Exner Block

Exhibition of Artists Participating in the Memorial Day Open Studio Tour

2008-05-14T16:17:05Z

The Exner Block will host a group show of artists participating in the Memorial Day Open Studio Tour in Bellows Falls, V.
Memorial Day Weekend (May 24, 25th and 26, 2008)

As part of the Vermont Crafts Council's statewide Open Studio Weekends, over a dozen local Bellows Falls artists and craftspeople are planning to offer village-wide activities to enhance visitors' experience of the local arts scene.

"We're organizing a local effort in conjunction with this highly successful statewide event to draw attention to the unique artistic offerings to be found in Bellows Falls" said Rockingham Arts and Museum Project Executive Director Robert McBride. "We've spent over a decade developing and nurturing this gem of an arts community, and we want to show it off."

Across the state more than 264 sites will be open to the public, with more than 300 artists and artisans participating. A great variety of original work will be featured, including the work of glass blowers, jewelers, printmakers, potters, furniture makers, weavers, ironworkers, painters, sculptors, quilt makers and wood carvers. Many galleries will host educational forums and feature special exhibits in conjunction with this event.

In Bellows Falls, the epicenter of the weekend's activities will be located at the Exner Block on Canal Street, a refurbished downtown building which provides ten affordable live-work spaces, six retail spaces and exhibition space for artists. The Exner Block Gallery will showcase pieces by participating local artists, and visitors can pick up a downtown map highlighting the village artist's studios that will be open for visits during the weekend. Artists living and working in the Exner Block will also be opening their studios for the weekend.

"We hope that visitors to Bellows Falls on Memorial Day Weekend will make their first stop the Exner Block where they can get a taste of all the local arts offerings, then from there we can direct them out across the area to visit artists working in their studios," said McBride. "Folks should look for the yellow balloons that will mark studios and other venues that are welcoming visitors for the weekend."

Artists participating in the exhibition at the Exner Block Gallery include:

Sherwin Art Glass Glass blowing
10 - 5 on Saturday and Sunday.

Jackie Fehrenbach and Alexis Doshas: The Art of the Snapshot.

Snapshot 1, Jackie Fehrenback

Robert Mcbride and Phyllis Rosser, Painting and Sculpture
The Old Firehouse in the Square.

Neil Murray, Photographer, Exner Block, Studio C
Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Open studio from 10-1pm and 2 - 6pm.

Anne Y, Painter, Exner Block, Studio G
Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Open studio from 11-6pm

Ailyn Hoey, Charcoal Artist
Mark Goodenough, Sculptor, Exner Block, Studio D Saturday, 10-6pm Sunday, 10-12 Monday, closed

Ah the Rowen, Ailyn Hoey

MG Patience, Mark Goodenough

Dawn Russell, Jeweler, Exner Block, Studio F
Saturday, 11-6 Sunday, 11-1 Monday, Closed

Horsetail with Pearl

Rachel Bickel exhibiting at
HraefnWood Café, Canal Street
Saturday, 10-6

Sally Elliott, Painter, Exner Block

The Chittenden Bank gallery space will also be featuring the work of Chris Sherwin, glass artists and painter Linda Striedieck.

In addition to these artists and craftspeople, downtown merchants and restaurants will be holding special sales and welcoming visitors and locals to their shops and eateries to sample their wares. The Bellows Falls Farmer's market will be open on Friday at the Waypoint Center from 4 - 7 pm with live music.

"Downtown Bellows Falls is always a great place to visit, and on Memorial Day we're adding all these special activities to showcase what a vibrant and exciting place a revitalized downtown can be." said McBride. "We welcome everyone to enjoy our free parking at the Waypoint Center, stop in at the Exner Block Gallery for a taste of what studios are available to tour, wander through the Square and shop at our terrific sidewalk sales, grab a bite to eat at one of our cafes or restaurants, visit artists at work in their studios, drop in at 33 Bridge Street for a tour of the Great River Arts Institute and our locally owned and operated community radio station - WOOL-FM, enjoy a glass blowing demonstration, then check out the Fish Ladder which has just re-opened for the season or head up to the Chittenden Bank on Atkinson Street where they'll be hosting a kid's bike safety rodeo event with the police department - in short, it's going to be a jam-packed and festive weekend!"

Visitors are encouraged to park for free at the Waypoint Visitors Center and enjoy a stroll up Canal Street to the Exner Block where they can pick up a map of local open studios.

Ailyn Hoey

2008-02-29T17:25:57Z

Visit Ailyn's website.
Send Ailyn an email.

"...they are purely naturalistic depictions which yet contain a mystically symbolic quality equal to what one might find in the very best purely abstract works. This combination which she has mastered of exquisitely precise depiction of nature with profound symbolic expression is intensely moving and extraordinarily effective."
-Christopher Faris, Manchester Journal

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Growing up in rural Vermont, Hoey spent many hours exploring its woods, river banks and beaver ponds. Hoey has always liked to create with her hands and started painting and drawing as a child. Gradually, she began to create art full-time, developing her current focus: landscapes in charcoal.

The terrains that inspire Hoey provide solitude. They are often remote, rugged, and unspoiled. Each year she has spent time creating art on Great Cranberry Island, Maine, in west Texas, and in Vermont. Most recently, she has found inspiration in south Florida's wilderness.

Hoey was awarded two residencies, first in the Everglades National Park and then in Big Cypress National Preserve. During these residencies, she fell in love with the ecosystem and was inspired to move to southern Florida for a year, to further immerse herself in the environment. She now lives in Vermont.

Hoey has exhibited in New England as well as in Texas and Florida. Currently she is represented by the Sharon Arts Center in Peterborough, New Hampshire and Islesford Artists, in Islesford, Maine.

ARTIST STATEMENT

While working in a variety of media, I discovered my love of charcoal and the challenges of its limited palette. Using techniques developed on my own, I create pieces inspired by the natural world. Particular places evoke strong feelings, which I portray as emotional landscapes rather than realistic renderings.

Internal journeys and questions are common themes throughout my work. Realizing the necessity of acknowledging and expressing that which is within, both the light and the dark, I explore these emotions in my drawings. I arrange the elements in my charcoals to resonate with feelings of place on a very primitive level. Through my work, I seek to capture something larger.

As Robert Henri aptly put it, "There are moments in our lives, there are moments in a day, when we seem to see beyond the usual. Such are the moments of our greatest happiness. Such are the moments of our greatest wisdom. If one could but recall his vision by some sort of sign. It was in this hope that the arts were invented. Sign-posts on the way to what may be. Sign-posts toward greater knowledge."

The Rowen

Shark Valley

September

Early Spring

A Year in the Everglades: Recent Works of Art

2008-02-05T21:36:58Z

After a year in the Everglades, living in the heart of Big Cypress National Preserve, local artists Ailyn Hoey and Mark Goodenough have returned to the area with new works inspired by their recent adventure. As part of Bellows Falls' 3rd Friday Gallery Walk, the exhibit opens February 15, 2008 in the Exner Block Gallery.

Wading birds, alligators, snakes , fish and other abundant wildlife provided inspiration for Goodenough's sheet metal sculptures. His highly refined style combines abstract organic forms into life-like renderings. These pieces are cold formed by hammering and take many hours of hand work to complete.

Inspired by remote and wild places, Hoey captures the land in her charcoal drawings by focusing on the interplay of light and shadow. In her finely rendered drawings, the mountainous clouds, barren cypress and lush vegetation of South Florida are portrayed in their subtle beauty.

The public is welcome to attend this event from 5pm-8pm in the Exner Block Gallery, 7 Canal Street, Bellows Falls, VT. Light refreshments will be provided.

Dawn Russell

2007-12-17T16:01:36Z

www.dawnrussell.us
studio@dawnrussell.us

I began making jewelry as gifts for my family. This evolved into apprenticing with a traditional goldsmith while supplementing my ideas with undergraduate courses in art and anthropology at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. When I finished my degree, I landed a job as a fine jeweler in Woodstock, VT where I honed my skills in the craft for two years. Ready to tackle more artistic design, I applied to the leading graduate program for contemporary metalsmithing in the United States (SUNY, New Paltz) and was accepted. During my graduate studies, I worked part time in a contemporary art gallery to gain insight into the retail dimension of the art world. Once I finished my masters degree, I was whisked into the art gallery world, running a major gallery in Red Bank, NJ for two years which resulted in landing a position in a major gallery on 57th and Madison in New York. The experience proved crucial in developing an understanding of how art is marketed, sensualized, and coveted. In February of 2007, I made the transition to my current studio at the Exner Block with the vision of beginning a full time studio practice.

Fan Coral
Ebony, Rosebud Pearl, 18K Rose Gold, Silver

Fortitude
Silk, Silver, 18K

Mediated Comfort
Silk, Silver

The Gallery at 17

2007-12-09T02:43:20Z

The Gallery at 17 specializes in representing local Vermont and New Hampshire artists in the fields of painting and sculpture. The Gallery at 17 supports local artisans through the sale of their works and the local arts community by donating a portion of each sale to the Rockingham Arts and Museum Project. One of The Gallery at 17's artists is Ted Slaight who works in recycled steel and iron to create whimsical sculptures for in or outdoors.

T e d S l a g h t
Unique and Imaginative Creations in Metal
Ted Slaght was born in New England and has lived in
Vermont since 1946. He has always had a knack for
making things from odd bits and pieces. After retiring,
he decided it was time to play – at least that’s what he
calls it – and so he put the skills that he developed
during his working years into his new, creative
endeavors.
Starting with found bits of scrap iron - a rake, a steering
wheel, an old shovel, almost anything – Ted sets his
imagination free. It usually takes one major find to
inspire a new work. Each piece is unique and each is
signed by the artist.
Ted’s work is inspired by the natural world and a sense
of humor always prevails. So don’t be surprised if you
find yourself smiling back at these whimsical creations.

Contact Geoff Denton for more information and hours.

Passage | Jewelry & Works on Paper by Dawn Russell

2007-11-08T16:13:38Z

In the final exhibition of The Artists Series hosted by The Exner Gallery Dawn Russell, a resident artist, will present a selection of rings, brooches, necklaces, and earrings from her current body of work. The title of her show, Passage, references the act of one object penetrating another and was first coined to describe the blending between subject and background in the paintings of Paul Cézanne. Russell's unique jewelry embraces this idea by juxtaposing the visual and spatial relationships amongst diverse materials like silk, exotic hardwoods, natural pearls and precious metals. In one series incorporating exotic hardwoods, she meticulously carves the wood into sculptural forms and overlays it with intricately worked metals. In other explorations with fabric, soft, creamy silk pushes forth from a delicately folded silver base to a brooch. The torque pictured below displays a silver flower which is suspended by silk cords. Through her careful handling of material, her jewelry questions the traditional emphasis on the need for gemstones while encouraging the wearer to accept silk and wood as precious in their own right. Russell obtained her Master's Degree of Fine Art from the State University of New York, New Paltz which has one of the longest standing programs in contemporary, conceptual metalsmithing. Here she sharpened her technique while delving into the history of art and craft with an emphasis placed on studying the Bauhaus and Arts and Crafts Movements. The coalescence of skill with thoughtful design is surprising and very exciting. Since the gallery is not staffed on a regular basis, the jewelry will only be available to be seen on Thursday evening, the night of the opening. Images of all the work will be displayed in the gallery for the duration of the show. If you are unable to make the opening, an appointment with the artist can be arranged via email or view the jewelry on her website

Please join us Thursday, November 15th from 6:30 - 8:30pm for a preview of the jewelry. Photographs of the pieces will be installed from November 15th through December 9th, 2007. On the opening night, Russell will be present for conversation and dialogue.

One Piece at a Time

2007-10-18T01:52:48Z

15 Canal Street
802.579.2739

"I buy beads and jewelry components from around the world. I look for the exotic and unusual. For people who love to bead I offer a large variety to choose from. Either by the piece or strand. Precious and semi-precious gemstones to freshwater pearls. To stimulate your creative side there are new/old stock vintage findings and components not found anywhere else. Finished pieces are available. If you would like to design your own I will be happy to assist and finish the piece for you. One of a kind fused dichroic glass pendants and earrings. Do you have a well loved or broken necklace from your family? Bead restringing available or the piece can be redesigned."

Charlene Peavey | New Works

2007-10-18T01:45:39Z

This month The Exner Gallery will take a dramatic shift into the staged world of Charlene Peavey’s photography. As part of the Artists Series which began in May of this year, Peavey is a resident artist in the Exner Building. She graduated from the Vermont College of Norwich University where she dove into the world of art under the tutelage of Norman Bloom. Over the years, Peavey has worked primarily in photography and film which is supported by her pre-designed sets that incorporate painting, mixed-media assemblage and collage, and plastic dolls. These interdisciplinary explorations have informed her current, first, one-person exhibition which is comprised of photography and film. The subject matter of her show delves into the difficult reality of domestic encounters. She enacts familial scenarios with plastic dolls like Barbie and Ken against various sets like her endearing 1950’s kitchen (think metal Sunny Suzy range and sink and the frost-free Wolverine Tin Refrigerator complete with swinging door and stocked interior). Peavey is clear that her work is intended to explore the staggering presence of domestic violence in our society. This being said, there is no sense that she is proclaiming the problem, neither is she offering a tidy solution. This suite of photography rendered in rich amber hues and cool blues with casts of sharp shadows are serving up a dose of engendered contemplation – which sometimes lead your thoughts into disturbing territory. This is a necessary step though, given her drive to employ art as a means for personal reflection to promote social inquiry and potential healing.

Please join us Friday, October 19th from 5:30 – 8:30pm for the opening of the exhibition which will be installed from October 19th through November 11th, 2007. On the opening night, Jesse Peters will be playing music and Peavey will be present for conversation and dialogue. Supervision of young children is requested.

Gretchen's Wall | Portraiture and Still Life by Gretchen Schmid

2007-09-12T16:02:10Z

As the chill of fall begins to descend upon our northern hamlet, The Exner Gallery located in Bellows Falls, VT is preparing to install a heart warming exhibition of Gretchen's Schmid's newest oil paintings entitled Gretchen's Wall. This self directed body of work interprets the essence of her subjects with a refreshing application of insight and sterling technique. It is clear that Schmid is committed to representation. The realist tradition that incorporates the skills of anatomy, drawing, color theory, perspective, value and temperature as can be found in the historic paintings of John Singer Sargent are key to the realization of her work. Schmid center is based in realism which she enhances with atmospheric beauty. Her sensitive perception of the world that surrounds her enlivens the conditions for her subject matter. She accomplishes this gentle narration through the application of complimentary colors and broad layered strokes which lightly blends the edges of her subject with its environment.

Schmid has been painting seriously for 29 years. She worked alongside her father, a recognized painter, during her formative years. It was here that she developed a dedicated work ethic that honors skill, striving for perfection, playing with color, and taking the time to get it right. In seeing this work, one can garner the patience, care and beauty with which Schmid handles her artistic process. She is represented solely by Littlehouse Gallery and commissions can be established through her art agent Robert Leigh (205.886.3775).

Please join us Friday, September 21st from 5:30 - 8:30pm for the opening of the exhibition which will be installed from September 21st through October 14, 2007. On the opening night, Schmid will be present for conversation and dialogue.
Text By: Dawn Russell

Gretchen Schmid,
Self-Portrait (2006) oil on canvas

Gretchen Schmid,
Marsh Mallow (2007) oil on board

Charlene Peavey

2007-07-12T19:22:28Z

char_pv@yahoo.com

Thoughts on My Art

I first started doing art while in college. I received my B. A. in Art and Literature from VT College of Norwich University in 1998. I was in my final semester and looking for my voice. I thought to myself "why not try to find it through a visual art semester"? I found a voice. I'm assuming it is mine; most of the art I do is self-portrait in nature.

As far as my art goes, I believe in "it is what it is". To be more specific, it is what you, the viewer, perceive it to be. I don't want to alter or interfere with your perception of what you are seeing. Rarely will I offer up titles or neatly packaged explanations of what I have done.

Exhibition Schedule

2007-07-12T17:55:34Z

The Exner Block Gallery features rotating exhibits that highlight regional artists and themes. The proceeds from the sale of artwork in this gallery go mostly to the artists involved and a small percentage goes to RAMP to assist with the purchase of lights, advertising, and staff.

For the spring of 2008, the Exner Block gallery will feature a group show of Artists participating in the Open Studio Tour.

The schedule for the Exner Block Artists Series is as follows:

Artists Participating in the Memorial Day Open Studio Tour, , Opens Saturday, May 24th at 10am. Look for the Yellow Balloons out front!
]]> Photograph of the Exner Block Gallery

Kerry Lucier and Kate Gorman

2007-07-10T15:18:37Z

Kerry Lucier and Kate Gorman
Feeling Shapes & Hearing Colors
Opening: Friday, July 20th, 5:30pm - 8:30pm (Meet the Artists)

Rockingham Arts and Museum Project (RAMP) and artists living at the Exner Block have organized a seven month exhibition series featuring solo and group shows. This month's show will feature a two-person show entitled "Feeling Shapes and Hearing Colors" Kerry Lucier and Kate Gorman, Exner Block residents, relocated from Connecticut about a year ago. Their studio within this artists community is filled with cans of latex paint, the medium of choice for these two artists. The use of color contrasts found in Kerry's work is an expression of the energy he feels in nature, dreams and his interactions with people. He believes that the need to create is inherent in all people and, is life sustaining. Some of the works are masked so that the fluidity of the latex paint takes shape, often set up on an acrylic background.

Kate believes that art is an experience in co-creation with the universe, an exploration of soul and a link to the expansion of consciousness. Water is an integral part of her work with latex and though it's used with intention, it moves and dictates what the painting wants to be. Many of the paintings are images over images, creating texture, depths and backgrounds. Some of the small works on canvas, created with latex paint and oil pen are shapes and symbols that arise free from thought, as a connection to ancient and tribal knowing. Don't miss this Opening on Friday, July 20th, 5:00-8:00 pm, coinciding with Bellows Falls Third Friday ARTWALK, at The Exner Block, 7 Canal Street, Bellows Falls, VT 05101. Come feel the music of color and the emotion of shape.
]]> Purple Moon in a Pink Mind, Kate Gorman

Celestial Gazelle, Kerry Lucier

Sally Elliot Space

2007-07-09T00:58:02Z

]]> Red Mountain (with Sally Elliot)
Oil on Canvas
54" x 36"
1967

Blue Spiral Galaxy
Acrylic on Canvas
72" x 46"
5/1994

Edge of Time (Diptych)
Acrylic on Canvas
2/1994
Each canvas: 36" x 66"

Anne Y

2007-07-08T18:00:08Z

Anne Y
Inscapes
Opening: Friday, June 15th

Anne Y a resident artist at the Exner Block, will open the series with her first solo show entitled "Inscapes" on June 15th, to coincide with Bellow's Falls' third Friday Artwalk. Mark your calendar for magic. Anne's work is a watercolor window to whimsy, a place where the imagination can play. Anne Y's integration of lyrical color with abstract compositions yields a softly illuminated landscape, one that is nuanced with vibrant bursts of color and slightly recognizable forms. One can travel into her compositions as they allow for openness in thought, a refreshing element to any artwork. Anne begins with blank paper guided by process and a devotion to beauty. Her thematic strength lives in her mature understanding of color, the ways in which one can create harmony or dissonance through the application of two or more hues. Anne's pieces are universally beautiful in their sense of effervescent color. They light up a room while emoting a quiet repose.

Photographs of Inscapes:

Jonathan Potter

2007-07-08T17:14:39Z

conniehelen50@yahoo.com

A Little About Me and My Connection to Music

Playing music has been a preoccupation with me for thirty-five years. I started out on flute at the Hartt School of Music with an original member of the Glen Miller Air Force Orchestra and also a member of the Harftord Symphony. After moving to Vermont to attend Marlboro College, I studied with Kimi Hasegawa and was told I had to start all over again and practice more. Years went by and I wound up in Manhattan where I lived for 13 years. While on that island I studied alto sax with John Purcell and Lee Konitz. I also worked as a doorman/manager at Sweet Basil's and the Blue Note and hung out with people like Illinois Jaquet, Junior Cook and Sun Ra and also met Michael Brecker and Dexter Gordon among others. It was in NYC that I was 3exposed to live music on a regular basis and began to play in bands usually for no money. Because of wanderlust, I moved to Mexico City where I had my own band and played in the Zona Rose, as schools and private parties. In addition, I taught music at prep schools and the University of the Americas in Choula, Mexico. I gave private lessons all over the place. I think I taught maybe one hundred Mexicans to play the saxophone. There were many great musicians and opportunities to play in Mexico and I really enjoyed the place, however, for many reasons I had to return to the USA and I have been studying for nearly three years with Scott Mullet and even occasionally playing out. Music is an endless preoccupation with me and still I don't know whay.

]]> Jonathan practicing in his studio