Greetings again, gallery hoppers, I return with news of all the February First Friday fun awaiting you in the in Winston’s Arts District this week. First up, be sure to check out a new show at the apercu gallery, located within the Artists on Liberty Building. Glass artist, sculptor and experimental photographer Cassius Parsons will be exhibiting his current work incorporating found objects with experimental photography, capturing images and shadows in two and three dimensions.
His sculptures utilize scientific glass with found objects. This interesting new installation includes projected images of Mr. Parsons’ latest series of glass fusion art “specimens”.
Over on Trade Street, Artworks Gallery will showcase a memorial exhibition of paintings, prints and sculpture from a lifetime of work by artist Ed Shewmake, whose life list of artistic accomplishments was quite formidable. A professor of art at Salem College, he was head of the Art Department, teaching painting, printmaking, art history and design. Ed Shewmake was the first president of Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, a founding member of Artworks Gallery and a member of the Tri-State Sculptors Association. Also a Winston-Salem Artist of the Year in 2000, his work exists in numerous private collections.
As you continue down Trade Street, be certain to stop by Earthbound Arts for all of your Valentine’s Day gift giving needs. I’ve been informed they’ve been quite busy preparing for this particular holiday and you can find a variety of handmade cards, carved clay “loving couples,” new works in pottery and jewelry, clay heart aromatherapy pendants, Love Potion tea, natural soaps and massage oils, hearts in glass and copper and plenty more, so go get your love on! Speaking of love, I want to say good-bye to someone who gave her love freely to the Arts District and most surely is watching over it still. Kelly Jo Petersen Womble, one of the founders of the Downtown Arts District Association, passed away from breast cancer last month at the age of 41. As the district continues to flourish, may we all remember Kelly as someone whose dreams, through hard work, made a difference.
Here’s the hot list for February’s Hop:
• Timothy Nichols Gallery, 629 N. Trade St.; www.timothynichols.net: Inventory clearance sale.
• Studios at 625, 625 N. Trade St.; 336.724.3000: New work on display in member studios.
• Atelier Studios, 619 N. Trade St.; www.atelierstudiosws.com: The gallery hop event for February will be The Clean Sweep, sweeping everything out: deals, sales and all manor of bargains! Deborah Willard’s hand painted clothing and Linda Willard’s handcrafted dollhouse will be featured in the main window. The rest of the current Atelier artist’s works will available as well.
• Golden Flower T’ai Chi Center, 612 N. Trade St.; www.goldenflower.org: Open for Gallery Hop with Tai Chi demonstrations and drumming. Tai Chi demonstration runs from 8-9 p.m. and the Drum Circle from 9-10 p.m.
• Earthbound Arts, 610 N. Trade St.; www.earthboundarts.com: Featuring plenty of new creations inspired by love and perfect for Valentine gift giving.
• Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery, 601 N. Trade St.; www.PiedmontCraftsmen.org: New member show, Color and Form. An exhibit featuring works by Joel Hunnicutt in wood and Carol Owen, mixed media.
• The Fiber Company, 600 N. Trade St.; 336.725.5277: Open for Gallery Hop. Fiber Company is a collective gallery that showcases work by fiber artists and designers.
• Artworks Gallery, 564 N. Trade St.; www.artworks-gallery. org: Artworks Gallery is presenting the Ed Shewmake Memorial Exhibition, showing paintings, prints and sculpture from the late Ed Shewmake’s lifetime of work.
• The Other Half, 560 N. Trade St.; 336.407.5494: Once Upon A Time; Create your own Once Upon a Time story with unusual and distinctive gifts for your Valentine or yourself. Bend-A- Sculpture Cards by Don Drumm, gorgeous perfume bottles, Loretta Eby dichroic glass pendants and earrings and Celeste Chapman Dent, stemware and accessories for every occasion.
Designs in clay, wood, glass, mixed media and metal.
• 5IVE & 40RTY Gallery, 541 N. Trade St.; www.5iveand40rty. com: Open with a new exhibition for Gallery Hop.
• Urban Artware/SEED Gallery, 207 W. 6 th St.; www. urbanartware.com — www.seedgallery.org: SEED Gallery showcases Tech-No-Gaia/Detritus, post consumer aesthetics paintings and sculptures by Clark Whittington and Mark Graves
• Mary Ann Zotto Studio, 202 W. 6 th St.; 336.575.9850: An open studio featuring new works by local painter Mary Ann Zotto
• Patina/Verdigris, 217 W. 6 th St.; 336.725.6395: Patina has new gifts, artifacts and fun items to decorate your home and person
• Artists on Liberty, 521 N. Liberty St.: In the main gallery Deanna Jones, an up-and-coming North Carolina photographer will be exhibiting a collection of eclectic images from her unique perspective at the Artists On Liberty Building’s Main Gallery. Plus, various member studios will be open throughout the building during Gallery Hop from 7 to 10 p.m.
• apercu gallery within Artists on Liberty building, 521 N. LibertySt.: Cassius Parsons: New Works. Glass artist, sculptor and experimental photographer Cassius Parsons will be exhibiting his current work.
• DADA Community Center building, 526 N. Liberty St.: The February Hop breaks out the Word on the Street brick campaign. Short stories, haiku, names, poems and more are part of the streets in the Downtown Art District — your word can be there too! Meet the arts community; visit with the artists and more.
