Landscapes and bird portraits by Chilmarker Jackie Mendez-Diez are on exhibit this month at Chilmark Free Public Library during regular hours. The large show includes oil paintings and watercolors, all completed in the past several years by the artist who has not shown here for two years. The exhibition will hang until April 30.
At one end of the Oak Bluffs Arts Stroll, at the glasswork studio of Jeri Dantzig, soothing harp music lured strollers into a colorful glass menagerie of assorted dishwares, barrettes, and other glass pieces. Dantzig’s first arts stroll appearance was slightly off the beaten path (on Vineyard Ave.), a fitting location for her glasswares, which feature funky greens and blues, loopy designs and stained glass platters. The homey environment was more friendly get-together than art opening,
While much of the world is donning masks at the thought of a certain airborne contagion, the swine will soar with pride this Saturday, when the Eisenhauer Gallery holds a special exhibit, When Pigs Fly, from 6 to 8 p.m., at 38 North Water street in Edgartown.
Owner Elizabeth Eisenhauer explains, “We are blending the strength of renowned artist Cheri Christensen, an important American painter, with the need for educational funds for Island children to learn where food comes from.”
Ask about Keith Farm, one of Island artist Ashley Medowski’s new works, and she says, “It’s a serene picture you can dive into.”
Diving in is exactly what you want to do with Medowski’s mixed media assemblages, works you might call paintings-plus.
Keith’s Farm features in the foreground a three-dimensional mosaic stonewall made out of tiny beach stones; if you could just dive past it, you could get to that pond and ocean flirting from the background.
The theme of this year’s Island Book Cover Art Contest, open to all Vineyard sixth grade students, is Island lighthouses. This will be the 19th annual cover competition sponsored by the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce.
Here are the requirements: entries must be drawn with a horizontal layout, on 9-inch by 12-inch wide white paper, using only markers or crayons. Chalk, pencil or pen entries are not eligible.
An exhibition of John C. Traynor’s recent works opens at the Christina Gallery with an artist’s reception Thursday, July 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. All are welcome.
In his oil paintings of Martha’s Vineyard, Paris, Ireland and still lifes, Mr. Traynor uses color and value to impart a feeling of distance, and a progression of light. Nature is a primary source of inspiration, and he makes painting expeditions throughout Europe and the New England countryside. The exhibition continues until July 23.
Inside Gossamer Gallery last Tuesday, Joan Merry pulled out a framed portrait to demonstrate the dire economic situation in Zimbabwe: the colorful image of a man sitting on a chair was painted on a paper “canvas” made from $25 million Zimbabwe dollar notes stitched together.
The Simon Gallery will reopen today at 10 a.m. for its second season. In their newly enlarged and renovated space, Peter and Ronni Simon will celebrate with a special Easter Weekend sale featuring discounts up to 40 per cent on selected jewelry by Ronni and many photographs by Peter, including some of his iconic and recently created Vineyard landscapes and musical legends.
Ronni will also be premiering a new art form: metal and bead sculptures on driftwood.
Les Femmes, a painting/collage exhibit by Jeanette Demeestère, is at the Chilmark Public Library from July 25 to August 14, with an opening reception this Saturday, July 25 from 3 to 6 p.m. An artist who lives in Paris, France, Ms.Demeestère has spent every summer in Chilmark for the past 15 years with her family at their home off Middle Road. She is kn own for her portraits and collages, rendered in watercolor, pastel (both oil and dry), charcoal and collage; as well as her soft, muted colors and strong fine lines.
Paintings by Claudio Gasparini are currently being shown at the Treehouse Gallery in West Tisbury. Part of a private collection, the paintings exhibit the rich color and vibrancy typical of many post-impressionist European artists. Originally from Venice, Italy, Mr. Gasparini has painted on Martha’s Vineyard for many years.
Included in this exhibition are scenes from Italy as well as colorful rooster paintings and still-life compositions. A highlight of the show incudes a large oil painting of the Edgartown lighthouse in winter.
