BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – Canal Street Art Gallery presents the “Ceramic | Fiber” show and the Carol Keiser Solo Spotlight show, open Sept. 20 – Nov. 9. The gallery is also pleased to announce the opening of its new Artist Made Stationary Department. Join the gallery for Third Friday Gallery Night in historic downtown Bellows Falls, Vt., Sept. 20, from 5-7 p.m., to celebrate fall in Vermont with local art and an opening reception for the artists. All gallery events are free and open to the public, for wheelchair accessibility call 802-289-0104.
The “Ceramic | Fiber” exhibition shows work by five local artists who use one or both of these historically and culturally significant mediums in their art. One-of-a-kind blankets by Christine Cole consist of hand-dyed luxury fibers from around the world and are treated as paintings, blending threads of different yarns together to mix colors. Meghan Dogherty builds hollow ceramic sculptural forms, utilitarian wares, and occasionally whimsical creatures. Her sculpture is heavily influenced by her previous work as a tenured research professor of media ecology. Kristen Donegan’s work combines both textile and ceramic, and comes from a place of introspection and investigation into nature and myth, and where the two intersect through art and craft. D. Brooks Heley creates painted clay sculptures which challenge the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. Su Lin Mangan’s art quilts are inspired by urban landscapes, and informed by her background in anthropology and fashion design.
Carol Keiser, in her Solo Spotlight show, shares acrylic paintings depicting floral still-lifes, Mexican interiors, and friends gathering, all created by the artist over the winter of 2023-2024. “My work is inspired by the world around me, my life in the countryside of Putney, Vt., and my time living in Mexico, a country of color and contrast,” explains Keiser.
The new Artist Made Stationery Department, located within Canal Street Art Gallery, features original artwork on hand-folded paper. The Artist Made Stationary Department debuts with a collection from MC Noyes Studio. Products include note cards, greeting cards, and writing sets, all with matching envelopes. Also available are gift tags, as well as accordion-folded, stab-bound sketch and notebooks in three sizes. Initial designs include woodland forget me not, hawksbeard, lady fern, seven-spot ladybug, brook trout, wild turkey, aurora pink and luminous red dots, fluorescent green with fluorescent blue, and luminous lemon stripes. The gallery invites artists to present their own original artwork on stationery products to be sold in the gallery. To submit, send images with details on materials used and retail prices to submissions@canalstreetartgallery.com.
Canal Street Art Gallery is located at 23 Canal Street, in historic downtown Bellows Falls, Vt., and is open Tuesday-Saturday, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information about the “Ceramic | Fiber” show, the Carol Keiser Solo Spotlight show, or the Artist Made Stationary Department, go to www.canalstreetartgallery.com, call Mike at 802-289-0104, or send emails to artinfo@canalstreetartgallery.com.