BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – Canal Street Art Gallery presents “Glass | Pastel,” a group show exhibiting blown and sculpted glass with pastel paintings from local artists. “Glass | Pastel” opens Sept. 15, and is on view through Nov. 4. Join the Gallery on Third Friday Gallery Night on Sept. 15, in historic downtown Bellows Falls, from 5-7 p.m., to celebrate and meet the artists. All Gallery events are free and open to the public, and fully accessible. For wheelchair accessibility call 802-289-0104 upon arrival.
Artists in the show include Clare Adams, Robert Burch, Deedee Jones, Nicholas Kekic, Marcie Maynard, Patricia McPike, Melissa Rubin, Chris Sherwin, and Maggie F. Smith. Clare Adams, based in Cambridgeport, Vt., shows new reverse painted glass. Robert Burch, based in Putney, Vt., creates a new series of ocean and beach inspired blown glass. Deedee Jones, based in Brattleboro, Vt., makes pastel paintings of the Vermont landscape and water from the artist’s travels. Nicholas Kekic, based in Bellows Falls, Vt., blows glass vessels using traditional venetian techniques with modern designs. Marcie Maynard, based in Bellows Falls, Vt., displays a collection of pastel paintings of boats, marshes, and still lifes. Patricia McPike, based in Brattleboro, Vt., offers a selection of pastel paintings focused on vibrant colors from the places the artist spends time. Melissa Rubin, based in Cambridgeport, Vt., brings a series of pastel paintings of seabirds to the show. Chris Sherwin, based in Bellows Falls, Vt., is making new series such as underwater themed glass paperweights with lily pads and frogs. Maggie F. Smith, based in Putney, Vt., exhibits pastel paintings of landscapes and architecture.
The “Glass | Pastel” show is a newly envisioned medium focus show, of the type Canal Street Art Gallery exhibited in its first four years. These past exhibitions include “A World Suspended in Color: Fine Art Glass,” “A Changing Form: Fine Art Ceramics,” and “A Moment In Frame: Fine Art Photography.” One of the goals of these shows was to bring together artworks from different artists using the same medium to achieve common, unique, and sometimes surprising results. These shows presented to visitors an opportunity to learn in depth about how these artists use their materials and techniques to create their art.
Canal Street Art Gallery brings the medium focus show back with “Glass | Pastel,” presenting two mediums side by side. Pastel is a painting medium which is made into sticks using different color pigments held together by a binder. Hand held, these pigment sticks are applied directly to a prepared surface. Pastel paintings are known for saturated colors and layered textures. Glass is a material used by artists as rods, or canes, of colored glass encased with clear glass. These are then held, heated, and manipulated using hands and tools to create three dimensional objects. Fine art glass is known for its intricate layers, detailed patterns, bold colors, and unmistakable forms and shapes.
Canal Street Art Gallery is located at 23 Canal Street in Bellows Falls, Vt., and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information about the “Glass | Pastel” show or Canal Street Art Gallery, go to www.canalstreetartgallery.com online, call Mike by phone at 802-289-0104, or send emails to artinfo@canalstreetartgallery.com.