"Where Glass Comes To Life"

quote- Melissa Contover

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Whistler House Museum Distinguished Artist Award 2010

Sunday October 17 was the presentation dinner for the Whistler House Museum Distinguished Artist Award, given this year to the renowned Mico Kaufman.  It was my honor (seriously, how did this happen?) to be commissioned to create the trophy.




The Whistler House Museum is the oldest incorporated Arts organization in the country and is right here in Lowell, MA.  As a commission piece, this was an extremely rewarding effort.  This was a fantastic opportunity for me to really get into a particularly New England aesthetic.  The board of directors wanted me to develop my own vision of the piece with the only requirements being to match the grey, black and white color scheme found in “Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1: Portrait of the Artist’s Mother”.  Taking this idea, I had in mind a force of nature, say a hurricane or a galaxy, a force that seems to be present in Mico's work and life. 
The evening for me included meeting and getting to know people who have not seen my work up until then, schmoozing and then eating, without question, the best meal I have had all month. 


Saturday, October 2, 2010

burning the midnight oil

My work of moving from the fourth floor to the second floor A Mill started August this year.  Since then I have spent many days and long nights working on, well, everything, all at once.  The train left the station for me and making my business work a long time and ago and I'm finding that a steady momentum is the only way for me to keep this as my full time job (imagine me strapped to the front of that train, that to me is my motivation, reasonable fear keeps me focused).  Since July 1 I've built out the work space and some display, produced for, set up and worked Art in the Courtyard at the Lowell Folk Festival, had four First Saturday Open Studios (HI to all of you who stopped by and saw my work for the first time, I've been meeting a lot of new people) AND produced for and help spruce up our hallway for Lowell's City Wide Open Studios. 

If you were to come to my space this is what you see coming around the door from the elevator. 

This here on the left is what you see if you were to come down the hallway from the C/D Mill entrance. 











Starting here in October I have some new accounts that are going to be getting some of my focus.  My work is now in Downtown Lowell at The Brush Art Gallery and Studios.  Super happy about this.  It is good to be getting more visible in the Lowell Art Scene.

  I also will be an associate artist atCambridge Artists Cooperative Gallery in Harvard Square.  Another super happy with an asterix.  I am not looking forward to parking ANYwhere in Harvard Square.  Just Saying.  More than anything, I have been trying to get my toe in the door here since I first started in 2007 so this victory is a testament to my steady momentum theory.

Work has begun in earnest for my fourth season at Sign of the Dove Artisans Holiday Cooperative.  It is the Dove's second year at the Mall at Chestnut Hill and I will be offering far more of my larger blown items as well as some new jewelry and figurine designs.

Gotta go.  Breaks over.