Jingling and Mingling

On Sunday the Boatworks hosted the Annual Jingle and Mingle party, where members can join together to partake in refreshments and to enjoy live music and seeing old friends.  And we have art on the walls, too.

The entertainment was provided by Sal & Michele.

While some people never made it to the back room, but just stayed up front to check out items for sale in the Winter Solstice Artisan Market.

The Jingle and Mingle event is now over, but the Winter Solstice Artisan Market continues during regular business hours through December 22, 2016.

New Art in Belmar

We had two new shows open at that Boatworks this week.

In the front gallery we have the latest edition of the Winter Solstice Artisan Market.  A wide variety of products created by our artist members, suitable for holiday shopping needs, or for giving gifts to yourself.

Available items include jewelry, candy, dog treats, leather work, ceramics, hand made soaps, baskets, small works, home decorations, and too many other things to mention.  

As items sell, creators have the opportunity to replace them with new items, so make it a habit to stop by and see what is available.  Perhaps lured in by Small Business Saturday and some weekend specials, we had a never ending stream of visitors today, some browsing, and some buying.

And then in the back gallery we have a new exhibition curated by the Arc of Monmouth, a non-profit agency that serves individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The show includes works by 15 people, a wide variety of subjects, mediums, and styles.  Artist biographies and examples of their works can be seen at their web page.

There will be a Meet the Artists Reception on Wednesday, December 14, 2016, from 5 to 7 pm.

Both exhibitions remain on display during regular gallery hours (Wed to Sat, 1 to 5 pm) through December 22, 2016.  Admission is free.

Fall Clean Up

Last Saturday our friends from Troop 258 were back at the Boatworks to help us with our ongoing improvement of the property.

Keeping nature at bay is a never ending battle.  This past summer the various weeds that had sprouted in the dirt and sand surrounding the building were threatening to consume our whole building.  And while I personally enjoyed the three dimensional aspect this brought to our Undersea mural, it had reached a point where it was out of control.  In recent months a bunch of volunteers have contributed to efforts to cut back the wild plant growth, which by this past summer was looking like what you see above.

So a lot has changed since the summer, and while the coming winter weather should slow down the formation of another jungle, this latest effort from an Eagle Scout from Troop 258 will also help.

Our large collection of cast concrete creatures, which emerged from the ocean along Belmar beach right around the time we moved into the Boatworks, were temporarily moved so that the rest of the weeds could be removed and a weed barrier could be put down.  Then they were returned, clearing the brick path, but still allowing us to see the mural.

Also done as part of this was the installation of this colorful fence, created by Katie, one of our summer interns, which keeps our garbage cans out of view and can inspire people to make some art.

Next time you stop by the Boatworks, take a few minutes to walk around the outside and see all the improvements.

some photos provided by Nicole Vincenti

BelmarArts goes to Spring Lake

Over the summer BelmarArts put out the call for something new- an exhibition of art originating in Belmar, but the show itself being held in Spring Lake.  The proposal got a very good response, and almost 80 artworks were selected.  About a week ago the chosen artists made the 24 block journey south from the Boatworks to the Spring Lake Community House (home of the Spring Lake Theater and the Spring Lake Library, among other things) to deliver the work.  The show was installed and opened to a good crowd on Sunday the 20th.

The gallery is upstairs in the Spring Lake Community House, a large brick building on 3rd Avenue (which is the continuation of Belmar's Main Avenue), between Madison and Brighton.  There are no posted hours of operation, but someone working there told this blog that the building is open pretty much every day.  Based on the number of activities going on in the building, this sounds plausible.

The space is not set up like a typical art gallery, but with salon style hanging, room was found for all the art.  As with most shows in our own space, mostly paintings, with some drawings, photos, prints, and sculptures.  As can be seen in the photos, a lot of furniture is also in the room.  It is regularly used for meetings and other events, so the artwork will have had quite an audience by the time the show ends on March 12, 2017.

No specific theme to this show, just good art and a lot of familiar names.  And just like the Boatworks, admission is free.  Just get there before it closes on March 12th.

Much to be Grateful for in Belmar

Today a new exhibition opened at the Boatworks, a show called "Gratitude."  Artwork that says thanks.  It contains about 2 dozen works overall, a mix of paintings, sculptures, photos with a common theme.

Next to most pieces is a card where the artist could list various things they are grateful for, which may relate to the image in the art, or may not.  Most are in the front gallery, but a few can be found in the back room, which also contains more of the Art on a Line pieces.

Gratitude can be fleeting, and this show is too, only up for about 2 weeks.  So come enjoy it while you can.  Open during regular gallery hours, Wednesday to Saturday from 1 to 5 pm.  Admission is free as always, another thing to be grateful for.

Wicked Times in Belmar

Has the Boatworks been taken over by an invasion of large skeletal rodents?  No, it's just seasonal decorations in connection with the current show in the galleries.  Wicked! A Sinister Art Exhibit opened last week, filling both the front and back galleries with some spooky, thought provoking, and occasionally disturbing artwork.  But it is October, the one time of year when such things are not only tolerated, but actually welcome.

The show includes a mix of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and mixed media explorations of the creepy kinds of things that tend to be on our minds this time of year.

The show opened back on October 12th, and will continue until October 28, 2016.  Gallery hours are Wednesday to Saturday, 1 to 5 pm.  Admission is free.  If you dare to enter.

Selfies in Belmar

If the current show in the front gallery at the Boatworks looks familiar, it's because, well, it's us.

The show is called "Selfies: an exhibit if self-expression."  Despite the title, this is not a room full of portraits of people taken with their own cell phone cameras (such shows do exist), but what you might expect when artists are given the opportunity to create self portraits.  Some are fairly representative faces, while some artists went with more symbolic or metaphorical views of themselves.

There are 33 works in this show, a variety of mediums, so if you stop by the gallery between now and October 7th, you might see an old friend on the wall.

With summer over the gallery has returned to regular hours, so Selfies can be viewed from Wednesday to Saturday, 1 to 5 pm.  Admission is free.  And maybe while you are there, take a selfie with Alan the Robot, who has probably been in more selfies than all the people in the show combined.  We'll be throwing him a birthday party on September 24th, from 5 to 7 pm.

Art Still On the Line

The rear gallery at the Boatworks currently has a show that is both old and new.  A couple of weeks ago we had an event called Art On The Line, small works on paper produced by our members, and displayed clipped to lines hanging from the wall.  Dozens were sold at that one time event, but many many more remain.  The previous show in this space came down a few days ago, so the lines of art are coming back.

These photos are just a taste of what's there, about 150 pieces on the day it was hung.  The images vary, along with the mediums and subjects, but all are 5" x 7", a size easy to frame for hanging in your home or office.  (click on the photos to enlarge them)  Prices are low, and even lower when more than one is purchased.  Just $20 for any one piece, and get two for $35, three for $50, five for $75, and an incredible thirteen for $100.  Unfortunately, the refreshments that were available at the original event (provided by 10th Ave Burrito, La Dolce Vida, D'Jais, and Sweet!) are long gone.  Taylor Hardware, just a few blocks to the south, sponsored the original exhibition.

These pieces remain on display until Friday, September 9th, or until they are all sold, whichever comes first.  Do not wait long to come see this show.

The Race is About to Begin

They are ready to wave the flag.  The race is about to begin.  That is to say, the next exhibition at the Boatworks, called A Day at the Races.

This is a non-juried show, curated by Megan Kennedy, with a theme of race competition, however the artists depicted that.  Could be runners, cars, horses, or anything else.  The show includes 25 pieces in a variety of mediums with both 2D and 3D art.

The show is open to the public now, but there will be an official reception this coming Saturday, August 13th, from 5 to 7 pm, with free admission as always.  The show will remain on display through Friday, September 9, 2016 during established gallery hours.

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Opens in Belmar

Time for the second of the two summer SOLO X2 exhibitions.  This time we are featuring the retro future work of Karen Waller.  The exhibition is called "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives", and the paintings live up to that title.

The artist writes, "I celebrate New Jersey highway architecture painting the remains of the days when Americans could afford to be whimsical in their plans, individual in their pursuits and optimistic about their prospects.  These buildings, still wondrous yet fading like a dream come morning, serve as my own personal metaphor of aging."

These kind of sights once filled highways and city streets all over our state and nation, as well as in our shore towns, but times have been changing.  Anyone who has been around Belmar for several decades can talk about all the businesses that have come and gone, many of them still missed by those who appreciated the bold space age styling, the colorful neon, and associations with good times.  This exhibition includes over 20 paintings (done in acrylic, which she feels is most appropriate to the style and time period of the subjects), in which she has attempted to "capture the past that once symbolized our future."   The Freedman's Bakery sign is gone from our yard, but it's not too late to enjoy this view of our past.

The opening reception for "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" is Saturday July 16, 2016 from 5 to 7 pm.  the show remains on display through August 6th, admission free as always.

artwork photos provided by the artist

Summer Art

Summer has definitely arrived in Belmar.  Sun, heat, lots of traffic jams on the Parkway and on all the local roads, parking very difficult to find- all pretty much what you'd expect on a summer weekend.  However, summer also brings art to Belmar and we have two new shows right now in the Boatworks.

In the front gallery we have the Summer Solstice Artisan Market.  Whole bunches of local artists are displaying examples of their creative output, a very wide variety of items for sale.  There are baskets, ceramics, jewelry, hand made soaps, small paintings and photos, fabric based items, and other interesting crafts.

The summer solstice may have come and gone, but this Artisan Market will continue through August 6, 2016.  The days will gradually be growing shorter, yet the gallery will still be open Wednesday to Sunday, from 1 to 5 pm.  Artists are encouraged to replace items as they are sold, so you'll want to come back often and see what new items are on display and for sale. Admission is free.