Thursday, August 9, 2012

Back to Pottery after LAA events

Coming up:

A Poet and a Potter

FREE discussion and poetry reading at
Catbird Seat Gallery & Eastport School of Arts
3 Dana Street, Eastport
Monday, August 13, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.

A pottery sculpture series, Pomegrenade by Shanna Wheelock, sparks discussion on war and peace with poet/ethicist Chris Crittenden. One wields words, one arranges earth. Both provoke thought.

Fort further information, contact Heidi Reidell
heidi.reidell@gmail.com

Chris Crittenden, Auctioneer at Large, challenges the audience to "ride that hot air balloon with him and take it higher" during the Lubec Arts Alive Benefit Downeast Art Auction at Crow Town Gallery. Standing beside him is LAA committee member Lisa Tyson Ennis, who just happens to be holding her own toned silver gelatin print of the smokehouse that was on the block for auction.


 
 The Lubec Arts Alive Downeast Art Auction packed the house!


A Lubec Arts Alive tent was set-up at Flatiron Corner for children to try their hand at Gyotaku printmaking.


 Last weekend's Lubec Farmer's Market had not one.....
Sunrise County Ramblers


 
 not two.....
Three musicians who are associated with the Summer Keys program


 but three....THREE...musical ensembles.
Dana and Susan Robinson

The Sunrise County Ramblers offered up some bluegrass, then an impromptu trio of classical musicians from Summer Keys appeared. Soon after, duo Dana and Susan Robinson pulled out the fiddle and banjo to serenade us with some more folk and bluegrass. Their Farmers' Market song was quite apropo!


One of our incredibly talented downeast artists is Sherry Ashby Cunningham. 
Be sure to check out her upcoming show!

Women in the Woods
A narrative of the simple everyday kind of Spiritual Journey

Eastport Art Gallery
August 20 - September 1, 2012
If you'd like to meet the artist in-person, Sherry will be gallery-sitting all day on August 23rd.

also....

A short FREE Art Talk
A Women's Aesthetics
at the Eastport Art Gallery
Wednesday, August 22, 2012 at 12:00 p.m.

Speakers: Lisa marquis-Bradbury, Sherry Ashby Cunningham, Sharon Kiley Mack, Elizabeth Ostrander,  and Shanna Wheelock

I'm grabbing a few minutes to finally get a blog post done. The past two weeks have been packed with all kinds of Lubec Arts Alive planning. This is our fourth year and though we said that we would take it easy this year, it was anything but. We had a baptism-by-fire moment pulling this year's events together which included printmaking for kids, art on the beach, and a benefit art auction. I was in high anxiety mode for a few days previous to the event, having never organized an auction. It was especially stressful taking-in artwork right up until two hours before the event, but somehow our tiny but dedicated team did it. Chris was the auctioneer, which was a new role for him. The evening turned out to be somewhat of one long comedy skit and all said and done, we had a fabulous time. All the worries quickly dissipated once the laughter began. The venue was exceptional. Bonnie and Ukey were gracious enough to lend their Crow Town Gallery space which has become a real cultural center for the area hosting concerts, art exhibits, and contra dances. Kudos to the artists who turned out some great work for a worthy cause. Lubec is becoming a bit of an arts mecca which is exciting from my perspective. 

Things are humming along in the pottery cave. I am learning the ways of owning a micro business and trying to meet demands put before me. There are a lot of challenges but I am feeling up to them, for the moment anyway! The kiln produced a successful glaze firing last week and just this afternoon bisque ware was unloaded which is being glazed for another firing on Friday. I am finding that I am already outgrowing my kiln which five or so years ago felt so huge. This is a good thing, though, because it means that I have gotten better at what I do! (I hope that's what it means anyway!) I often feel a few steps behind and unable to catch up, but when I really think about it, I realize that my main pottery production only began a few weeks ago. All in all, I can celebrate a successful production run this summer.

One week into August and the summer already feels to be speeding by. Summer is short in Lubec, perhaps shorter than other parts of Maine. The garden seems to be just coming into its own but before we know it, it will be autumn and the last of the harvests upon us. MFA classes at Heartwood College of Art will be starting up soon, and that means that sculpture kicks back into high gear. I have been visualizing possibilities but have not formalized any ideas on paper yet. 

The Lubec Farmers' market continues. Friday nights are hectic with packing boxes and car for Saturday morning, but I do look forward to my time downtown with all the vendors and the live tunes. Last weekend there were three different musical ensembles! The weather has been absolutely gorgeous every weekend so far.

Cats are mewing for some outdoor time and pots are waiting for glaze down in the cave.  Time for me to begin the work day.

No comments: