Get Ready to Giggle...

Can you believe it's almost April? Well, a favorite holiday is coming, April Fool's Day! We will be joining in this silly celebration on April 1 with "Fool's Festival - A Collsion of Humor and ART!" Come by to see the whimsical side of the Gallery, with foolish creations like roaming nipplehorns by Theo Sable, bowls that stick their tongues out at you by Mary Ellen Dohrs, mixed media confusion by Linda Manganaro, and tiny people dressed as flying bunnies by Victoria Rose Martin.

We can all use laughter in our lives, and our artists create works that are sure to inspire a chuckle or three...See you at 6:00!

Let the Music PLAY!

On Monday evening, March 28, Mel Healy and Vinnie Cerniglia of Spittoon Studios bring a screening of Broad Old River 2 to the Clay Glass Metal Stone Gallery! The screening features the Hudson River Sloop Singers; Pete Seeger and his friends. The screening will begin at 7 PM followed by the singing of several of the Sloop Singers.

Pete Seeger, Folk Singer and long time activist for peace and social justice, took a look at his own back yard, noticed how polluted the Hudson River had become and decided to do something about it. He helped bring the sloop the Clearwater to the Hudson and sailing up and down the river with crews of singers and environmental activists brought about changes in communities along the banks of the Hudson that led to waters that now run clear. The fleet grew to three sloops as the Woody Guthrie and the SoJourner Truth were added. Mel Healy became the captain of the Sojourner. She now resides in Lake Worth Florida singing with her husband Vinnie Cerniglia at open mikes and spreading the word and the work of the Clearwater.

Back in November 2009, states Healy, “we were able to gather a whole batch of old Clearwater friends to do a concert together and do some interviews about the Sloop Clearwater and The Hudson River Sloop Singers. We were lucky that so many old friends came to join in the fun. Months later after lots of editing and with the combined energy of Koza Productions, Spittoon Studios & LCA TV - VCAM we put together a half hour video featuring Pete Seeger and friends.

The concert celebrates the release of the Broad Old River 2 CD. Four decades of sloop singers and family came together in Pete’s 90th year at the Clearwater Beacon sloop club to sing the songs together again. The video tells how a group of people can come together and make a dream come to life. Screening will be followed by music. CDs will be available for purchase. $15 from each CD sold benefits maintenance and restoration on the sloops Woody Guthrie and Clearwater.

Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. is a 501(c)3 tax exempt nonprofit, member-supported corporation whose mission is to preserve and protect the Hudson River. In 1966, folk music legend and environmental activist Pete Seeger, in despair over the pollution of his beloved Hudson River, announced plans to “build a boat to save the river”. At the time, the Hudson was rank with raw sewage, toxic chemicals and oil pollution; fish had disappeared over many miles of its length. Seeger believed a majestic replica of the sloops that sailed the Hudson in the 18th and 19th centuries would bring people to the river, where they could experience its beauty and be moved to preserve it. Inspired by that vision, the 106-feet-long tall ship Clearwater was built and launched in 1969. The sloop was among the first vessels in the U.S. to conduct science-based environmental education aboard a sailing ship, virtually creating the template by which such programs are conducted around the world today.

Mel and Vinnie are Spittoon Studios. Vincent Cerniglia plays old school blues guitar. Maryellen Healy sings from the heart. Together they sail, fundraise, compose, organize, educate and archive for Clearwater spreading a message you can sing and dance to.

Clay Glass Metal Stone Gallery will host this eventm free to the public. CDs of Broad Old River 2 will be available for sale. 100% of the proceeds will go to the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.

So, please join us and be sure to bring your dancing shoes!!!!

Art in Bloom!!

Spring is almost here! This Friday, we will celebrate the changing of the season with Art in BLOOM - Visions of Paradise. The Galler will be filled with art representing Spring, and the amazing paradise of South Florida. Norm Gitzen's metal sculpted dolphin and Siren will be there, along with tropical creations in clay by Tracy Rosof-Petersen and Maria Hayden. We also will be welcoming new artists Rick Cohen and Kathleen Krischner, who create lovely work using natural elements such as wood, twigs and bark. Their creations reflect the beauty of nature, and are simply amazing!

So, stop by to meet the "newbies" and have a glass of wine to toast the arrival of SPRING!!

The ART of REVOLUTION!

Art has a voice, and that voice can be LOUD. This Friday we celebrate art with meaning and message. Throughout history art has been used to convey our thoughts feelings and beliefs. Political commentary, wars, peace, social and economic trials and triumphs have all been conveyed in art. From posters to sculptures, artists give meaning and message to our thoughts and emotions. Join us as we showcase three dimensional artwork with deep meaning. Learn the Siren's story, created by Norm Gitzen. Marvel at Linda Manganaro's mixed media creations full of story and message. Talk to Tracy Rosof-Petersen about her expressions of life and loss in clay, and feel the textures of Lois Herricks creations, born from her vivid imagination.

See you at 6:00....

Let's Get DIRTY!

You have to come to the Gallery on February 18th for our first annual "Pottery Throw-Down!". We will have three pottery wheels set up in front of the Gallery, and our talented potters will compete to see who can throw the most bowls, create the biggest and the tallest bowls, and generally throw some mud around! We invite our guests to take a spin at the wheel--just be sure to wear something you don't mind getting dirty! If you've never worked clay on a wheel, this is the perfect opportunity to give it a try. If you are a potter, come show your stuff and enter the competition!

Finished bowls will be fired and offered for sale during our Empty Bowl Project to raise funds for Haitian relief efforts.

This will be a fun and very interactive event, so mark your calendars!! See you at 6:00!

Discovering Your MUSE...

Do you have a collection of old buttons, beads, scraps of fabric? How about old photos or magazine images? We all have an odd drawer or box filled with "treasure" we don't quite know what to do with. Well, this Friday, Feb 4, is for you! Come to the Gallery at 6:00 for The MUSE in YOU - Discovering Inspiration. Gallery artists Marsha Christo, Amelia Costa and Lorraine Bowe invite you to join them in the creation of a group mixed media wall project that will incorporate found objects galore! The finished wall hanging will be sold and the proceeds will be donated to local charities.

This will be a fun night, and offers the chance not only to express yourself, but to work with three talented fabric, mixed media and jewelry designers. I can't wait to see the finished work!

See you at 6:00!!

THE ALCHEMY OF ART!

Art is an amazing force, affecting us on many levels. Art also affects our senses, and not just visually. Sure, we see and appreciate art, but what about the other senses? Sculptures and hand-made fabrics beg to be touched, we hear music and feel joy, sorrow, and movement. Food is art, joy for our sense of taste. And fragrance affects us deeply through scent. Join us this Friday, Jan 21, as we explore how art affects all our senses. Special guest Eva Sjodin of Circle of Life Holistics will bring aromatherapy to the gallery, discussing how scent can enrich our lives. Sara Lerner and Mary Ellen Dohrs will be presenting fine porcelain and sculpture full of texture and visual delight. Come immerse your senses in ART! See you at 6:00....

UPDATE!!! Barbara the Tea Specialist will also be joining us for an organic three tea tasting! Brewing the perfect cup of tea is a true art form, and Barbara has mastered this perfectly. From the Orchid Tea Room, Barbara prepares and blends the finest organic teas to tantelize your sense of taste and smell. Come immerse yourself in a true sensory experience!!