit which has possibly the widest array of diverse and interesting art media ever displayed throughout the building.
The show ranges from luminous acrylic landscape paintings by Nancee Jean McClure to crocheted soft sculptures, masks, and mixed media fabric and paper maché artwork by Patrick Metoyer to jewelry and watercolors
A new organization, the Art Jewelers Guild of the Grand Junction Area, is displaying three cases of beautiful jewelry, from intricate beadwork to diachronic glass to silver and gemstone pieces. And on the second floor Community Art Wall, the Western Colorado Watercolor Society has hung 20 excellent works in water media. The new art is on display until Sept. 30, and the City Hall is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
For more information, contact the Arts Commission at 254-3865 or allisons@gjcity.org.
Allison Sarmo is the cultural arts coordinator for the Commission on Arts and Culture.
Cultural Confidential Contributor
The Grand Junction City Hall at Second and Rood has a new exhibit which has possibly the widest array of diverse and interesting art media ever displayed throughout the building.
The show ranges from luminous acrylic landscape paintings by Nancee Jean McClure to crocheted soft sculptures, masks, and mixed media fabric and paper maché artwork by Patrick Metoyer to jewelry and watercolors
A new organization, the Art Jewelers Guild of the Grand Junction Area, is displaying three cases of beautiful jewelry, from intricate beadwork to diachronic glass to silver and gemstone pieces. And on the second floor Community Art Wall, the Western Colorado Watercolor Society has hung 20 excellent works in water media. The new art is on display until Sept. 30, and the City Hall is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
For more information, contact the Arts Commission at 254-3865 or allisons@gjcity.org.
Allison Sarmo is the cultural arts coordinator for the Commission on Arts and Culture.
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ENLARGE
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So why did our Art Center recently receive postcards from Zagreb, Croatia, Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Baie D'Urfe, Quebec? They are part of the 12th annual National Collage Society's “Wish You Were Here” Postcard Show.
Grand Junction art lovers have the good fortune to be able to see examples of the work done by of some of the best collagists living today as The Art Center (Western Colorado Center for the Arts) hosts this popular show. One hundred and thirty-eight small format collages will be available for viewing during the month of July. This show has been facilitated by the Rocky Mountain Collage Society, a local affiliate of the National Collage Society.
During its 12 years, the annual postcard show has been displayed in many places, most notably at the Lincoln Center in New York City. Artists must keep their work to the dimensions of a postcard, i.e. four inches by six inches. It is amazing how a powerful statement can be made in such a small space. The show looks like a patchwork of little jewels.
Awards were given at the exhibit's first showing at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio in June. Among the 16 award winners were collages titled “Champagne Party” (done with champagne labels and caps) by Gretchen Bierbaum of Ohio. “The Bingos” (constructed on an old bingo card) by Steven Specht of New York, and “I Moth be Dreaming” (depicting a moth made from sparkly papers and fibers) by Mary-Lou McDonald of Ontario, Canada.
Grand Junction art lovers have the good fortune to be able to see examples of the work done by of some of the best collagists living today as The Art Center (Western Colorado Center for the Arts) hosts this popular show. One hundred and thirty-eight small format collages will be available for viewing during the month of July. This show has been facilitated by the Rocky Mountain Collage Society, a local affiliate of the National Collage Society.
During its 12 years, the annual postcard show has been displayed in many places, most notably at the Lincoln Center in New York City. Artists must keep their work to the dimensions of a postcard, i.e. four inches by six inches. It is amazing how a powerful statement can be made in such a small space. The show looks like a patchwork of little jewels.
Awards were given at the exhibit's first showing at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio in June. Among the 16 award winners were collages titled “Champagne Party” (done with champagne labels and caps) by Gretchen Bierbaum of Ohio. “The Bingos” (constructed on an old bingo card) by Steven Specht of New York, and “I Moth be Dreaming” (depicting a moth made from sparkly papers and fibers) by Mary-Lou McDonald of Ontario, Canada.
First Friday Opening July 10 (2nd Friday!)
The official opening of the show will be as part of the First Friday celebration at The Art Center, 1803 N. Seventh St., on July 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. during which visitors will be able to vote for the “People's Choice Award.” After that, the postcards can be seen in the atrium gallery of The Art Center during their regular public hours of Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the month.In addition to the postcard show, The Art Center will also be exhibiting the Pastel Society Members Show, How They Made It: The Process Works of Livermont, Cox, & Warzecha, and The Art Center Student & Instructor Show. These also open on July 10.
National Collage Society
The National Collage Society was organized in 1981 with the idea of educating the public about this new now well-defined art medium that arose in the 20th century. Collage has evolved from one piece of paper glued to another all the way to intricately constructed three dimensional assemblages.
In addition to the Postcard Show, the National Collage Society also organizes a national juried show held annually at different venues throughout the nation. The show has become extremely competitive and attracts many hundreds of entries each year. This year's national show will be held in Atlanta, Ga.
Rocky Mountain Collage Society
Members of the Rocky Mountain Collage Society were instrumental in bringing this show to Grand Junction with the help of the staff at The Art Center. The RMCS is beginning its third year of existence and had its first members' show at the Johnson Gallery at Mesa State College in 2008. The club has also shown recently at City Hall, Frameworks Gallery, The Creamery in Hotchkiss, and currently has work hung at the old Mesa County Court House. The next members' show will be in October 2010 at The Art Center. The local collage society holds meetings once every other month from September through May at The Art Center. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month from 7 p. m. to 9 p. m. The next meeting will be September 8, 2009 and will be the club's annual meeting. This year the focus will be on collage challenges. Members are invited to create a collage to show at each meeting based upon a specific set of criteria. September's challenge will be to create a “green” (as in environmental) collage.
To find out more about how to become a member of the Rocky Mountain Collage Society, contact Gayle Gerson at 241-8561 or at galstarr@bresnan.net or visit the newly formed (and still building) Web site www.rockymountaincollagesociety.org. For information about the National Collage Society, visit nationalcollage.com.
Gayle Gerson is vice president of the Rocky Mountain Collage Society.
