Rain

It seems that we are back to spring momentarily. Today the weather has turned chilly with rain most of the day. Still a few brave souls have come to Gallery 54, some new to us while others are returning. The comment I hear from nearly everyone is “you have a beautiful shop” and “everything is fantastic - I keep finding one great thing after another”.

Dragonfly tile by Gary Quirk

One thing I overheard today was regarding the front window…….. which by the way is mostly the brilliant effort of Donna Smith, one of the owners. There are words painted on the glass that read “Fine Art – Locally Made.” This is such an important feature of Gallery 54. We jury in every artist’s work for quality, visual impact and marketability. In addition we make sure there is little overlap, making each piece of art is unique and well made....AND all from the region. Where else can you go for one-of-a-kind art and fine craft that is high quality and locally made?



Tree tile by Gary Quirk

Shop local…………………shop often!

Shaker Boxes by Fred Weisskopf

Our June First Friday Event will feature the work of Fred Weisskopf, woodworker.  Fred will be presenting his new collection of handcrafted shaker boxes and the process for creating them.  Many of our artists will be present and we will have live harp music and snacks as well.  Please join us June 1 from 6 to 9pm. It promises to be a lovely evening in the town of Skaneateles and many other First Friday events will be going on in addition to ours!

Below is one of Fred's handcrafted cutting boards, available in the gallery! 

LIVE FROM GALLERY 54!

This may not be the most creative blog entry that could come from Gallery 54, I admit. It’s not about the beautiful art we have. It’s not about the creative process….. or the colors of nature working its way into the visual experience. Nor is it about the joy of starting a new project.

This is about a POS (point of sale) system. Gallery 54 is proud to announce we are stepping into the 21^st century; We are streamlining our process of inventory control and accounting… but more importantly, instituting a better way to accommodate our customers at the checkout with a new state of the art computer system.

Our owners have been counting the inventory of wooden cars, glass flowers, dyed scarves and paintings to prepare for going live with the new system. Even though we are all on board with this transition there are still days of wondering if the anxiety of learning this new way of inventory management and ringing up sales is worth it. Is it less work in the long run? Are we ever going to get the hang of it?

We are now using the new system…….. working out the bugs……..calling our tech member on a regular basis (Thank you) and saying out loud “we will persevere, and we will become masters of this machine!”

Jennifer Wells Studio

Gallery 54 is proud to carry the fine beadwork of Jennifer Wells.  Jennifer is a graduate of the School for American Crafts at RIT in Rochester, NY.  Each of Jennifer's jewelry pieces is hand-sewn using an embroidery technique known as 'Applique' and finished with fabric, which adds a unique sculptural dimension.  She incorporates beads, gemstones, cabochons, and precious metals.  Jennifer will be featured in "Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry" by Ray Hemachandra and published by Lark Publishing, to be released in August.

Creativity

 The Spruse Copse, Pastel by Adrianna Meiss

It turns out Gallery 54 owners aren’t the only creative folks in the shop. We have gathered work from some of CNY’s finest artists here as consignees:  From painted feathers and gourd masks to blown glass flowers; from ceramic cats to wearables that are unique, artistic and comfy all at the same time.

Cutting Board by Michael Parkhurst

Where does all this creativity come from? That question has been debated for years and years. Are artists born with the talents to create? Or do they learn from others who have sculpted, stitched, welded, assembled and created before them? There is a sense that it’s not all one or the other. There is an inherent core desire to work with our hands as we make a work of art. Even small children look at their scribbles as masterpieces.  Our artists have that inner spirit that brings them to explore a medium that they love. They/We study and experiment all the while we are making our art that comes to the gallery. That leads back to the original musing of which comes first……….heart and hand.   See the two previous postings for information on upcoming artist demonstrations and events at the Gallery.  We hope to see you there!

Garden Art in Glass and Clay

Gallery 54 celebrates First Friday in Skaneateles: "Garden Art in Glass and Clay" opening Friday, May 4th from 6 pm-9pm. The May show features stained glass garden art by Liz and Rich Micho and carved stoneware lanterns by Lauren Ritchie. Meet the artists and enjoy refreshments.  Spring hours Sun-Fri 11-5 and Sat 10-5.

 

Upcoming Artist Demonstrations

Gallery 54 presents Gourd Loon Mask Making Demonstration by Andree Dennis Newton on Saturday April 14 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Carrying on the traditions of her culture, Abenaki Indian and Old Forge resident, Andree Dennis Newton, will design a dynamic mask. Using the popular Adirondack bird as subject,she will use a hard-shell gourd as the base, adding detail with burning pen, dremel, and acrylic paint. Feathers and beads will be added to finish.  She will also "show and tell" each phase of gourd mask making.

Amy E. Bartell will be demonstrating mixed media and collage techniques on Sunday, April 22 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Gallery 54.  Bartell will demonstrate layering combinations of handmade papers, drawing, using gouache and line work to develop the rich surfaces and imagery in her mixed media collages.

Gallery 54 presents Weaving on a Triangle Frame Loom by Lynda DeLallo on Saturday April 28th from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Lynda DeLallo will demonstrate weaving a capelet on a triangle frame loom using hand dyed silk and yarns.