Surf Art Reception

Labor Day may have passed a week ago, but at the Boatworks we had one last summer party to officially open up our new exhibition The Innermost Limits of Pure Stroke, a show devoted to art inspired by surfing. The crowds built early, with close to 200 people coming by to see some very exciting art. Inside the building we had more than 100 works on display in a wide variety of media- paintings, drawings, prints, photos, sculptures, and some interesting mixed media work.

But the exhibition was only the beginning. In the back room we had work that could be bid on as part of a silent auction. A portion of all the money raised by this show is going to benefit Surfaid International, a non-profit humanitarian organization. Also in the back room we had surfing videos projected on our famous biggish screen.

As wonderful as the exhibition is, the real party today was outdoors. The bad weather of the past week has moved on, allowing us to set up in the parking lot. We had great food provided by Joe Leone's in Point Pleasant, Fins in Bradley Beach, and the Little Red Barn in Belmar, plus live music by the surfBobs. The party went on as the sun went down.

The reception may be over, the show goes on. The exhibition will remain up at the Boatworks through October 2, during regular gallery hours- Wednesday to Sunday, 1 to 5 pm. Gallery admission is always free.

Surf Art in Belmar

There is a very unique show in the Boatworks right now, called The Innermost Limits of Pure Stroke. The show is all art with a surfing theme- paintings, photos, drawings, etc- even some special surfboards. More than 100 pieces will be on display. The exhibition, which benefits SurfAid International, officially opens on September 5, and will have a special reception on Sunday, September 13, from 6 to 8 pm. The show will remain on display during regular gallery hours through October 2nd.

Tonight was our regular monthly member meeting and we had a special guest. Jay Alders is a very busy local artist- a prolific fine artist who has exhibited pretty much anywhere with a coastline, but also producing quality commission work for publications and products. Much of his art depicts one of his favorite activities, surfing. Of course he has some work in this current show, but tonight the more than 30 people in attendance saw a slide show of past and current work, including step by step views of his process.

A Journey Through Wine Country

This past Saturday the BAC put together an exciting event called A Journey Through Wine Country. Members Patricia and Richard Hoynes opened up their beautiful Belmar home to over 120 guests for a night of wine tasting with a specially selected tasting menu. Guests started arriving in the early evening. Wine was provided by Ocean Wine and Spirits, and the food came from Brandl's, Sickles Market, and Pierre Chocolat. A group of musicians led by Tim McCorry provided entertainment. In addition to the wine and gourmet menu, those in attendance had the opportunity to bid on over 30 artworks, including a hand painted cafe table in the fashion of those we have at the Boatworks. There was also a big 50/50 drawing. The fun continued into the evening, people enjoying the music and good company.

Belmar Artist Critique Group

Tonight was the first meeting of the BAC artist critique group at its new meeting time- the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm. We had six artists participate tonight, including two who came for the first time. Tonight we saw examples of watercolors, oils, collage, and a woodcut print. Everyone made and received good suggestions for current and/or future works. The group is open to all artists in any media, and admission is free. Bring a piece or two of art and join in.

Belmar Stories On Display

Tonight was the opening reception for the new Belmar Stories exhibition at the Boatworks. Several dozen people showed up to see the artwork- paintings, prints, photos, sculptures, collages, and more- all on the topic of people's memories and stories about Belmar, NJ. After people had time to check out all the artwork in the front gallery, everyone assembled in the back room for the debut of the new Belmar Stories film. Our own Gypsy Davey Taylor, videographer and editor, introduced the film, which featured interviews with a variety of past and present Belmar residents, intercut with photos of buildings and people from Belmar's history.

The exhibition will remain on display at the Boatworks during regular gallery hours through August 28th. For more information, go the the BAC website.

City on the Moon...in Belmar

Today was the culmination of the Belmar Arts Council's City on the Moon project. Several local kids worked together to imagine a city constructed on the moon, considering the technological and societal needs of the city's residents. Then they spent a week building a scale model of their city, with the help of some adults from the BAC- project coordinator Tim McCorry and Wendy Green, Kevin Maypother, Bob Mataranglo, and John Hutchinson. Dozens of people showed up today for the unveiling of the completed city and to enjoy refreshments.

Above are a couple of views of the completed project. Photos of the whole process of planning and constructing the city will be posted soon.

Critique Group On The Move

Tonight was the most recent meeting of Belmar's Critique Group. The group is a great opportunity to get useful feedback on your artwork from other experienced artists. Bring something that you just finished or something in progress, and when you leave you'll have a better understanding of your work, and maybe an idea or two for the next one.

Starting in August, the Belmar Critique Group will change its meeting time to the 2nd Thursday of every month at 7:30 pm until about 9:00 pm at the Boatworks. Participation is free.

New BAC Website

The new Belmar Arts Council website is up and running, created by our own Lynn Collins. In addition to having a spiffy new look, the website provides more information and includes some new features, such as a gallery to post member artwork, and blog where members can post information about arts events. And best of all, it's the same address as our old website, so if you already had it bookmarked, you're halfway there. Or go check it out right now by clicking here.

Summer Movie Nights

Three Tuesdays every month the BAC shows free movies at the Boatworks. The 2nd Tuesday of every month is films about artists, the 3rd Tuesday are film classics, and the 4th Tuesday are vintage science fiction films. All start at 7pm

Next up on July 14th is Art School Confidential, directed by Terry Zwigoff, and based on the comic book story of the same name by Dan Clowes. A new freshman at a big city art school discovers that the art world is not what he expected. Rated R for adult language, nudity, and general art student behavior.

The rest of the summer:
July 21 Take Me Out to the Ball Game
July 28 When Worlds Collide

August 11 Frida
August 18 The Mark of Zorro
August 25 Killer Clowns from Outer Space

Metaphors Exhibition

Today was the opening reception for the Belmar Arts Council's first ever exhibition devoted to abstract art. The exhibition, called Metaphors, also benefits the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in Shrewsbury, which receives a percentage of all entry fees and sales. A check for the first installment of that was presented to Willow Caffrey. Well over 150 people came to the reception, which included plenty of refreshments and live music. As part of the afternoon, those in attendance could vote for favorite pieces among the 39 works on display. Those awards went to (from top to bottom) Alison Bowie (for her sculpture Fireball), Doris Lenz (for her collage Imagination), and Ana P. Rodriguez (for her photo I'm Dreaming). The exhibition remains up through July 31st.

Jammin' at Jake's

Tonight the BAC Jam Band went on location, to the boardwalk just outside Jake's Crab Shack at the Taylor Pavilion. A nice crowd enjoyed the beautiful weather and music from the group, which included Tom, Tim, Mike, Bart, Chard, and Dave. Most appearances of the BAC Jam Band are at the Boatworks, the 2nd and 4th Friday nights of each month, from 7 to 9 pm. Admission is free.

Digital Painting Demo

Tonight was our regular monthly meeting (normally 1st Thursday, but moved to this week because of the holiday). After the business part we were treated to a demonstration of Corel Painter by photographer/watercolorist Keith Mills. The crowd was very interested to see some of the possibilities of this computer program and some of its applications for photo based art.

Earlier this week Keith Mills hosted the BAC Photo Group in his Spring Lake studio, demonstrating some digital photo techniques. The Photo Group is relatively new, but it's already pretty popular. It usually meets at the Boatworks on the first Tuesday of every month.

Collage Workshop

Tonight the Boatworks hosted a workshop led by Michelle Bernard, on the topic of making freeform collages with personal mementos. Among the processes explored tonight were rubber stamps, embossing, painting, collage, paper punches, and more. Participants brought materials from home (copies of photos, personal ephemera, etc) and combined them with all the materials provided by Michelle to produce mixed media collages. The occasion for having the workshop is for those who would like to submit a collage about their memories of Belmar to our upcoming Belmar Stories exhibition, but this approach can be used to make two and three dimensional art of all kinds.