BIMA: The Art of Furniture 1

We here at The Island Gallery are pleased to share this announcement, and congratulate our fabulous artists who have had their work selected for inclusion in Bainbridge Island Museum of Art's new exhibit:

For further information click on the link to visit BIMA's web site. 

Here are some of the pieces included in the exhibit

These and other items by the same artists can be seen in the Furniture section of our online shop; simply click here for a viewing and information.

Wood + Metal + Paper = Sculpture

What an all-around tremendous First Friday Artwalk!  September shows are often like that, as the kids head back to school, temperatures begin to cool, and everyone relaxes into old routines, while hoping for an abundant harvest (all you farmers) and a happy upcoming holiday season.

Someone forgot to turn down the heat here at the Gallery, however, and the crowds turned out for a beautiful sculpture show featuring artists Nathan Christopher and Michelle de la Vega. (Please see our most recent artwalk "You're Invited" post for more information on the artists.)   Here's Nathan with his sculpture, La Serena:

This piece is created from a found piece of madrone and mounted on a steel rod with reclaimed marble base.  It is 67" tall x 19" deep.  You can find more information for it here.

Seattle metal artist Michelle de la Vega posed for us beside her wall sculpture Going Home, and behind her table sculpture, God Land:

The God Land piece is of especial interest.  Here's a close-up of it, taken from one end:

As Michelle describes it, it is created from "steel, and photocopies of my maternal grandmother's memoirs about her early life with my grandfather on the sprawling CO Bar and Hashknife ranches in Arizona, and the Navajo Kinlichee reservation."   There are several thousand tiny, carefully folded rolls of personal family history residing in this sculpture.  (Not for sale.)

Going Home, on the other hand, while also deeply personal, is available for purchase (coming to our web shop soon or in the Gallery).  It is created from photocopies of historical family documents going back to two sets of great-grandparents, including birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, WWII ration cards, social security cards, obituaries, report cards, teaching certificates and more.  Framed in an old barn window.

Going Home.  Michelle de la Vega

Several more of Nathan's pieces:

Bye-bye.  Nathan Christopher
Fir on Tigerwood base

Shelf.  Nathan Christopher

Salvaged walnut from an orchard

In Corvallis, Oregon

Tropics. Nathan Christopher
Palm Wood from Costa Rica

And more from Michelle:

Roost.  Michelle de la Vega

Archival ink and charcoal on canvas

Type.  Michelle de la Vega

Burnt paper, archival ink, charcoal, paint, graphite

on concrete board

Steel Headboard.  Michelle de la Vega
Salvaged and new steel

These and other works by Nathan and Michelle will soon be available in our web shop.  The exhibition runs through September at the Gallery.  Please call the Gallery for further information.

Name That Sculpture!

We had a terrific First Friday and show opening for the September sculpture show (more about that shortly).

But we have a problem:  One of the sculptures remains unnamed.

So, in a word, HELP!

Artist Nathan Christopher has asked our customers to offer suggestions to name this wonderful piece:

Needs A Name

Cedar from the Olympic Peninsula

Steel spring from Eastern Washington farm equipment

Bainbridge Island Maple (rescued from the fireplace)

Any thoughts?

Nathan has said that if he picks yours, and you decide you'd like to purchase the sculpture, you'll receive a discount.  So should inspiration strike please drop us a note with your suggestions, either directly here at the blog or e-mail us privately at ssn@theislandgallery.net or sr@theislandgallery.net.  In the meantime, you can visit it in our online shop by clicking on the link above or here for further information.

September First Friday Artwalk: You're Invited!

We're putting together the finishing touches for September 6th's First Friday Artwalk!  Here are some of the details:

Northwest Sculptors:

Nathan Christopher

&

Michelle de la Vega



September 6 – 29, 2013

Artist’s Reception, First Friday, September 6, 6-8 pm

Featuring Music from Bainbridge Island’s

Peter Spencer and Friends

in concert on the Plaza

Artists Nathan Christopher and Michelle de la Vega present wood, metal and paper sculptures using salvaged and found materials.  Their backgrounds in environmental science, film, acting, and dance influence the range of their art.

Location:  400 Winslow Way E., #120, Bainbridge Island, Washington

About the Artists:  

Nathan Christopher:  Nathan Christopher‘s work merges sustainability and functionality with the aesthetics of unique and artful design.  With a degree in Natural Resource Management from Oregon State University, Nathan places a huge emphasis on timeless elements created by nature.

Each piece is conceived and crafted according to the history, nuance and texture of the reclaimed wood used.  Nathan creates furniture with character.

Michelle de la Vega:  Michelle de la Vega is a Seattle based visual and installation artist, designer and welder.  Her design aesthetic has a re-purposed industrial sensibility that reflects a vision of economy, functionality and precise artistic attention to detail.

As a welder Michelle makes sculpture, and designs and fabricates custom steel table bases and furniture.  She also works in mixed media assemblage, sculpture, and installation.

Prominent themes in her current work are stories centered on personal narrative, family history and relationships. Her artworks create an aesthetic rapport between highly developed detail and precision, and an organic, deeply humanistic character.  The patterning of repetition, theme and variation creates a sense of heredity and evolution, and was cultivated through listening to baroque music growing up as well as during her formative years spent as a professional dancer. Connections between these elements are assembled through a process of writing, drawing, collage, dialogue and research. In terms of scale and spatial design Michelle’s work has been influenced by designing and building living spaces.

In 2010 a 250 square foot Mini House Michelle designed, built and lives in were the subject of a 3 page feature article on the cover of the New York Times Home and Garden section. She and the house have also been featured in MORE Magazine, Scoops Homes and Art in Western Australia, as well as in renowned London designer Terrence Conran’s book, How to Live in Small Spaces, in October 2012. 

Michelle received her education and training from Otis Parsons in Los Angeles, California (visual art), Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington (dance) and the South Seattle Community College Welding and Metal Fabrication Program.