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Arts on Main

Community Arts Center in Gloucester, Virginia

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Meet the Artist: Katherine Maloney

Our exhibit, “Animalia”, features the work of 3-dimensional artists Ryan Lytle and Katherine Maloney. This week we’ll take you into the studio of Katherine Maloney and get to know her, and her work, a little bit better.

Katie Maloney works in her studio in Cologne, Va.

AoM: Where did you grow up?

KM: I grew up on my family’s organic farm in Tidewater Virginia surrounded by rivers, marshes, and a lush diversity of plants and wildlife. I’ve traveled and lived other places but still call the farm home and is where I currently have a studio.

AoM: How and when did you first know you wanted to be an artist or artisan?

KM: A big part of my upbringing was being homeschooled and therefor having time to pursue my own interests. I have always made art of some kind, as a child I drew pictures, played outside, made miniature sculptures with polymer clay and later apprenticed with a potter. After I graduated from college with a B.A degree, I immediately set up a simple studio and began supplementing my income with selling pottery. Whenever people ask me this question my genuine response is that I never made the decision, it just happened. Most integral to my ambitions for pursuing the life of an artisan, has been the support of my family and mentors who are all creative dreamers and entrepreneurs. 

AoM: What are the biggest sources of inspiration for your work?

KM: Nature and Travel. 

Observing wildlife and the natural environment is a big part of my inspiration and I often focus on animals which I have some connection to, such as where I have lived and traveled. By sculpting the animals realistically I hope to remind my audience to consider the creatures who inhabit increasingly vulnerable landscapes. 

Many of my forms and particular animals are inspired by traveling in Southwest China, Japan, and within the U.S. As an artist I consider myself a visual translator for what I observe and experience in the world, including my own interpretation of art made by people from all cultures and eras. I feel very fortunate to have been able to travel and hope to keep doing so! 

Detail Awaiting Renewal, White stoneware, oxides and ash glazes, fired in oxidation to 2200 degrees, 14.5″ x 14.5″ x 3.5″
Left: Coyote Box, White stoneware, oxides and green glazes, fired to 2200 degrees in oxidation, 7.25” x 4.25” x 4.25” Right: Polar Bear Censer, Porcelain and white stoneware, underglaze, microcrystalline and blue ash glaze, fired in oxidation to 2200 degrees, 5” x 3.25” x 3”

AoM: Tell us a little bit about your creation process.

KM: I often start by doing a simple sketch and look at photographs of the animals I’m working to represent. The time involved to create a new design depends on how clear my idea is and how detailed and technical I want to make the piece. Most of my work is begun on the throwing wheel, then I sculpt the animals to either integrate or be symbiotic with the thrown form. When I’m making a new animal I often take my time to figure out the correct proportions and the preferred emotion for it to evoke. After construction, pieces are fired once, painted and sprayed with my own formulated glazes, then fired a second time. With the many steps involved, it can often take a few weeks to a couple months to get a new design from start to completion.

AoM: Do you ever hope that your work will evoke a certain response from the people who interact with it?

KM: I want my art to encourage personal memories about people’s connection to particular animals and landscapes. My hope is the emotion of nostalgia can lead to introspection about the ways in which we are living as humans in this current moment on the earth. I also intentionally focus on beauty as an important element of my work. I want the animals to be beautiful, regal, honored, and gracefully integrated with the vessel. In this way, I hope for my art to bring joy into people’s homes where the animals are storytellers about our collective experience as life forms sharing landscapes. 

Animal Perfume Bottles

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: 3d Art, Animal Sculpture, animalia, Ceramics, katherine maloney, Meet the Artist, sculpture, Studio Tour

AiR Mail from Poe Dismuke + Sam Woolcott

Artist in Residence sculptor, Poe Dismuke, with his wife, painter Sam Woolcott, will be rescheduling their time in Gloucester for after the pandemic. While the SAM-POE Gallery in Bisbee, Arizona, stays closed, Poe has been collecting dead flies from the window sill and drawing them. He shared this photo of his work space in the window at the gallery.


The Artist in Residence (AiR) program in sponsored in part by the Cook Foundation. To learn more about the AiR program click here. 

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: AiR, AiR Mail, artist in residence, Poe Dismuke, Sam Woolcott

Meet the Artist: Ryan Lytle

Opening on July 22nd, our new exhibit, “Animalia”, will feature the work of 3-dimensional artists Ryan Lytle and Katherine Maloney. This week we’ll introduce you to the work of Ryan Lytle and give you a peek into his studio.

“Whether it is pets, in nature, films and cartoons, mythology, I have always been drawn to animals. As a kid I had an extensive stuffed animal collection. These fascinations of animal archetypes, images and myths have resurfaced as visual vocabulary in my work.”

“My works are primarily created through the process of needle felting. There is a comfort that is embedded in the nostalgic material. Needle felting is done by compressing raw wool with a barbed needle into a form. Every area is stabbed hundreds of times with a single needle until the desired density is formed.  This medium allows me to sculpt works within a surreal space that is both disarming and inviting.”

“Although I mostly work with wool and felting, I also experiment with other materials. Typically, I am drawn to fiber-based techniques, but recently I’ve been working with 3D printing as well. I have been learning how 3D printing operates so that I could incorporate the process into my 3D design courses at CNU. Currently, I have converted about half of my studio over to producing face shield visors for hospitals. The university has been very supportive and generous with their equipment and materials.”

“Aside from the printing, my studio has been busy with finishing up work for a show projected for June at the PFAC. It is a lot of rabbits, and I’ve been creating an eight-foot moon rug with a rug tufting machine. It should turn out to be one of my more ambitious projects to date.”

“For the show at Arts on Main I am planning to show some of my more experimental pieces and I am excited to see how they work together alongside Katherine Maloney’s work.”

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Animal, Animal Sculpture, art exhibition, arts on main, felt art, Felted Animals, Ryan Lytle, sculpture

10 Art+ Craft Projects for Kids to Beat Summer Boredom

Summer is upon us! We’ve scoured Pinterest for TEN art/craft projects that can be done at home with a few, easy-to-find supplies and/or simple substitutions. Grab the kids, cover the table with some newspaper and let them go wild! Click the images to be directed to the projects.

1. Painted Paper Plate Flowers

2. Boats at Sea Recycled At

3. Popsicle Resist Art

4. Ferocious Beings Paper Project

5. Cardboard Zoo Animals

Image by Aaron Dyer

6. Thumbprint Bugs

7. Nature Names

8. Painted Treasure Rocks

9. Bubble Painting

10. Paper Plate Donut

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Kids art, Kids Art Craft Projects

Remembering Christo

Christo at The Floating Piers, June 2016
Photo: Wolfgang Volz

On May 31st, the artist known as Christo, passed away at the age of 84, leaving behind him a legacy of work that brought joy and beauty to millions of people across the globe for over fifty years. 

Christo was born Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, on June 13, 1935 in Gabrovo, Bulgaria to a Bulgarian Industrialist family. He met his wife and creative partner, Jeanne-Claude (June 13, 1935 – November 18, 2009), in Paris, in March of 1958, they were married in October that year. It would be three years before Christo and Jean-Claude would complete their first collaboration and large-scale work, Stacked Oil Barrels and Dockside Packages, Cologne Harbor, 1961. Rolls of paper, oil barrels, tarpaulin and rope. Duration: two weeks.

Stacked Oil Barrels and Dockside Packages, Cologne Harbor, 1961 
Photo: Stefan Wewerka  
© 1961 Christo
 

Christo and Jeanne-Claude would come to be known for their larger than life, temporary, environmental installations often transforming mundane landscapes into dreamscapes.

Valley Curtain

In 1972, a bold, orange, 200,200 square foot woven nylon curtain was draped between two mountain slopes in Colorado. The installation,called Valley Curtain, remained for twenty-eight hours before a gale made removal necessary.

Christo  
Valley Curtain (Project for Colorado) 
Collage 1971  
Pencil, fabric, wax crayon, topographic map and tape  
28 x 22″ (71 x 56 cm)  
Photo: André Grossmann  
© 1971 Christo
  
Christo and Jeanne-Claude  
Valley Curtain, Rifle, Colorado, 1970-72 
Photo: Wolfgang Volz  
© 1972 Christo
 

Surrounded Islands

In 1983, off the coast of Miami, eleven islands in the Biscayne Bay were surrounded by 6.5 million square feet of luminous, pink woven, polypropylene fabric. The installation, called Surrounded Islands, was attended to, day and night, by 120 monitors in inflatable boats for two weeks while the public viewed the work from air, water and land.

Christo  
Surrounded Islands (Project for Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida) 
Drawing 1982 in two parts  
Pencil, charcoal, pastel, wax crayon, enamel paint, aerial photograph and fabric sample  
15 x 96″ and 42 x 96″ (38 x 244 cm and 106.6 x 244 cm)  
Photo: Wolfgang Volz  
© 1982 Christo  
Ref. # 36 
Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida, 1980-83
Photo: Wolfgang Volz
© 1983 Christo 

The Umbrellas

In 1991, brilliant blue and canary yellow fabric umbrellas popped up in a valley in Japan and a valley in California, reflecting on the similarities and differences of two cultures. The installation, called The Umbrellas,  consisted of 3,100 umbrellas, each 19’ 8” tall and 28’ 5” in diameter, was on view in each country, simultaneously, for 28 days before being disassembled and recycled.

Christo  
The Umbrellas (Project for Japan and Western USA) 
Collage 1987 in two parts  
Pencil, charcoal, wax crayon, pastel, fabric and map  
12 x 30 1/2″ and 26 1/4 x 30 1/2″ (30.5 x 77.5 cm and 66.7 x 77.5 cm)  
Photo: Wolfgang Volz  
© 1987 Christo  
Ref. # 25
 
Christo and Jeanne-Claude  
The Umbrellas, Japan-USA, 1984-91 
Photo: Wolfgang Volz  
© 1991 Christo 
Christo  
The Umbrellas (Joint Project for Japan and USA) 
Collage 1988 in two parts  
Pencil, fabric, charcoal, pastel, wax crayon, enamel paint and topographic map  
26 1/4 x 30 1/2″ and 26 1/4 x 12″ (66.7 x 77.5 cm and 66.7 x 30.5 cm)  
Photo: Christian Baur  
© 1988 Christo  
Ref. # 104 
Christo and Jeanne-Claude  
The Umbrellas, Japan-USA, 1984-91 
Photo: Wolfgang Volz  
© 1991 Christo 

The Floating Piers

From June 18 to July 3, 2016 thousands of people walked on the waters of Italy’s Lake Iseo. The Floating Piers, Christo’s most recent installation, consisted of 220,000 interlocking, polyethylene cubes covered in 100,000 square miles of shimmering yellow fabric.

Christo  
The Floating Piers (Project for Lake Iseo, Italy) 
Drawing 2015 in two parts  
Pencil, charcoal, wax crayon, pastel, enamel paint, topographic map, cut-out photographs by Wolfgang Volz and fabric sample  
15 x 96″ and 42 x 96″ (38 x 244 cm and 106.6 x 244 cm)  
Photo: André Grossmann  
© 2015 Christo  
Ref. # 6-2015 

Works in Progress

Christo’s current works in progress are The Mastaba, the only permanent installation ever designed by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, and L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, the latter of which is set to begin installation in Paris in 2021. According to a statement made by his office, “Christo and Jeanne-Claude have always made clear that their artworks in progress be continued after their deaths. Per Christo’s wishes, ‘L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped’ in Paris, France, is still on track for September 18 – October 3, 2021.” However it made no mention of a timeline for The Mastaba. 

Christo  
The Mastaba (Project for United Arab Emirates) 
Drawing 2009 in two parts  
Pencil, charcoal, wax crayon, pastel, technical data and map  
15 x 65″ and 42 x 65″ (38 x 165 cm and 106.6 x 165 cm)  
Photo: Wolfgang Volz  
© 2009 Christo  
Ref. # 5-2009 
Christo  
L’Arc de Triumph, Wrapped (Project for Paris) 
Collage 2018  
Pencil, wax crayon and aerial photograph on paper  
14 3/4 x 10 3/8″ (37.5 x 26.4 cm)  
Photo: André Grossmann  
© 2018 Christo  

“Christo lived his life to the fullest,” the statement went on to say, “not only dreaming up what seemed impossible but realizing it. Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s artwork brought people together in shared experiences across the globe, and their work lives on in our hearts and memories.”

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Christo, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Environmental Art, Installation Art

Creating & Keeping a Perpetual Journal

Written & photographed by Saraya Cheney, Assistant Director – Programs & Marketing

Before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, many of us have already decided on our resolutions for the upcoming year. For 2020, I decided that I wanted to spend more time noticing the small shifts in the natural world, taking things in at a slower pace and try to create something, anything, at least once a week. While scrolling through my Instagram feed, I saw a post from one of my favorite Virginia artists, suggesting that the start of the year was a great time to begin a “perpetual journal”. I’d seen her post about these journals in the past, was mildly intrigued, but never really looked into it any further. After reading her lengthy post, I realized that this style of journaling ticked off all of my “resolution boxes” while leaving a lot of room for my own creativity and need for flexibility. I didn’t know at the time that this journal would become a meditative practice and provide connection to a wider online community during the time of COVID-19.


Entry in my Perpetual Journal from the week of May 21st – 27th: Love-In-A-Mist flower that is blooming in my garden and a Five-Lined Skink I saw sunning itself on the porch. Done in pen & ink.

What is a Perpetual Journal?

A perpetual journal, in very basic terms, is a type of journal that goes on until all of the pages are filled.

How is this type of Perpetual Journal different?

This style of journal was conceived of by botanical artist, Lara Call Gastinger and involves documenting the natural world, through all seasons and over many years, in whichever medium feels best to you.

Entries in my Perpetual Journal from the week of April 23 – 29, 2020: Lyreleaf Sage and blueberries on the bush. Done in pen & ink.

How to set up a Perpetual Journal:

STEP ONE

Buy, or make, a blank journal. It should be small enough for you to be able to carry it with you. I personally enjoy square shaped journals and am loyal to a particular brand that makes beautiful 5″ x 5″ hardbound sketchbooks. Whatever size feels comfortable enough for you to carry along will make this practice all the more successful.

STEP TWO

Break the journal down into 52 spreads (from January 1-7 through December 24-31) so that each two-page spread corresponds to one week. For example: January 1-7 would take up two pages, then January 8-14 would take up the next two pages and so on.

*You can start with the calendar year, but there’s no perfect time to start! Here are some other suggestions on when to start your journal: First Day of Summer (June 20th), an anniversary or your birthday

Entries in my Perpetual Journal from the week of May 7 – 13, 2020: Strawberry bloom from the garden, a frond from an unidentified shrub and a wild strawberry. Done in pen & ink.

STEP THREE

Draw, paint or write a nature observation. Be sure to include the year! I’ve decided to create my entire journal in pen & ink because that is the medium I work in the most but you can work in whatever medium you’d like, even mixing media. Just make sure that your journal is suitable for the medium you choose.

STEP FOUR

Return each year to add more observations until your journal is full!


Entry in my Perpetual Journal from April 2 – 8, 2020: Bluebird feather and Miller Moth. Done in pen & ink.

There are no hard and fast rules dictating what should be included in your perpetual journal once you’ve set it up. A spread will have observations from multiple years. Weeks, or months, may be “missed” when life gets hectic. You can spend minutes or hours on your entries, it’s entirely up to you. This is for your observation, enjoyment, connection and growth!

If you are on social media, and would like to connect with others who participate in sharing their perpetual journals online, use the hashtag #lgperpetual journal. There is a large community of incredibly friendly artists and observers who enjoy the natural world and connecting with one another virtually!

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: botanical art, Drawing ideas, Drawing projects, journaling, mixed media, nature journal, perpetual journal

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has awarded Arts on Main a $100,000 Challenge Grant to inspire new gifts for the organization’s next phase of capital and program initiatives. Click here for more information.

Press Release March 2022

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Your support guarantees a place for all to enjoy the arts in Gloucester, Virginia.
Become A Part of Arts on Main!



 

Download the 2020-2021 Annual Report

 

Meredith Timberlake, Executive Director

(804) 337-8976

Alisa Potter, Gallery Manager

(804) 824-9464

Blair Waters, Gallery Coordinator

(804) 824-9464

 

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Noon – 5:00pm
Closed Sunday through Tuesday
Call: (804) 824-9464

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Open Painting Studio

Art Classes

Ongoing classes in all mediums for kids of all ages.
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Volunteer Opportunities

Are you looking for ways to volunteer in the community? Arts on Main has wonderful volunteers and would like you to join them. Call the gallery for more information. 804.824.9464.

 

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