With summer winding down, things are warming up at Local Colors. The cooperative will open its “Autumn’s Up” exhibition on Sept. 7th. The exhibition will run through Sept. 28th, and will feature new work by the artists. On Sept. 14th, the artists will welcome the public to their semi-annual evening reception and open house, at 121 Main Street in Gloucester, from 6PM to 9PM.
The “Autumn’s Up” theme is a play on words with an oblique reference to Oktoberfest (think “bottoms up.”) In this spirit (so to speak), Cape Ann Brewery will present a tasting of microbrews at Local Colors on the evening of the reception. Appetizers and other beverages will also be served.
“Having our own early Oktoberfest is fun,” said Stephanie Bowens, a fiber artist at Local Colors, “But you can also draw a connection between the autumn, or harvest, season, and the new directions a number of our artists have been taking. A good harvest is the result of a season of growth and development. The same can be said for much of the new work currently exhibited, itself the result of artistic growth and development.”
Christine Garrigan, also a fiber artist, is presenting tie-dye pieces dyed to her signature color saturation. Pastel painter Kathy O’Brien is displaying her beautifully rendered views of the Ipswich and Essex marshes. Ian Commissiong, a fiber artist who creates colorful designs using Marimekko textiles, continues his experiments with the translucency and patterning of fish skin in glass-framed displays. Water-colorist Rusty Kinnunen has expanded into the graphic arts and is offering hand-pulled linoleum block prints of ocean motifs.
Other works include Sally Seamans’ (Tin Can Sally) collection of tin clocks, new work by photographers Lois Hertzler, Dave Katz, and Jim Sousa, Donna Amero’s colorful stained glass creations, and oil paintings by Pat Doherty and Bonnie Gray.
Woodworker Darren Taylor is presenting new furniture pieces, gyotaku artist Joe Higgins now offers prints of his larger scale original work, and Kathy Bucholska continues her mixed media experimentation with fossils and contemporary found and recycled materials. Stephanie Bowens offers knitted pieces in autumnal tones, Ann Schlecht has new beach glass, copper, and silver jewelry, and ceramicist Virginia Townsend now offers pieces in customized geographic coordinates. Pottery and fused glass by Bob Kulchuk, and creative mixed media work by Kate Webster complete the extensive offerings on display.
Local Colors is a cooperative of 19 artists from the Cape Ann area, all producing original art. Its members include glass artists, painters, jewelry designers, photographers, fiber artists, mixed media artists, ceramicists, and woodworkers. It is located at 121 Main St. in Gloucester. The current hours are 10am to 6pm, Sunday through Thursday, and 10am to 8pm on Friday and Saturday. The cooperative’s open house and reception celebrating “Autumn’s Up” will be held on Saturday, Sept. 14th, from 6PM to 9PM.