The artists of Gallery 220 and Clay Creations are hosting a fund raising event for Hancock County Food Pantry on Thursday, February 3rd. The event will take place in their historic building on the corner of Toulme and Main Street in beautiful Old Town Bay St Louis. From 5-8 PM, the gallery will be alive with food, fun, live music and a silent auction. Seventeen artists have taken Chinese chairs and transformed them into wonderful pieces of art. Some of the chairs still function as chairs; others have been transformed into non-utilitarian works of art. The chairs have been placed in locations throughout the county for preview and early bidding. Bids begin at $25, and may be placed by emailing lorikgordon@gmail.com. Several Hancock County organizations have expressed a desire to have one of the chairs purchased and donated for permanent placement in their offices so if you want to participate in the fund raiser but don't have room for another piece of furniture in your home, bid on a chair for Hancock Medical Center, Hancock County Food Pantry, or Habitat for Humanity.
The artists and the Food Pantry have had a wonderful show of support from the community. Sponsors include Gator Wine and Spirits in Waveland, Silver Slipper Casino in Hancock County, Yun Long Buffet in Waveland, Nate Holman, WalMart in Waveland, Rosettis Liquor Barrel in Bay St. Louis, and Sea Coast Echo. Additional sponsors have placed chairs in their locations for the month of January. These sponsors are Hancock County Library System; Mississippi Visitor Center, I-10 at Exit 2; Peoples Bank, BSL and Waveland branches; United Methodist Church, BSL; Hancock Medical Center; Hancock County Food Pantry; Whitney Bank, Diamondhead and BSL branches; United Methodist Church, Diamondhead; Diamondhead Community Church; Diamondhead Episcopal Church and Gallery 220, BSL.
The artists who have donated their time and talents to transform the chairs include Judy Lee, Amy Kramer, Barbara Brodtmann, Lori Gordon, Cairo, Michelle Allee, Scott Blackwell, Julie Nelson, Ken and Brenda Spence, Mary-Pat Forrest, Brian Bush, Deb Johnson, Ann Kearney, Carol Bowman, Janet Densmore, Nonie Johns, Jenise McCardell, Mark Currier, Laurianne Manchester, Dixie Boyd, Mark Buszkiewicz and Regan Carney. The beautiful turquoise background you see behind most of the chairs is a painting by Amy Kramer, and is on display in the gallery.
23.12.11
3.2.11
Judy Lee
"Some of the greatest competitions on earth take place in the tropical rain forests of Costa Rica. Hundreds of different species of trees contend for the light they require to stay alive. Eyelash Viper, Strawberry Poison Dart Frog and the green Tree Anole vie for survival in the undergrowth of the rain forest. The beauty of the flora and fauna hide the dangers of life in the jungle. Costa Rica has a higher density of recorded animal and plant species than any other country in the world.
2.2.11
Barbara Brodtmann
Because animals are a passion for me, I chose to represent indigenous animals from China. During my research I found images of a tiger and used those as the theme for my chair. I found materials and papers that represented big cats, and the chair took on a life of its own. The chair is called "Wild Thing, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the creative adventure of creating it.
Barbara is a watercolor and mixed media artist. Her work may be seen at http://barbara beaudrybrodtmann.weebly.com, and she may be contacted at BarbaraBrodtmann@att.net.
1.2.11
Julie Nelson
"My chair was designed with my love of raku tiles in mind. The four rabbits are seen running into the future. The two small tiles are the symbol for "rabbit" in Chinese characters. The attached Chinese proverb is my wish for 2011, "Year of the Rabbit."
Julie Nelson, a Kiln, MS. resident has been a pottery enthusiast all of her life. She is a retired Registered Nurse who now spends much of her time in her pottery studio. Her specialty is raku pottery with an emphasis on raku tiles.
Julie studied with Regan Carney in Bay St. Louis in 1998 and 1999. From 1999 to 2004 she was mentored in the art of raku by Joe Bernard of Lacombe, LA. In 2004 she moved to Waveland, and like so many others lost home and studio to Hurricane Katrina. In 2006 she was ‘adopted’ by the Minnesota Helpers who assisted her in re-establishing her studio at her new home in Kiln. She was one of several Gulf Coast artists featured in the Stephanie Watts documentary “The Art of the Storm” produced in 2006.
Julie has commissioned wall hangings at the Bay St. Louis and Waveland libraries. Her work is currently being sold at Gallery 220, The Social Chair, Antique Maison and People’s Bank on Hwy 90 in Bay St. Louis, MS.; Rougerou Bayou Gallery at the Riverwalk in New Orleans, LA.; and Brown’s Fine Art Gallery in Jackson, MS. She may be reached by phone at 228-255-6055. Her e-mail address is nelsonpots@gmail.com.
31.1.11
Brian Bush
Brian created his artwork using recycled cardboard, plywood, paper and glue, acrylic automotive paint. He says that "2011 is the year of the metal rabbit. Metal rabbits are known to be resourceful and ambitious. It is my hope that the "Golden Rabbit of Ambition" brings great fortune to those driven to success in the New Year."
Brian is a New Orleans artist who specializes in paper mache' sculpture. After picking up "pinata making" as a childhood hobby, he worked for several Crescent City float builders. he now creates home decor and focuses on special projects for businesses, as well as promotions and events. His creations reflect one native's consistent fascination with New Orleans carnival, cultural and musical traditions. he crafts sculpture, walking heads/puppets, flowers and just about anything from paper mache, cardboard, wire and other assorted and recycled materials.
Brian's work may be seen and purchased at The Arts Market at Palmer Park in New Orleans (last Saturday of every month), Welty's Deli in New Orleans' CBD District, and at gallery 220 in Bay St. Louis. For more information about Brian's art, log on to these sites on the world wide web: www.mardigrasmayhem.com and www.facebook.com/carnivalsculpture. To contact the artist directly, email him at carnivalsculpture@gmail.com, or call 504.723.4414.
17.1.11
by Laurianne Manchester & Dixie Boyd.
In Mexico Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 2nd each year. Contrary to the name the day
is meant as a celebration of the lives of those loved ones that have passed. It is a day of festivities,
parades, altars, and food. This chair has a place for a photo on the front where you can put a picture of
the loved one (human or animal) that you want to celebrate. The chair itself is festive with color and
pictures. There are silver Milagros attached which signify “miracles”. This chair is meant to be a part ofyour home that symbolizes the memories of departed loved ones.
Laurianne Manchester and Dixie Boyd collaborated on this special chair. Laurianne is the owner of
Fiesta, a little store in the Bay that celebrates Mexican indigenous arts and crafts. She lives part time in
the beautiful artist town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Laurianne also has the honor of being the
daughter of the director of the Food Pantry, Frank Manchester.
Dixie Boyd is a long time Coast resident with an education in art and architecture. Her background
includes painting, design and pottery construction.
10.1.11
Amy G. Kramer
My chair sat in the shed collecting dust over the holidays until I had lunch in Mandeville at a popular Chinese restaurant and walked through the exotic tropical garden. The garden’s pond immediately caught my eye and became the inspiration for my chair, Koi. I covered the wooden parts of the chair in small pieces of painted kraft paper in combinations of red and orange to represent the fish scales. The seat cushion is covered in a screened copy of an original piece I painted for this project to represent the water and the vegetation in the pond.
Amy G. Kramer is a Bay painter and can be contacted at home at 228-463-2379. Her current work is available at 220 Gallery located on Main Street downtown Bay St. Louis.
Michelle Allee
Michelle Allee collected Chinese newspapers when she traveled to Beijing prior to the 2008 Olympics. She painted her chair with a red lacquer enamel and decoupaged on the newspapers from China, leaving the center piece with the carving a vibrant red. The seat was finished with a black and white fabric with an Asian geometric design.
Jenise McCardell & Mark Currier
Jenise McCardell and Mark Currier are Bay St. Louis artists who run Clay Creations, a landmark business in the Bay. They fashion architectural plaques out of clay, each original carefully created by hand, painted and fired to a glossy finish. They offer custom work as well as continuously adding to their inventory of hundreds of buildings in the area, as well as in the New Orleans metro region. Clay Creations may be contacted at claycreationsllc@yahoo.com, or at 228.466.6347.
4.1.11
Brenda and Ken Spence and Mary-Pat Forrest
Brenda and Ken inherited the honor of creating the chair from Mary-Pat, who got lost in the wilds of Scotland. Minnesotans Ken and Brenda spend a good part of every year helping other people; they have made over a dozen trips to Hancock County to help us rebuild after Katrina. They chose to transform their chair into an unusual plant stand. The lush foliage growing from the seat of the chair reminds us of the continuing revitalization of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Mary-Pat Forrest is an artist from Biloxi who can often be seen in the Bay St. Louis area. Her work may be seen at mary-patforrest.blogspot.com.
Publish Post
Cairo & Lori Gordon
Habitat for Humanity Bay Waveland Area would like to have this bench for their offices. Give to two terrific organizations by bidding on this seat and donating it to Habitat!
This love seat was created by transforming two chairs into one piece of art furniture.
Cairo works in wood, creating the beautiful furniture and carvings you see as permanent installations at Gallery 220 in Bay St Louis and Brown's Fine Art in Jackson, MS. His work may also be seen at http://cairosbayou.blogspot.com.
Lori K. Gordon works in many medias, and is a founding and continuing member of Gallery 220. Go to lorikgordon.org for links to her various blogs which showcase her work. Both artists may be reached at lorikgordon@gmail.com.
Deb Johnson
Chair: This is an attempt by an Irish Swede to create a folk art chair with a Chinese theme. The original restaurant chair was stripped of at least ten coats of paint and varnish, and then sanded, sanded, sanded! I used all of the materials and methods that I use in my work on gourds: acrylic inks, ink dyes, calligraphy inks, and wood stains on a woodburned and lightly carved surface. The only area lightly carved on this chair is the dolls' hair; the carved Dragon was a volunteer! I chose a doll theme, and a red color scheme because I thought it would help encourage my Mother, a Hancock Food Pantry co-founder and Board Member, to bid on this chair.
I found a home at Gallery 220 on Main Street just when they were looking for a gourd art enthusiast late this past summer. My 'fine art' experience consists of teaching elementary school, pre-Katrina, in New Orleans, and at Coast Episcopal Elementary where my classes would come back from art class with Kat Fitzpatrick, and I would beg them to teach me what 'Miss Kat' taught them.
Nonie Johns
Nonie Johns wears many hats, but her claim to fame was in the Children's Theatre production in Rapid City, SD where she portrayed "Bob the Sheep" in the play Binky Russell and the backwards Clock" in 1982. Since then, Nonie has been a freelance musician, preformance poet, and Practical Nurse. A native of Los Angeles CA, geographically from the Black Hills of South Dakota and currently living in Bay St. Louis, Nonie is spending her time looking for a job and finishing art projects she started 15 years ago. If you are interested in further projects and are not boring, contact her at 228.466.4782.
Ann Kearney
Ann Kearney works in many medias including hand painted silks, watercolors, oils, and mosaics. She also does hand painted custom furniture. Her favorite subjects are the flora and fauna of New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. After obtaining a degree in Fine Arts from the University of New Orleans in 1993, Ann spent time developing her unique techniques.She furthered her studies at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts, her paintings have been exhibited at the prestigious Walter Anderson Museum in Ocean Springs, and her works may be found in many private collections. Ann is continuing her studies, which recently expanded to include artistic creations in pottery and she is happy to be part of the Mississippi Gulf Coast art community. Her work may be found at Gallery 220, 220 Main Street in Bay St. Louis and at Treasures of the Bay, Nicholson Avenue at Old Spanish Trail in Waveland. She may be contacted at 228.671.9531.
Regan Carney & Mark Buszkiewicz
"Mark and I chose to let the carving of a dragon in the back panel of the chair be a focal point. We used gold and copper paints to highlight the carving. The fabric for the chair seat was chosen to work with the color of the chair and to create a sense of elegance. We felt there was enough going on with the carving that more decoration would detract from the overall feel of the chair. Use this with good health!"
Regan Carney and Mark Buszkiewicz are a married team that have clay studios in Bay Artists’ Co-op and share display space in Gallery 220 in Bay St. Louis, MS. They have very individual styles, as Regan has a BFA in sculpture from Tulane University and Mark was a master woodworker and now designs and builds living structures. They have collaborated on a variety of sculptural projects, striving to blend their talents into a single voice. They may be reached at regancar@bellsouth.net (228.216.0210) or at ltlfrm@bellsouth.net (228.216.0366). Regan’s sculptural ceramics may be viewed on SouthernArtistry.org using her name.
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