Saturday, December 10, 2011

Sweets For the Eye

Today the Boatworks was host to a demonstration of the creation of edible sugar-based flowers. Artist Gerrie Vergona developed an interest in the creation of decorative flowers made from gum paste, a completely malleable mix of sugar and various gums. The beautiful results can be an attractive addition to a cake or worthy of display on their own. A group gathered (above) to watch Gerrie go over some of the process used to create a rose. Shown below are previously made parts for a poinsettia and the tools of the trade.


Gerrie showed everyone the basic procedure. She started by working some premixed gum paste with vegetable shortening and her hands to make it more pliable, then rolled it flat and cut out some small circles with a cutter. She then used a tool to smooth and expand the edges, so that the edges more resembled an actual flower petal.

The newly formed petal was placed in a silicone mold and pressed, so as to add vein textures to the petals.

Completed petals were carefully attached to a wire (the only non-edible part of the flower) using gum glue, and molded to resemble the structure of a rose's interior petals.

She also showed us how to color the flower, using a brush and some powdered dry food coloring. The finished examples that she had on display looked as beautiful as any that you'd see on a cake competition show.

Those in attendance had an interest in creating cake decorations and had varying degrees of experience, so they really appreciated getting some tips on these advanced techniques. Gerrie Vergona is exploring the possibility of teaching a series of hands on workshops at the BAC in the future. Details will appear on the main website when the classes are scheduled.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Sponsor Your Local Arts Council


As mentioned in the previous post, the BAC is looking ahead to 2012 and is making efforts to secure sponsorship for our planned activities. The above chart (click it to enlarge) gives a breakdown of what has been planned and what it would cost to sponsor each event. Our Patron Members got the ball rolling the other night, as indicated on the chart, but there are many spaces still blank. If you are interested in finding out more about what is involved in sponsoring an event, please contact the Belmar Arts Council.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

BAC Patrons Drink Wine, Raise Money



Last weekend the BAC held an invitational wine tasting for its Patron Members. The event was hosted by Joseph Villa (above), manager of the Melting Pot in Red Bank, who led the wine discussion. The Boatworks had some nice art on the walls for the occasion, and the evening included a buffet (below) for those in attendance.












No excuse is needed to get together for an evening of fine food and wine, but in this case there was an added reason- to raise money for the Belmar Arts Council's plans for 2012. The current Wearable Usable Functional show and sale will remain open through January 6th, and there's a full slate of exhibitions planned for next year, beginning with another Member's Salon show in mid January. We're also planning new editions of the annual statewide juried art show, and Art on the Edge, and exhibitions that will benefit Monmouth County's Alliance for Affordable Housing and SPCA. The whole list of shows can be seen here. There are plans for up to 4 new murals around downtown Belmar for next year, a summer performance series, and the exciting Belmar to Broadway- Coyote project.

The wine tasting event brought in sponsorship toward four of the planned activities for 2012, but we will need a whole lot more. If you are interested in making a difference in the local arts, come by the BAC and learn more about our plans for next year and how you can be a part of them.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

WUF Is Open For Business


Tonight we had the opening reception for this year's BAC Wearable Usable Functional exhibition and sale. The front room of the Boatworks is full of unique, one of a kind, original creations by local artists.





We have a wide variety of ceramics, jewelry, home accessories, clothing, and furniture on display.


About a hundred or so people came through over the course of the two hour opening. They enjoyed the refreshments, and quite a few went home with a purchase of original art.


The Wearable Usable Functional show will remain open to the public during gallery hours through January 6, 2012, so you have plenty of time to pick up a holiday gift, or something for yourself. Participating artists have been invited to replace items as they are sold, so come back often to see what's new at the Boatworks.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Music Performance Series at the Boatworks


The second part of the festivities on Saturday night was the beginning of the new Performance Series at the Boatworks. We had two bands on the schedule. First up was WetCat, for their first ever public performance. It was quite a debut, as the five musicians played very well together and the full house in our back room really appreciated their music.

The other half of the bill on Saturday was the jazz trio Sons of Daughters, seen in the photo below.

Special Bonus- If you're wondering how some of this music sounds, below we have a short video excerpt from WetCat's performance.


There will be more performance events coming up through the fall at the Boatworks. See the BAC main website for more details.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Three Dimensions in Belmar

Tonight the Boatworks hosted a two part event- an art reception and a musical performance night. The art show was first. The theme of the current exhibition is Focus on 3D, so our front room gallery was full of three dimensional art objects made from almost any imaginable material. Below are the five pieces chosen by the jurors as the award winners:


Best In Show
Kelcie Mack
Support



Best Sculpture
Burin Gilpin
Ebb & Flow
wood



Best 3D Non-Sculpture
Stephen Harrison
Big Blue Marble
steel and paint



Honorable Mention Sculpture
Pat Hutchinson
DragonFly
paper mache



Honorable Mention Non-Sculpture
Susan Guadagnino
TeaPot
pottery

At 7:00 the gallery was transformed into a musical performance space for a pair of cool bands. Photos and details from the second half of the evening can be found here.

The Focus on 3D exhibition will remain on display through October 28, 2011. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday to Saturday, 1 to 5 pm, and admission is free.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Art and Music at the Boatworks

We have another busy weekend coming up at the Boatworks. First at 5:00 pm on Saturday, October 1, 2011 is the opening reception for the Focus on 3D Three Dimensional Art and Sculpture Show. The exhibition includes 28 three dimensional artworks in a wide variety of media, and will remain on display through October 29th. The reception is open to the public and admission is free.

Then at 7:00 pm, the Boatworks becomes a performance space. We have a double bill of bands- WetCat, followed by Sons of Daughters. There will be a $5 cover charge for the musical portion of the evening. For more information about the bands and the continuing performance series, see the performance series page on the main website.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Art on the Edge Reception at Last


The Boatworks was filled with people tonight looking for some edgy fun. Even the food was part of the fun. That cream cheese skull and cupcakes were among the many treats brought in my BAC members, plus we had a few items provided by local businesses Sweet! and Matisse.



A good crowd was on hand tonight to enjoy the reception and to check out the 68 artworks on display.




The back room not only had some cool art on the walls, but also Dr Void and the Death Machines providing some rockin' music on our stage.

Meanwhile, local artist Doug Z (below) was set up outside, doing demonstrations of his spray paint and stencil technique.

The juror awards for this show had been announced a few weeks ago, but for those who haven't been to the gallery yet, here are the winners-

Christopher Walsh
Untitled #1-3
Chromogenic Prints
Best In Show


Sean Bernhardt
What My Life Consists Of
Mixed Media
Honorable Mention


Tim Donovan
Storytime Lamp
Mixed Media
Honorable Mention


Christopher Kortez
Boogie Man Gone
Mixed Media
Honorable Mention



Despina Statelova
Bulls Eye
Mixed Media
Honorable Mention



Alexandra Surdovel
Cougars at the Watering Hole
Acrylic
Honorable Mention

There are just a few more opportunities to see this very enjoyable show. The gallery will be open from Wednesday to Friday next week, closing on September 23rd. Don't miss the chance to see it before it comes down.