Levitation is Happening Now

The artist’s arrival is imminent; tonight in fact. You will get a chance to learn from Graziella Weber-Grassi the art of levitation. With this new mixed media series she once again demonstrates powerful insight through the use of nostalgic vignette. By peering into the oddly private world of the familiar, we quite unexpectedly catch some of the furniture in mid-air. In the great room we are also featuring Graziella’s large-scale acrylic on canvas works. Juxtaposed flashes of childhood and fragmented iconic imagery create a recognizable storyboard that defines our precarious confluence with the past.

Come to the gallery and be lifted up.

Alive and Levitating Into the Heat of the Night

Rosenquist’s female doppelganger, Graziella-Weber Grassi, has transformed the gallery into a stunning retro-surrealistic wonderland for the duration of summer. Floating furniture surrounds; the actual furniture I believe is slightly jealous. Walking through the gallery gives one the feeling of lifting off and peeling away of life’s burdens – this is how it should be in summer: We move easy, slowing a little, take more time to enjoy company, mingle with a cool drink, gaze at shorelines or dive into lakes, creeks and flowing rivers, collectively drift into dream states…all can be seen and done at Zone Three (and in the cool air conditioning).

June After Blog

June Atmospheres –  a live after party update – Arts Walk in full swing – The night was picture perfect, windows blown open wide – sound of the waterfall cascading in, Atmospheric to be sure…  In addition to the featured artist’s work  – Atmospheres 1 and 2, displayed in the main gallery (open during regular business hours through this month) and Cruising Blue at 38,000 feet elevation – exhibited in the platform gallery, A new gallery room was added  – the East Room, featuring MP Landis’ work..  A warm thank you to all who attended – we are already busy at work prepping for July’s blow out show – Levitation – 30 new pieces from Graziella Weber-Grassi (as well as some of her large works coming to nest at the gallery for the season)….Z3

Alive, Alive

It is spring and the gallery is in full swing. This month’s show, Atmospheres by Rachel Baird, is a minimalistic new mixed media journey through the just visible ether of our physical realm. In Atmospheres 1, a heavy humid summer night is captured, showing subtle geometric waveforms moving through mid-air. The series of images in Atmospheres 2 captures people and objects seen through this circular lens of water and midnight. In Cruising Blue at 38,000 Feet Elevation, following the sunrise over to Ireland, slight changes in the inverted blue horizon create a hypnotic passage.  

With her clear modernist talent for capturing in abstraction what is physically evident but always slightly hidden, Rachel peels away the obvious surface to take a look at the current that runs through all life. For the opening reception this Friday, June 14th – 5-7 p.m. (during the Middlebury Arts Walk), the gallery will be showing the companion film to Atmospheres,Nightlights will be playing continuously in the main gallery. In Nightlights – the same summer water orbs of pulsing colors beat in and out of a dark world – wrapped inside a soundtrack of ocean sounds from the filming location and otherworldly hearts of space beats, this film mesmerizes.

Alive and Dreaming in the Month of Hearts

The month of hearts is here and so “My Pooling Heart” arrives in a timely fashion. In this series by Rachel Baird acrylic on canvas and acrylic on paper images dismantle the heart in stages to peer beneath the outer surface into snapshots of what affects the heart both physically and emotionally.….Sorrow over collective suffering, personal loss, broken romances and physical degeneration all lie beneath a beating heart. The heart is the ruler of our bodies, the arteries a superhighway conducted from the source. The heart is many things…perhaps an opening. This exhibit is featured in the main gallery through February 28th.

Also exhibiting this month—at the National Bank of Middlebury, “Sardinian Cupids” by Graziella Weber-Grassi. These clever and whimsical collages have winged cherubs popping out of cloud filled sardine cans….each features a unique cancelled stamp—all the better to fly…

Aftermath

The Opening Reception and Holiday Fete: Adding by hand, the people who came to the event, stared at the 4×6 foot “Archangel Michael on the Move,” listened to live Celtic harp music with harpist Bolton Price, saw all the manner of angels then went forth lighter (a considerable amount), the amount of chicken mole hand pies eaten (dozens), the number of Glam Raphael new mixed media works that flew out the door and how much glitter that entails (I cannot even fathom), the number of cupids you can squeeze into a sardine can (an undetermined many). The show continues through the end of this month and can be viewed in the main gallery from 8 a.m.–6 p.m. (Monday–Friday) and as always, in the great room and the rest of the gallery, by appointment.  Here’s wishing everyone a beautiful and artful Christmas.

Our Holiday Show: All Manner of Angels

Our Holiday show is fast approaching and angels are multiplying around the place… every shape and size…Just finishing the hundred eyes on “Archangel Michael” a 5×6 foot semi-abstract rendering in oil on canvas of my favorite of all the angels. It has been an interesting process, begun in Rome recently with images, some abstract and ethereal taken while running around Roma in search of angels, creating prints on art papers, then back in Vermont studying the references to each angel, retracing their stories and meditating on their essence before creating my interpretations in paint.

Graziella Weber-Grassi has been busy in her studio as well creating all forms of inventive euro-angel prints and collages, angels holding the planet up, cupids in a sardine can. Come and be amazed, you might even hear a wing or two in motion. Opening Reception, December 14th 5-7 – with Celtic harpist Bolton Price and a holiday fete befitting the angels.

Wide Awake and in honor of his Holiness, the Dalai Lama’s soon to be visit to Middlebury

Just finished hanging the installation for October at the gallery. Featuring two truly unique and talented felt artists this month.

The gallery is filled with “Vermont Prayers” – by Deborah Allen – what an amazing visual, textural and spiritual convergence – the humble gallery brimming with all these colorful prayers from the people of Vermont is a sight to truly behold and experience for one’s self – Deborah’s artistic vision has come to life in stunning silk on wool felt made in the colors of our Vermont autumn.

“God, Dogs and Fishes” by Christa Fisher is featured on the main gallery wall – a whimsical masterful piece of cold felting artistry – Christa truly captures the sheer unadulterated joy of dogs running in the surf– you can’t help but smile – their happiness is palpable.

I have also placed an antique prayer wheel on the table for use this month.  I hope you get a chance to come by – the gallery is open from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. – Monday through Friday and by appointment.  Feel free to come and spend some time with these soulful works of art.

Next Morning – A Report

Ron Slabaugh’s jazz fusion improvisation on the piano was brilliant – creating a floating wall of sound that we all could move within. All were wowed by the space, art, artist Graziella herself, and several women commented that they wanted to own her stripey pants as well. Several of her works were sold to go home with people so that they could sleep with the art. Some commented that the Lonely Interiors series and Graziella’s ability to capture narrative and nostalgia brought up fond memories – flashes of childhood and bygone spaces they still longed for. The artist herself mentioned that these paintings were created from the viewpoint of looking through a window into the scene. After picking their favorite paintings, many became part of the art by stretching out on the checkerboard gallery floor to have their picture taken for artful purposes. We all ate, drank and talked about modern art, its wondrous beauty, power and significance in the world.

Next up – This Sunday the sParkARTscollEcTiVe meets for an ecstatic art workshop. We will have a pop-up gallery at 63 Maple Street, Suite 5 – In the Marble Works – Kubota Building – next Saturday, July 21st from 9-1. Come on by and see what we have created. Until then – We Dream In Art.

Alive and Tuned In

Day One: getting ready for our opening. The featured artist was last spotted at a picnic table on her porch with a big smile on her face. A visual and edible feast has been prepared. Come to the gallery and get your picture taken on our Wonderland shiny checkerboard floor…be part of the art.