Monthly Archives: March 2016

Put a Ring on It

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Happy National Proposal Day! Of course the artists at Western Avenue Studios are very inspired by love and marriage . . . and many have work that they cater specifically to couples looking to get married.

 

Any currently engaged couples, or people dreaming of the day the ywill be engaged, Western Avenue Studios will be having their very first Bridal Fair during Open Studios on May 6th in the Onyx Room. This unique wedding expo will be accompanied by three nights of a wedding themed Wearable Art Extravaganza – part fashion show, part performance art, part art exhibit the event will be a fun night out whether you’re wedding planning or not.

WAS this Weekend – March 18th Edition

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Dogs rule at Western Avenue Studios. Check out the pampered life of a studio dog and how the furry visitors in the building have inspired some of our artists.


The Loading Dock Gallery at Western Avenue Studios is featuring “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird,” an exhibit of work by three different visual artists who were inspired by the Wallace Stevens’ poem of the same name. The exhibit ends March 27th so be sure to check out this great show before it’s gone.

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“Swarmed,” the new experimental novel by author Renee Mallett in studio A411, will be released this week. The book is fully illustrated by Michael Crockett, with cover art by Adam Miller. “Swarmed” will be debuting at the 3rd annual Beverly Comic Con on April 2nd. Renee most recently had artwork and a story included in the “Alice Anthology,” a collection of art and writing inspired by Lewis Caroll’s children’s classic.

Tickets are now on sale for the third annual LoveCraft Wedding Event to be held March 20th in downtown Providence. Amaranth and Rue Handmade Soaps, studio #A411, will be part of this wedding expo that features elegant and unique vintage and handmade items from local makers. Tickets are $10 in advance and the first 50 couples through the door will recieve a swag bag.

The Tewksbury Public Library will be showing “Landscapes,” an exhibit featuring artwork by local artists, including Western Avenue Studios artists Tom Borgal (studio 504), Val Borgal (studio 504), and Robert Crooker (studio 120. The exhibit begins March 3rd and will be on display through April 5th. There will be a reception for the event at the library on March 22.

Putting on the Dog

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There’s a lot of good reasons why artists decide to get studios at Western Avenue Studios. Community, a place to create, a beautiful historic setting. The dog-friendly nature of the building is just one great added bonus. Studio dogs are such a day to day feature of being an artist at Western Ave Studios that the hashtag #Dogs ofWesternAve has popped up on Instagram and Facebook. The life of a studio dog is a pretty exhausting one, as you can tell by seeing these hard-working pups in action:

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Of course, if you’re going to put a bunch of creative people in one spot and then add some dogs into the mix you’re going to end up with lots of art about pets and for pets and for their owners.

Many of the dogs of Western Ave have become the subjects of the colorful dog paintings done by artist Ilene Richard in studio 325

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Lois Mitchell in Loft 213  can make a custom pet portrait for you based off a photograph

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Ron Weed, in studio 205, offers airbrushed pet portraits

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Here’s studio dog Madeleine modeling her handmade dog sweater from As U R Studios, #513

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Ceramics by Nooshin, in A303, makes a variety of custom pet keepsakes

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Amaranth & Rue, studio A411, recently expanded their line of naturally luxurious soaps and skincare to include pet products like paw and nose balm and doggie shampooch as well.

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Of course not every place is as quick to allow people to have or bring their pets. Luckily Jay Hungate, studio 524, has some adoptable beasts of a much different sort that should appeal to those who don’t have the space, time, or inclination for a dog.

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WAS this Weekend – March 11th edition

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Among the talented artists at Western Avenue Studios there are several who do custom house portraits. Check out this blog with a quick overview of these artists online here.


The Loading Dock Gallery at Western Avenue Studios is featuring “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird,” an exhibit of work by three different visual artists who were inspired by the Wallace Stevens’ poem of the same name.

Katherine DuBose Fuerst is offering 3 day “Introduction to Paperclay” workshops in her loft for $135. Classes fill up fast so reserve your spot by contacting Katherine through her website here.

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Cheryl Polcaro, studio #323, has two pieces in the First Annual Juried Exhibition at The Milton Arts Center. This show was juried by Kaveh Mojtabai, the founder and director of Artscope magazine. The show runs from March 11th to April 1st with an opening reception on Friday March 11th from 7-9pm. One of her pieces, “Lepidoptera,” won a blue ribbon.


Tickets are now on sale for the third annual LoveCraft Wedding Event to be held March 20th in downtown Providence. Amaranth and Rue Handmade Soaps, studio #A411, will be part of this wedding expo that features elegant and unique vintage and handmade items from local makers. Tickets are $10 in advance and the first 50 couples through the door will recieve a swag bag.

Jacki Robichaud of Jack Attack Clothing, studio 223, will be debuting a 28 look collection at the 7th annual Finding Hope With Fashion Show. The show begins at 6;00 on March 13th at the Wyndham Boston Adover Hotel in Andover, MA. Tickets are $20 and 100% of the proceeds from this show will be donated to Into Action Recovery, Inc.

Our house, is a very, very fine house . . .

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As the old saying goes, home is where the heart is, so maybe it should come as no surprise that house portraits have seen increasing popularity in recent years. Whether you’re looking to honor your own house, give a thoughtful housewarming gift, or to create a gift that will remind your parents of your beloved childhome home Western Avenue Studios has many artists that create custom house portraits. Here are some artists to consider if a custom home portrait is in your future.

Nita Leger Casey, Gingerbread Art Studios, studio #407

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Valerie Borgal, Studio #504

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Lois Mitchell, Loft #213

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Gary Destramp, Studio #A508

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WAS this Weekend – March 5th Edition

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Come visit the largest artist studio building of it’s kind on the east coast during March Open Studios at Western Avenue Studios  Open Studios is March 5th from 12:00 to 5:00 and is free to park and attend.


The Loading Dock Gallery at Western Avenue Studios will be having an opening night reception for it’s latest exhibit. “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” features three different visual artists work inspired by the Wallace Stevens’ poem of the same name.

Amaranth and Rue Handmade Soaps, in studio #A411, will have several items from their new line of petcare items for sale in their studio. Dog shampoos and pet nose & paw balms will be debuting this weekend.

October’s Tale Candlewicks, part of Walk on the Moon studio in #A206, is featuring their new Gentlemen’s Candle Collection. The handpoured, small batch soy candles come in manly scents like Elementary (Hints of Tobacco & Cherry), Sparrow (Clean Bay Leaf and a spike of Caribbean Rum), Johnny, Jack & Jim (Bourbon Whiskey & Vanilla), Barbershop (like a real old time Barbershop)!


The Tewksbury Public Library will be showing “Landscapes,” an exhibit featuring artwork by local artists, including Western Avenue Studios artists Tom Borgal (studio 504), Val Borgal (studio 504), and Robert Crooker. The exhibit begins March 3rd and will be on display through April 5th.

 


Take a trip to Maine’s Monhegan Island without ever leaving Western Ave Studios. Val Borgal will be showcasing six years worth of watercolors of this beautiful Maine island in studio #504 for the next two months. Unable to make the Open Studio event? Contact
vjb@valeriejeannesart.com or call 978-658-4693 to make an appointment.