More Holiday Photos

Got some more photos of Saturday's Holiday party from Lynn Collins, and we thought it would be great to share them with everyone. Check back here and on our main website for news about upcoming events in 2009.

BAC Holiday Party

Tonight was the Belmar Arts Council's Holiday Party. Just enough light snow was falling to lend the night the proper atmosphere. Once in the door, people could place gifts on the appropriate tables in the gallery-one for the grab bag gifts and one for the snowflake donations. The real action was in the back, decorated for the occasion. Two tables of food (one for entrees, one for desserts), with more and more items arriving as the evening went on, enough to feed the more than 50 people who came through over the course of the evening. A special treat was Chris Brandl showing up with some tasty crabcakes and creme brulee that he fired up on the spot. After everyone had their fill (and then some), most people moved out to the gallery for the Grab Bag/Yankee Swap event. About 20 people participated, all coming away with something. After that we returned to the back area to open gifts from the Snowflake table, inexpensive items that will be useful to the BAC, such as wipes, stamps, empty CD jewel cases, and a welcome mat. (Plenty more snowflakes are available to anyone who wants to come make a donation.) Meanwhile, we had live music for most of the night, mostly in the background while the crowd was eating, and later the whole group joined in to sing Christmas and seasonal songs. It was a great way to wrap up another busy year for the Belmar Arts Council.

Klaatu Barada Nikto

A remake of the ground breaking award winning Cold War science fiction classic The Day the Earth Stood Still is coming to theaters everywhere on Friday, but on Thursday, December 11 at 7 pm you can see the original 1951 film at the Boatworks. And it's free as always.

Come Pick Up A Snowflake

Here's a great opportunity to help out the Belmar Arts Council and it won't blow your holiday budget. We have a basket of snowflakes, and written on the backs of each are ideas for little things we could use around the Boatworks, typically under $10. Come get a snowflake, buy the BAC the requested gift, and bring it to our Holiday party. The party, a covered dish/pot luck dinner, is on Saturday, December 20, from 6 to 8 pm, followed by a musical performance from our own Tim McCorry from 8 to 9:30.

Open House for Small Treasures

This afternoon we had a special open house in conjunction with our current Small Treasures show. Holiday cheer inside and out, with colored lights on the outside, and hot mulled cider and other treats available inside. Live music on stage, too. We had quite a few people come through over the course of the event, and many purchased some of the arts related items for sale.

The exhibition remains open during gallery hours- Wednesday to Sunday, 1 to 5 pm- through December 21st.

Movie Night- Humoresque

Tonight is the latest film in the current Film Series at the Boatworks. It's Humoresque, starring Joan Crawford and John Garfield. Tonight is also the December monthly Members Meeting. The meeting will start at 7:00 pm, and the film will follow at 7:30. Both are free and open to the public.

Movie Nights are back at the BAC

Classic movies are coming back to the Boatworks, hosted by BAC member Luke Suppa. The first classic film will be City For Conquest, a 1940 film starring James Cagney and Ann Sheridan. It will be shown Thursday, November 20, at 7:00 pm.

The rest of the schedule is as follows:

December 4- Humoresque, starring John Garfield and Joan Crawford. (1946- b&w)
Special time- 7:30 pm, after the member meeting

December 18- Abbot & Costello Christmas Show (1952- color)

January 14- Hal Roach's Little Rascals (1930- b&w)

January 28- Bathing Beauty, starring Esther Williams and Red Skelton (1944- color)

February 10- An Evening with the Chairman of the Board, starring Frank Sinatra.

The December shows are on Thursdays, the later ones on Wednesdays. All films start at 7:00 pm, and admission is free.

Tabletops are finished!

It was a long process, beginning back in May when the Table Top Challenge was announced, and canvases were distributed to those who dared accept it. In August the canvases came back to the Boatworks for an exhibition and judging. That's when the table making process began, many aspects documented in the above photos taken over the past few months. First, the painted canvases were carefully removed from the stretchers, and set aside. The wooden table tops were sanded and the edges painted black. We removed the tops from the pedestals as the first step in attaching the canvas to the wood. A light table was used to trace the 24 inch diameter circle of canvas that would appear on the table. Contact cement was applied to back of the canvas and the wooden top, the pieces joined, and the canvas rolled and smoothed.

Once fully adhered to the wood, the canvas was trimmed around the edges, even to the circular edge of the table. The clear protective coating was mixed from a 2 part formula and poured over the top, then spread over the top and edges with a brush. A pin was used to pop a few tiny bubbles that formed. The still wet tops were placed back on pedestals on the stage to dry for a few days.

In time for yesterday's opening, the tops were reattached to the pedestals, finishing the tables. Special thanks to Wendy Green for coordinating the whole process and doing most of the work to finish the tables, with help seen above from Paul, Kevin, and Pat. If you want to see all 12 finished tables, you'll have to stop by the Boatworks. It will be worth the trip.

Small Treasures Opening

Today was the official opening of the Small Treasures Exhibition at the Boatworks. The walls were packed with inexpensive member made art, and there was plenty more on shelves and racks: paintings, photos, prints, ceramics, clothing, accessories, and music, all under $75. We had a nice crowd come through over the course of the opening, signed up some new members and sold more than a few items. As a special bonus, today was the debut of our new tables, created by 12 local artists. Don't worry if you couldn't make it today- the show and sale remain on display during regular gallery hours (1:00 to 5:00 pm Wednesday to Sunday, with special late hours until 8:00 pm on Fridays) through December 21st.

Small Treasures Coming Soon

Today was the intake of work for the upcoming Small Treasures exhibition. This members only show features paintings, drawings, prints, photos and more, with everything for sale for $75 or less. The exhibition officially opens on Saturday, November 15, with a reception from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. There will also be a special open house on Saturday, December 6 from 3:00 to 6:00 pm.