BRATTLEBORO, Vt.: For the fourth year in a row, the art and crafts of Brattleboro-West Arts will make their way eastward for a downtown exhibit and sale, but this year’s event will feature an additional day of shopping, as well as delicious food and live music.
Titled simply 17 Artists, 4 Days, the show in the public event space at 118 Elliot St. will offer pieces ranging from paintings, photography and pastels to encaustics, pottery, textiles, woven baskets, jewelry and glass.
The 2017 show will open a day earlier than in past years, with a Thursday, Nov. 30, reception offering snacks and a cash bar provided by Whetstone Ciderworks from 5 to 8 p.m.
The event will continue from noon to 8 p.m. on Friday Dec. 1, with refreshments offered for free by the show participants during Brattleboro’s monthly Gallery Walk, which begins at 5 p.m.
On Saturday, Dec. 2, visitors will be able to enjoy café fare followed by live music. BWA member Sharon Myers, renowned in the area for her fine catering, will offer delectable soup, salad, bread and homemade baked goods for sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Whetstone Ciderworks will return from 6 to 9 p.m., accompanied by the swing stylings of Doctor Slow and the Chalumeau, a trio featuring BWA Coordinator Walter Slowinski on clarinet and sax, Bill Conley on guitar and Jay Cook on bass.
The show will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3, with Myers serving brunch fare, including quiche, scones, salad and breads until 2 p.m.
Brattleboro-West Arts is a group of about three dozen artists who create their art and make their homes within the watershed of the Whetstone Brook in West Brattleboro, Marlboro and Dummerston, Vt.
This annual show brings BWA to the public under one roof during Brattleboro’s bustling holiday retail season. The event coincides with Brattleboro’s monthly Gallery Walk as well as Holly Days, Holly Nights, the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual weekend holiday shopping event.
The 2017 exhibit will include the work of four BWA members who are new to the show: pastelist Lesley Heathcote and painters Kay Curtis, Greg Moschetti and Cai Xi. Works by returning members will include paintings by Stephen Lloyd; blown glass by Josh Bernbaum; pottery by Slowinski, Naomi Lindenfeld and Matt Tell; textile art by Jackie Abrams and Kris McDermet; turned bowls and furniture by woodworker Jason Breen; encaustic paintings by Slowinski and Jen Wiechers; jewelry by Marta Bernbaum, Chris Lann and Wiechers; and the photography of Gene Parulis.
A hooked and braided rug by Kris McDermet titled “Ni hao China!” based on a significant recent trip to China will make its debut at 118 Elliot. The piece includes a glass bead made by fellow BWA member, Marta Bernbaum. Along with photos by Gene Parulis taken on the other side of the globe, paintings by Steve Lloyd created during a residency in France, the focus on lanterns and lamps to shed light by potter, Naomi Lindenfeld, plus many more works being offered will range from global, national and inner reflections. Lots of unique, quality items will be available for your gift-giving pleasure.
Profiles of the participating artists, as well as other BWA members, are viewable online at www.brattleboro-west-arts.com. For more information, email brattleboro-west-arts@gmail.com.
