Friday, May 24, 2013

OPEN!

L - R Photography by Michael Oleksiw,  Prints by Mary Rhinelander 

Rocky Neck Gallery opens for the 2013 season, Friday, May 24th, with a bold look, fresh art and new artist members along with lots of art events in the weeks ahead!   We feature 30 artists offering distinctive original works in painting, jewelry, photography, sculpture, pottery, mosaic, printmaking and mixed media.  This year the gallery welcomes new artists: Kathleen Gerdon Archer for photography; Pam Stratton for mosaics; Skip Montello for photography; and Roland Cornelis for sculpture. 


Photography by David Piemonte, Ceramics by Susan Hershey, Cynthia Curtis, Jayne Lacey & Ruth Worrall 

On Saturday, May 25th, from 6-8 PM the gallery will host its opening reception.  The public is invited to attend.  Along with exciting new displays of members’ artwork the gallery launches the Summer Artist Series (SAS) featuring popular New England artists.  The SAS has seven three-week shows for the 2013 season.

The Summer Artist Series featuring Brian Murphy and his whimsical wire sculptures

Opening the SAS lineup is wire sculpture artist Brian Murphy of Boston showing his steel wire figures.  Brian’s work has been described, “as lighthearted line drawings in the medium of steel wire.”  The show, “Totally Wired at the Beach,” opens today until June 11. 

New work by Judy Robinson-Cox 

Paintings by Elizabeth Gauthier and fine jewelry by Katherine Bagley and Deborah Way

Please join us Saturday night, May 25th for our opening reception from 6-8 PM, meet Brian Murphy and all the artists of Rocky Neck Gallery. 

Plate by Cynthia Curtis and Mosaics by Pam Stratton

RNG is located on 53 Rocky Neck Avenue, Gloucester. 
The hours are: Sunday – Wednesday: 11 AM – 6 PM, Thursday – Saturday: 11 AM – 8 PM. 
Parking is available on the street and in the lot.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

TOTALLY WIRED

Rocky Neck Gallery (RNG) is pleased to announce the opening show of the Summer Artists Series featuring wire sculpture artist Brian Murphy.  His show titled “Totally Wired at the Beach,” opens this Friday, May 24th, at 11 AM and is on view through Tuesday, June 11.  Come meet Brian Murphy at RNG’s opening reception on Saturday, May 25 from 6-8 PM, and hear him talk about his art at 7 PM.  The gallery is located at 53 Rocky Neck Avenue, Gloucester.

Their Morning Constitutional
Brian Murphy
wire sculpture
Murphy describes his art:
“My work can be seen as lighthearted line drawings in the medium of steel wire.  Often political and humorous themes are incorporated which can challenge or amuse the viewer leaving them uplifted.  The goal of each piece is to create kinetic movement from the tension in the wire so that the figures seem to dance or sway on their own and appear enlivened.   Mythological themes and tales of transformation dominate illustrating the power of art to help us change and grow.”
Murphy is a child therapist working for the last twenty-five years with traumatized children.  In 2001, he explored art therapy as an important process to supplement his practice.  Art therapy helped his young patients address their trauma in a creative way.  One of his methods was helping them make magic wands to confront night fears.  The wands also served as a tool to channel as he says, “the magic inside all of us.”  Murphy moved on to designing robots with them, then mobiles with goal of introducing movement and flow in the work.  Doing these exercises helped Murphy realize his talent for wire sculpture.  With the encouragement of the children he worked with he began to create wire sculptures on a more consistent basis.  He learned the fundamentals of balance and kinetic energy to create humorous, entertaining figures.
Murphy’s studio is located in the South End of Boston (SOWA).  Totally Wired Sculpture was born in 2002 and he divides his time with his art business and his therapy work.
I have gradually spent more time in the creative process, which seems to be a nice balance to my work with children who often share incredibly painful stories.”

The Naturist
Brian Murphy
wire sculpture

He focuses on building whimsical moving figures to the delight of a huge following.  Murphy is in demand for designing for individual and corporate events.  His wire sculptures have appeared in numerous shows and are in many private collections.  He has exhibited his work in Boston: at the Children’s Hospital; the Massachusetts General Hospital; the Boston Medical Center; The Healing and Arts Gallery; and the Brookline Arts Center; in Provincetown at the Gorgeous Little Things Gallery; and American Folk Art Museum Shop in New York.
To see more of Brian Murphy’s work please visit his website http://www.totallywiredsculpture.com
Rocky Neck Gallery opens Friday, May 24 at 11 AM to 8 PM.  The gallery’s regular schedule hours are: Thursday – Saturday 11 AM – 8 PM & Sunday – Wednesday 11 AM – 6 PM.  Info at 978-282-0917. Parking is available on the street and in the lot.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

RNG CLEANS UP

New white walls
Since Wednesday Tom Robinson-Cox, in charge of the exhibition space of Rocky Neck Gallery, along with Judy Robinson-Cox, gallery manager, and a team of artist members have been preparing the gallery for the opening Friday, May 24th. 


Judy Robinson-Cox (far-R) and Sue Daly (Mid R) check in new artist member Pam Stratton (middle)

This herculean endeavor involved building new display units for jewelry and pottery, spackling and cleaning walls before a fresh coat of paint, new lighting throughout the gallery and general cleaning in just a few days.  The gallery space glowed on Sunday as it waited for paintings, ceramics, photography, jewelry, sculpture and more to be delivered by the gallery artists.
 

Smmer Artists Series exhibition space


Phyllis Feld organizes paintings for the walls

Tom Robinson-Cox and Sue Daly hanging the art
 Special thanks goes out to Tom Robinson-Cox, Judy Robinson-Cox, Sue Daly, Dina Gomery, Phyllis Feld, Deborah Way, Mary Rhinelander, Skip Montello, Mary Healy, Deborah Guertze and Roland Cornelis...
And extra thanks to RNAC artists Tom Nihan! 

The gallery opens this Friday, May 24th at 11 AM - 8 PM.  The opening reception is Saturday, May 25th from 6-8 PM.  Please join us!


Please note if I omitted any name - my apologies

Thursday, May 16, 2013

RNG SALUTES KAREN RISTUBEN

Karen Ristuben, President of the the Rocky Neck Art Colony, has been selected to receive Gloucester Citizenship Award

On Sunday, May 19th, Karen Ristuben will be a recipient of a Gloucester Citizenship Award, given since 2006 by the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church to honor those who give quietly and generously to make Gloucester a better place.

 The recipients of the award have worked diligently, often behind the scenes, and with no expectation of pay or public notice to quietly serve others and improve the quality of life in this community.  

Karen is being recognized for her role as the driving force behind the transformation of the arts on Rocky Neck, the creation of the Cultural Center, and the designation of the Rocky Neck Cultural District.

Please join us for the ceremony at 4:30 pm on May 19 at the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church.  For more information click here

Rocky Neck Gallery congratulates Karen on receiving this award and for her leadership and vision for the Rocky Neck Art Colony.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

SUMMER ARTISTS SERIES 2013



NATURIST
Brian Murphy
wire sculpture

Rocky Neck Gallery is pleased to announce the 2013 Summer Artists Series.  This season RNG invited renowned New England artists and gallery members to submit exhibition proposals.  The results from a very competitive pool of talent are as follows:
Brian Murphy will kick off the season with his show titled “Totally Wired at the Beach,” consisting of wire sculptures.  His work is said to be seen, “as lighthearted line drawings in the medium of steel wire.”  This opens May 24th - June 11th.  Meet this artist along with all our member artists at RNG’s opening reception on Saturday, May 25th from 6-8 PM.
Next is artist Nella Lush whose luminous paintings are on view from Wednesday, June 12th – July 2nd.

A group show curated by jewelry artist & gallery member Deborah Way showcases the exquisite wearable art by Beth Williams, Mer Anderson and Camilla MacFayden.  This unique show, “Silk Glass Metal: Art to Wear,” will run from July 3rd until July 23rd.


Necklace by Beth Williams
Brenda Cirioni of Stow, MA, brings her powerful mixed media paintings to Cape Ann from July 24th  to August 13th.
In the heat of August is a cool photography exhibit: Ice Cold: Natures’ Abstracts featuring the work of artists Skip Montello and Tom Robinson-Cox.  Running for three weeks: August 14th – September 4th.
Gallery artist Mary Rhinelander teams up with Julia Garrison bringing their talents in printmaking to the walls of RNG.  This duo’s popular work will be showing September 5th - September 24th.
Closing out the season is Amesbury artist Stephen Martin with his much in-demand found objects assemblages from September 25th to October 13th.
Lots more details will be forthcoming on these shows with artists’ receptions, artist talks and a new season of exciting contemporary art in Rocky Neck Gallery’s Summer Artists Series. 
Please join us Saturday night, May 25th from 6-8 PM for our opening reception!


MARSH POOL
Brenda Cirioni
mixed media/paper