Congratulations, Begoña Rentero!

A heartfelt congratulations to our incomparable artist, Begoña Rentero, whose fabulous jewelry creations in treated fiber papers has been wowing our customers for the last few years.  It was recently announced that she has been selected to participate as one of the fifty best emerging and acclaimed jewelry artists in the world by the Museum of Art and Design in New York City!  Her artistry will be on display in the LOOT 2013: MAD About Jewelry show and sale running from Tuesday October 1 through Saturday, October 5.  

For the occasion Begoña presents a collection with special editions, and the creation of an exclusive model designed for the event.  (Feel free to contact the Gallery for further information on new styles as they become available.)

About LOOT:  Now in its 13th year, LOOT: MAD About Jewelry, the Museum of Art and Design’s juried selling exhibition of artist-made jewelry, has earned the reputation of being the ultimate pop-up shop for contemporary art and studio jewelry by both artists and collectors alike.  LOOT will feature a range of work, including inventively modern pieces in gold, sterling silver and semiprecious stones alongside jewelry made of unexpected materials such as titanium, stainless steel, glass, wood, rubber, fabric, and found objects.

Last year, MAD honored renowned jewelry artist Axel Russmeyer with the first LOOT Award for Contemporary Art Jewelry. This annual prize is in keeping with the long-standing commitment of the Museum of Arts and Design to present jewelry as an art form. MAD is the only American museum to possess a gallery dedicated to the display of both temporary jewelry exhibits and its own collection of contemporary and modern studio and art jewelry, which it began assembling soon after its founding in 1956.

To date, LOOT has showcased famous jewelry artists like Eva Eisler, Robert Lee Morris and Kara Ross along with newer names—thus becoming an important platform to launch the careers of many young, cutting-edge creators from around the globe. In 2012, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Japan, and Tasmania were just some of the countries represented in the diverse roster of featured artists.  This year’s participating LOOT artists and LOOT Award recipient will be announced in the spring.

Proceeds from the selling show benefit the Museum's exhibition and education programs.

Visit our online shop or come into the Gallery to view this artist's amazing jewelry!  Some of the items shown below are not yet available in the web shop but will be very shortly.  Here's a quick look:

Necklace Beijing

Earrings Monet

Necklace Flandes

Necklace Nuku Hiva

Earrings Nuku Hiva

Necklace Monet

Necklace Tibet

Necklace Tahuata

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.

First Friday Concert: Rock and Roll

My goodness, we're happy the roof is still on here at The Winslow after a First Friday concert that knocked off everyone's socks!  Our Music Man Peter Spencer put together an amazing trio, comprised of himself and Jonathan Green on electric guitar with Terry Marsh on drums.

Terry, Jon & Peter

Then they blew our minds with two solid hours of hard-driving versions of Jimi Hendrix and Cream compositions.  No one was standing still, the place was rocking, and the evening was a terrific success.  We've used the term "Superlative" to describe this concert, but perhaps an even more evocative way to put it is....

WOW!!

Peter will be back with another First Friday show in October and, as always, we can't wait!  Details will be posted as we get them.

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.

New Cups and Bowls, Oh My!

Hooray!

Groups of two of our Favorite Things have just arrived, so recently that the individual pieces aren't up in the online shop yet (but they will be soon, no worries!).

First:

We were down to the last few of our Ted Jolda party cups when lo and behold, a nice big order came in.  The colors available in the Gallery are as shown: pink, blue, lime green, green, purple, yellow, brown and red.  And he sent us a bonus:  the cutest little Mini party cups you can imagine!  They're just like their larger relatives, but in shot-glass size, more or less.  (A sip of dry sherry, anyone?  How terribly civilized!)  We have them in lavender, brown, lime green, green, turquoise, pink and red.

Quantities available in the Gallery in each color are limited, but we can special order them for you.  Please contact us to order multiples.  Remember, this is a very sought-after artist, so be sure to order early if you're thinking about holiday entertaining.  (Allow at least a month for delivery.)  The regular-sized cups are $20.00 each; the Minis are $15.00 each.

And Second:

Yes, the very popular Eggshell Bowls from Robin Hominiuk!  We have a nice group of new ones, including one in a large size that we haven't seen before.  They are wood-fired porcelain and stoneware, all absolutely one-of-a-kind.

The small bowls are $125.00 each; the large one is $225.00.

Again, we'll have individual listings up in the online shop as soon as possible

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.

Beasts!

For all the many folk who enjoy Eva Funderburgh's amazing ceramic Beasts, here are three more reasons to love them:

Beast with Crystalline Wings

Elegant Beast

Refined Beast

We welcome these critters to the menagerie here at the Gallery; do come pay them a visit (they like visitors!).  Or simply click on the individual Beast's name to view more information about him/her in our online shop.