In an ever more digitized world, Mitzi Pratt and Flip Scipio still work by hand. On separate levels of their two-story Moshup Trail studio, these artisans rely not on machines but on their knowledge, skill and experience. Though their mediums are different — Ms. Pratt is a bookbinder and Mr. Scipio makes guitars — their work sometimes overlaps, each feeding the other’s.
Sometimes an artist is so wonderful it takes two galleries to promote her.
Beginning next week on Thursday, Sept. 29, and running through Oct. 10, the Dragonfly Fine Arts Gallery and Shephard Fine ArtSpace will be holding a joint retrospective showing for artist Nancy Furino.
At 82 years of age, Ms. Furino has been living and painting on the Vineyard since she moved here in 1980. A Copley Master, she is noted for her colorful work depicting scenes from Martha’s Vineyard and around the world.
The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library are presenting an exhibit of landscape studies by painter Susan Johnson. The exhibit will be on display during regular library hours throughout the month of August as part of its Art in the Stacks initiative.
Vineyard artist Wendy Weldon is holding an open house at her art studio in Chilmark over Thanksgiving weekend. Her work includes paintings, monotypes and drawings both on canvas and paper.
In her latest artist statement she says, “My latest work expresses my return to more abstracted imagery. I have spent many years moving away from the abstract to the more objective.”
The first Tisbury art stroll got off to a quiet start on Friday night, but no matter, the tide in this port town is changing. Dawn Braasch, owner of the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore and now president of the Tisbury Business Association, is on a mission to revitalize downtown Vineyard Haven.
And the art stroll was a good way to kick off her campaign. “It just felt like there was life again in Vineyard Haven. It was lovely,” she said.
Chickadees flit through the chicory as wrens weave through rugosa, and monarchs quake the milkweed with each tremor of their small wings. But this isn’t where the wild things are — rather, it’s Periwinkle Studio in the Arts District of Oak Bluffs.
Judy Drew Schubert, the owner, opened her gallery to the public three weeks ago, giving these creatures the gift of flight and of widespread appreciation.
Small speakers powered by the sun and emitting a single guitar note are about to add to the ambient sounds of fall this week on Martha’s Vineyard. The project called sun boxes is the work of artist Craig Colorusso, a one-time punk rocker (remember China Pig) turned performance artist.
To make a gyotaku fish print an artist also needs to be a man of the sea. Not old mind you, but definitely experienced in the both the art of surfcasting as well as the brush. Steve London is such a man.
First Mr. London catches the fish. Then he inks the fish and presses it into mulbery fiber paper called unryu, keeping alive the art form he learned from a Japanese master. The results of this craftmanship will be on display from July 2 through 8 at the Old Sculpin Gallery located on Dock street in Edgartown next to the Chappy ferry.
