Friday’s event charged up with shows in 25 locations
By Lele Galer, Columnist, The Times
Gallery Walk West Chester this Friday is charged up with art shows in 25 locations, including Clay Days at CCAA and Murder of Crows at The Art Trust
West Chester’s 25th Annual Gallery Walk is charged up with art shows in 25 locations throughout the town from 5-9pm this Friday, October 2nd. The Chamber of Commerce for Greater West Chester organizes this event twice a year, to celebrate “the thriving community of artists and galleries that make West Chester their home ” writes WCCC Director of Membership Dave Fairman.
From spas and restaurants, to banks and coffee stores, even the Cat Hospital at 108 High Street has an art show! Monica Nask will be exhibiting her dog and cat paintings at the hospital, and just up the street at the beautiful historic Wells Fargo building, ceramic artist Meghan Bergman will be exhibiting her large barnacle sculptures, ceramic mugs and vases. Over at Fairman’s Skate Shop, artist and doodler extraordinaire, Henry Jones, will be exhibiting his drawing and selling t-shirts designed especially for Gallery Walk.
Wonderful abstract encaustic artist Erica Brown will be opening up her studio at 28 N. High Street and doing a demonstration of the encaustic process for the people stopping in. Mark Cole will be exhibiting his new work at Tish, Gregory Blue is at Sunset Hill Gallery, and Sarah Baptist is a must see for her small paintings at Starbucks. But before you are emerged in the hub of shows along Gay Street and High Street, veer left along Market Street and check out the opening reception for the new show at The Art Trust at the Meridian Bank from 5-9pm.
“Murder of Crows” is the theme for 6 local artists showing at The Art Trust, curated by artist Lisa Strode. Leander Fontaine often paints crows in his black and white delivers painted gestures that capture the heart and soul of the creature. His black and white paintings are brilliant, immediate impressions that are augmented with black and white tones of atmosphere. Also exhibiting at the Art Trust are the artists Lynette Shelley, Sarah Yeoman, Linda Guenste and Michael Redmond; each artist shows very different points of view, from the dramatic work of Guenste to the ethereal imagery of Yeoman and Fontaine.
“Flight” by Teresa Haag
At Church Street Gallery, about three blocks away, is the final weeks of the solo show for painter Teresa Haag. Haag paints brilliant compositions of local urban landscapes that weave the color, shape, line and forms of a non-descript town into a fascinating work of art. Her paintings are charged with color, but feel true to the sense of place that they describe. Often using printed material as a painting surface, words, maps, and graphics peek through the paint and reference her subject matter in interesting ways. The next time you are in downtown Phoenixville, check out her wonderful mural of the town at the entrance on Bridge Street.
“Clay Days” Exhibition of 20 local ceramic artists, opened this Friday 5-9pm at The Chester County Art Association. This annual ceramics show is full to the brim with ceramics and pottery, and provides the perfect opportunity to start your holiday shopping. “Clay Days” runs from Friday, 9am – 9pm, Saturday 9am – 5pm, and Sunday 11am-4pm. The reception on Friday will feature homemade food provided by the ceramic artists, “that will knock your socks off” exclaims Karen Delaney, Executive Director of CCAA. She also added that since First Friday is forecasting rain, that visitors should know “It’s warm and dry in here and we have a large parking lot” at Chester County Art Association at 100 Bradford Avenue.
If you find yourself in Wilmington on Friday October 2nd, don’t leave before you check out “Recent Works” at Blue Streak Gallery on Delaware Avenue. “Recent Works” shows the mixed media work of John Baker and abstracts by Gus Seamus. If you can’t make the show reception from 5-9pm, then on October 8 from 7-8:30 come by and meet these friendly, talented artists and hear them discuss their works. Blue Streak is a small gallery that always shows such talented, interesting contemporary artists from Chester County and the Delaware area.
Lele Galer is a local artist who has chaired numerous art shows, taught art history and studio art, public art and has chaired, written and taught the Art in Action Art Appreciation series for the UCFD schools for the past 12 years. She worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and wrote for the Associated Press in Rome. She has been dedicated to Art History and art education for most of her adult life. Lele and her husband Brad own Galer Estate Winery in Kennett Square and she is on the Board of the Chester County Art Association and The Delaware Valley Art League.
