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COOPERSTOWN, NY- August 7, 2012 - Smithy Center for the Arts will host its final opening of the summer season on Monday, August 13, from 5-7 PM for the show entitled "Long Ago & Far Away." The gallery exhibits will focus heavily on local artists and community members. As with the first and second openings, Small Town, Big Band will perform swingin' jazz favorites in the courtyard and Origins Cafe will cater, while a board-tended full bar will feature beer courtesy of Brewery Ommegang.
 | | Megan Irving, Source Material |
An exciting group show on the first floor of the gallery brings together the work of Lynne Tanner, Megan Irving, Ursula Bower, and Nancy Becker Pettibone. Over the last year, Lynne Tanner has worked on a number of landscapes that began as a collection of monoprints
 | | Ursula Bower's Scarves |
depicting symbolic imagery and evolved into a series of acrylics on paper, oil on canvas, and collage and gouache. The result is a beautiful exploration of places and the emotions they evoke. Similarly, Megan Irving raises questions of place through her lusciously thick and large oil and encaustic paintings: how do we actually see and experience the world?
 | | Nancy Becker Pettibone, "Unexplored Territory" |
And can new habits be formed from consistently changing perception? With this issue of place and its effect on us as the central theme, Nancy
 | | Lynne Tanner, collage |
Becker Pettibone's work draws a strong connection. Pettibone's intricately produced maps display stunning artistry and provide a nice counterpoint to paintings that appear to be of another time- and place- entirely. Finally, Ursula Bower's beautiful, hand-crafted scarves are featured as the unique and other-worldly creations that they are: thesepieces demand an up-close eye to fully appreciate the detail that has gone in to fabricating each one. All these works translate beyond the here and now to the past- a faraway place that focused on beauty, craft, exploration, and the surprise of discovery.
 | | Eileen Murphy |
On the second floor, Cooperstown's own Eileen Murphy is featured with a brand new sculpture series that depicts busts that literally appear to emerge from the sand and earth beneath us. The Smithy's much celebrated member artist Doug Jamieson will exhibit a collection of powerful,
 | | Doug Jamieson, "Snake Shoes" |
haunting, and strangely evocative etchings in his solo show. Of course, the Member Artist Pioneer Gallery continues to display the depth and talent of countless local, beloved artists under the skillful curatorial hand of Xavier Jimenez.
Then, on the third floor, the first and soon-to-be annual exhibit "A Place of Ours" kicks off with the show "There Were No Fences", featuring a collection of artistic works, relics, and objects from Mike Mano and other members of the community. This exhibit is notable as it marks the Smithy's return to a strong sense of community and desire to explore the history of our village and the way it impacts us today. This show is also curated by Jimenez and promises to be a unique and fun new way of visioning our home!
 | | Carla Hall's "Torso" |
Beyond the gallery, in the Smithy courtyard, another locally known and popular artist, Carla Hall, will have an outdoor sculpture exhibit throughout the garden. Carla Hall's family settled in the Butternut Valley in 1789 and this region is a link to both her childhood and seven generations of family, as well as to the earth, life's cycles and constant renewal. Her sculptures represent her passion and connection to the land.
Obviously, this latest and last gallery exhibition for the 2012 summer season seeks to understand and celebrate the place we live through a variety a different artistic media and artists' eyes. It promises to be a beautiful show that will be long remembered throughout the village. Smithy Center for the Arts is located at 55 Pioneer St., Cooperstown, NY. For additional information about this and other programs, visit smithyarts.org or call (607) 547-8671. |
