Patterns In Nature Opening Reception

Tonight the Boatworks hosted the opening reception for the Belmar Arts Council's Patterns in Nature Juried Photography exhibition.  Forty-one works were chosen for the show, hung in the front and back rooms of the building.

Visitors started coming through the doors at 5:00 pm and were still arriving as we closed up at 7:00 pm.  At any given time in between we usually had a few dozen people in the gallery.

 When we can arrange it we like to have live music for the receptions, and today was no exception, with our old friends We Used to Cut the Grass on hand to entertain all our visitors.

Five of the photographs were awarded prizes.  Below are the award winners:

 First Place

Expression of a Tree

Joan B. Myers

 Second Place

"Sit George Sit!"

Sori Gottdenker

 Third Place

Zebra of the Serengeti

Colleen Loughran

 Fourth Place

Jellyfish Study

Andy Kazmierski

Fifth Place

Mother Nature's Ornament

Dana Cohoon

The Patterns in Nature photography exhibition will remain on display at the Boatworks through July 6, 2012.  The gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday, 1 to 5 pm.  Admission is free.

A Shed Like No Other

Last month the Boatworks hosted the opening for this year's edition of the Art on the Edge show.  We had as special guests artists Anthony WeirdEyexOne and Mike Trendkill, who worked outside during the reception, collaborating on a painting.  Apparently they thought our old shed could use a little artistic improvement (the original pinkish color can be seen in the background of some outdoor shots from that reception) and asked permission to do something about it.  You see the results of their efforts.

We can't say with any certainty how long the shed will remain in our parking lot, but for now it is an additional attraction.  Stop by sometime soon and check it out.  You can't miss it.

Canvas Printing Demonstration

It's not uncommon for the monthly meetings of the BAC to feature a demonstration of artistic materials or process that may be of interest to our members.  Tonight was such a night, with a presentation by Glenn Malmberg on the topic of printing photographs on canvas.  The presentation started with a quick overview of the concerns that face all photographers, however they reproduce their images, before getting into a discussion of printing.

Our speaker has plenty of experience with a variety of formats, and passed around examples of photos printed on a variety of surfaces.  He also passed around many examples of the different materials, papers of different weights and surfaces, as well as canvas surfaces designed to be used in digital printing.  He also discussed canvas wraps, a procedure where the artist's image is printed on canvas, and the canvas stretched over a wood frame (the image wraps around the edges and can be seen on the sides) much like an oil painting.   This can be done by hand, or with modern kits, which include the wood parts, adhesive grips, and pins and braces that hold it all together.  Below, he shows us how the pins hold the corners together to make the frame.

Glenn also provided a lot of technical information to the gathered crowd, discussing different types of printers, commercial providers of photo printing services, and tips for improving the quality of prints.  He also answered questions from those in attendance.

Information about future presentations at monthly meetings is posted on our main website and included in our weekly e-mail newsletter, as soon as we know about them.

Art On The Edge 2012 Reception

Tonight was the opening reception for the 2012 edition of the Belmar Arts Council's Art on the Edge exhibition.  Dozens of artists contributed 68 artworks to this year's show, a mix of painting, drawing, photography, digital art, sculpture, and mixed media.

The show fills all three rooms at the Boatworks, artworks full of bright colors, incredible detail, unusual materials, and somewhat unconventional subjects.

The acrylic painting above, Three Months Under The Sea by Amanda DeLorenzo, was chosen by the juror as Best of Show.

The opening reception also included two musical acts: Lionel Pryor (above) and SCIENCE (below).

Thanks to the beautiful weather, a lot of the show's visitors spent time outside, where there were some art demonstrations.

Anthony WeirdEyexOne and Mike Trendkill collaborated on a painting.  Above, Anthony used a brush to add to stenciled design Mike had previously put on the canvas.

Meanwhile, Mike used stencils to add a two color design to the side of a pick-up truck.

The truck left, but the rest of the Art of the Edge exhibition remains on display during regular gallery hours (Wed - Sat 1 to 5 pm) through June 1, 2012.  Admission is free.

Cycle Art Back In Asbury

Cycle Art, an art exhibition featuring artwork made about bicycles (and sometimes using bicycles and related equipment, like the bike helmet based piece above by Lisa Bagwell), opened this evening at Second Life Bikes in Asbury Park.  Second Life has a huge space at 21 Main Street, which houses the hundreds of bicycles under repair and/or for sale.  Like the previous edition of this show, the exhibition was sponsored by the Belmar Arts Council, ArtsCap, and Visions Photographic Workshops, and more than a few people with ties to the BAC could be found among the exhibiting artists and viewers.

The exhibition includes about three dozen artworks, a mix of photographs, paintings, and sculptures, all in the front gallery area.

 The opening reception included a variety of refreshments (above) and live music (below) from We Used to Cut the Grass, who have entertained us at the Boatworks in the recent past.

Things started slow, but before long there was a good crowd present.  People came and went, checking out many other art shows around town, but at any given time there were at least a few dozen visitors in the gallery.

The exhibition will remain on display during regular business hours (Tues to Sat, 11 - 5) through June 14, 2012.  Admission is free.  Proceeds from the art show will benefit Second Life Bikes.

Fai Do Do at the Boatworks

We have a special treat coming up at the Boatworks in May. The BAC is hosting a Cajun Fai Do Do and File Gumbo cooking class on Tuesday, May 15th, beginning at 6:00 pm. Traci Orsi of Belmar's Ragin' Cajun restaurant will host and share some classic cajun recipes. Then everyone enjoys a cajun feast. In addition, there will be live musical entertainment from Rockin' Randy. Traci will also sign copies of her new cookbook, Sittin' Bayou Makes Me Hot! Tickets are $40 for BAC members, $50 for non-members. Spaces for this event are limited, so get your tickets soon. Click on the above flier to enlarge it, or click here for more details and to purchase tickets.

New Music Series at the Boatworks

Yesterday we had the Boatworks full of visitors to check out our annual Juried Art Show, but in coming weeks we expect crowds coming in to see music. Check out the line up above (click to enlarge) of great local musical acts that are scheduled to play the Boatworks in the near future. Details about each will be posted on our main website as each date gets closer. So mark your calendar and look for announcements about each performance. And come early, as seating is limited.

Jersey Shore JAS8 Opening Reception

We had a beautiful spring afternoon for today's opening reception for the 8th Annual Jersey Shore Juried Art Show. Every year this is the Belmar Arts Council's biggest and most competitive show, which always results in a high quality and very diverse exhibition. Today was no exception.

As the crowd started to fill the building, our own Tim McCorry was on hand to provide live entertainment. Before long the building was packed, with perhaps close to 200 visitors coming through over the course of the reception.

This year's annual exhibition includes 71 works, representing such media as painting (oils, acrylics), watercolors, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture (wood, stone), photography, digital graphics, drawing, fabric, mixed media, and even sugar. The show spreads out over all three rooms in the Boatworks.

This year's juror, the distinguished New Jersey painter Gary Erbe, chose winners in five categories, and an additional nine honorable mentions. The winners are shown below.

Best In Show

Paul Bonelli

The Floating World: Wheel Game

hand colored woodcut

First Prize, Painting

Guido Guazzoni

Upper Hudson Valley

oil painting

First Prize, Sculpture & Fine Crafts

Carol Gleason

Fish Sculpture

clay

First Prize, Photography & Graphic Media

Rick Alvarado

Checkmate

graphic arts

First Prize, Mixed Media

Beverly Hertler

Composition

composition batik on silk

Honorable Mention

Donna Arvelo

Be Careful Deer

oil painting

Honorable Mention

Buren Gilpin

Attraction of Opposites

wood

Honorable Mention

Carol Guteri

Untitled II

poster paint

Honorable Mention

Olympia Hostler

Spring

mixed media

Honorable Mention

Pat Hutchinson

A Good Nose

oil painting

Honorable Mention

Bill Ross

Religiosity

charcoal

Honorable Mention

Lizzie Schippert

Bread and Cherries

oil painting

Honorable Mention

Gerrie Vergona

Sweet Peace

Sugar

Honorable Mention

Joan Wallace

Shy Hannah

watercolor

The 8th Annual Jersey Shore Juried Art Show will remain on display at the Boatworks through May 4, 2012. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday to Saturday, 1 to 5 pm. Admission is free.

8th Annual Juried Art Show to Open

The 8th Annual Jersey Shore Juried Art Show will open with a reception on Saturday, April 7th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Once again we had a very large number of entries for the limited spots on the walls of the Boatworks, representing a wide variety of artistic media. The reception will include the usual refreshments, live music, and the awarding of prizes in five categories. As always, admission is free.

Mud Mural Spring Update

It's been about 3 months since the last posted update on the BAC Mud Mural, completed last summer. When we last posted it here, a photo of the whole wall showed it still looking very much like it did last August, despite being exposed to the elements and made from nothing but sticks, straw, and clay. We had a fairly mild winter (compared to the last few anyway), and as of this week the wall (shown above) still looks pretty much about the same.

A close up view shows that natural deterioration is progressing, however slowly. That big crack between the B and the A has gotten a little bigger since January, and more mud has worn off the top of the wall, revealing more of the straw that was under it. Still, the wall is largely intact and should still be by this summer, when we may give it a new surface. Next time you are at the Boatworks, such as to view the 8th Annual Jersey Shore Juried Art Show, take a moment to walk across our parking lot and inspect it for yourself.