With the return of the warm weather, it’s time to venture off the beaten path. In pursuit of a less traveled First Friday Art Walk, we head to East Bayside’s industrial streets, which are being transformed by a growing arts community.
Our first stop is the brand-new OPEN CONCEPTS GALLERY & STUDIOS (50 Cove St.). It’s located behind the J.S. Ritter Supply building and is home to an eclectic mix of artists. This month’s show is “Solstice” and features the work of four artists. Joni Fox-Campbell shows her jewelry fashioned from silver, copper and semi-precious stones. More jewelry is served up by Jennifer Swarts, who works in silver, gold and freshwater pearls. She also designs leather handbags. Nearby, Louise Price displays her watercolor landscapes, and Dana Trattner exhibits her pastel paintings of Casco Bay.
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Now we head next door to RUNNING WITH SCISSORS (54 Cove St.), where the gallery’s 16 resident artists have a treat in store for us. Amid the space’s studios, print shop, darkrooms and other tools of the trade, we take advantage of a series of art-making stations. We’ll try our hand at paint, charcoal, wax and clay and then add our personal stamp to the giant surrealist “exquisite corpse” creation. As if all this wasn’t enough, we get to laugh along with the Running with Scissors improv comedy group.
With our creative juices flowing, we can make our way out to Anderson Street and head up the hill to Cumberland Avenue, where we’ll take a right, walk two short blocks and then turn onto Mayo Street.
Welcome to MAYO STREET ARTS (10 Mayo St.) and the “Visual Passion” show. Inside this former church, check out photography from Sara Wilmot, who captures the movement of nature, and Arthur Fink, who captures the movement of dance.
Fink’s dance photographs come to life with the tango performance and music from Tango Mucho Labia that accompanies the exhibition.
Staff Writer Avery Yale Kamila can be contacted at 791-6297 or at:
akamila@pressherald.com
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