Week 11 of the 52s...Animal Attraction

Remember the reception at the Arts Center that I missed last week because of the notebook issues and brain meltdown?  Well, this morning whilst walking the boys around the VA complex, I decided to go to the exhibit.  It was a pleasant, cooler morning so the boys would be perfectly fine in the car, especially after their walk, drinks and treats.

When I drove past the front of the Arts Center, I had to laugh.  For Week 6 of the 52s I had taken a photo of the building, though wasn't really paying attention and just took a shot from the parking lot of the back entrance.  What a dope. 

Here's the very elegant and lovely building, from the front...

There are actually two exhibits going on as it turns out.  The smaller show is works created from wood, though I didn't see a particular name to identify it.  Each piece was truly a work of art, and the skill it must take to fashion such things from wood is astounding.  Here are but three...



Orchid Vessel by Paul E. Foshay

 

            Ta Ki by Richard H. Worthey

Madrone Sunrise by Donald Snethen

But I was most interested in the main exhibit, Animal Attraction...

Peter Alsen is becoming one of my favorite whimsical potters.  I've never met him, but based on his funny and colorful creatures, he must have a great sense of humor.  He had two pieces in the show...

Animal Stack

 Horse Hair Bear

This next piece was totally captivating, not only because it was life-sized, but there was such movement and grace.  Mare and colt, made from driftwood and metal.

Fire and Ice by Brenna Tyler

I'm a quilter and have been for many years, though since returning to America, I haven't done a thing.  That doesn't mean I can't recognize greatness from across a room.  This was absolutely jaw-dropping.  The expertise, the sheer volume of quilting--the piece measured about 5' wide and 7' in length--was just breathtaking.  I stood in awe for several minutes...

Bullseye by Cassandra Williams

This closeup shows a tiny portion of the incredible detail, and the depth and variety of stitching involved...

Along a different wall was another art quilt, equally stunning.  It measured somewhere around 7' across and 5' long.  (That's my eyeball measure, nothing accurate).

Welcome to Kodiak by Sheila Finzer

The large bear in the center must have had a million stitches; his fur was almost fluid.   Here's a closer view of the bear in the upper right hand corner.  Imagine the entire piece in these intricate, tiny stitches...it must have taken years to make this.  No doubt why the price tag was over $10,000.

And then, as I was walking out of the main gallery, I noticed a small sign pointing to an upstairs section of the building that I didn't realize was open to the public.  It seemed there was a permanent exhibit up there, but when I got to the landing I found something even better.

There, in all her glory, was an old-time photograph of the original Hebe.  She looks exactly like the controversial replacement statue that I posted about last month.  It's really cool to see the difference in the background between my photo and this one.  Apparently there wasn't much traffic on Main Street in 1908...

It was a very nice way to spend a Saturday morning.  I could have taken so many more photos, but instead maybe these few will inspire you, dear readers, to find your own art galleries and exhibits to see, to lose yourselves in the beauty of creative genius, or to just take a moment out of a busy world to refresh the spirit.

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N.B.  As always, click on the photos for a closer view...