“Joy Through Art” is MSG’s Spring Show
Main Street Gallery is excited to be exhibiting the artwork of Joy Staniforth, as its guest artist for the May/June show. Joy, a resident of Cambridge, has titled her show “Joy Through Art,” and she will be showing alongside the nine member artists of the gallery. A maker of many types of art, Joy will be showing unique jewelry made of wire, textiles and tumbled rocks, as well as bold textile wall hangings and examples of her most recent artistic passion, a paper art called quilling. Many in the Cambridge area know Joy Staniforth as the brave businesswoman who took a big risk and opened Joie de Vivre, a contemporary art gallery on Race Street. “There was not much going on in downtown Cambridge in those days” she says, “but the gallery was successful, selling to mainly second home owners.” Joy was personally successful as well. After having spent years raising a family and pursuing a career as an executive at the YMCA in N.J. and then here in Cambridge she was finally able to start making and selling her own art through her gallery. “I was working in textiles,” she explains, “ dyeing silk and making jewelry.”
Joy has been interested in art from her childhood days in Wales, U.K. She grew up loving art in school, and was especially drawn to making crafts. Her parents played musical instruments at home so as a young girl she learned to play the piano and the violin as well. When she went away to college though she decided to study visual arts. “My dorm walls were always covered in fabrics,” she says.
Joy retired from Joie de Vivre in 2015, but she’s hardly slowed down. Since then she has been busy experimenting with wire, textiles, tumbling rocks and learning the paper art of quilling. She hasn’t forgotten her musical roots either, having been a member of the Baltimore Mandolin Orchestra for many years and currently playing the ukulele in a small group at the Dorchester Center for the Arts. Joy is also a past member of the Main Street Gallery. Director, Linda Starling says she and the other members are very excited about her show. “We are so happy to welcome Joy back as a guest artist”, she says, “and we look forward to having her work hanging on our walls again!”
“Joy Through Art” will open on May 2 and run through June 30. There will be two artist receptions at the gallery on Second Saturdays, May 11 and June 8 from 5-8 pm. The receptions are free and open to the public and all are welcome. Light refreshments will be served. Joy will give a workshop on quilling on June 8 from 1-3 pm at the gallery. This event will be free and open to all. She will also give a brief artist talk at the June 8 reception.
Main Street Gallery is located at 518 Poplar St. in Cambridge, and is part of the vibrant Arts and Entertainment District. Gallery hours are Thursdays through Mondays from 11-5. The gallery requests that children under 18 be accompanied by an adult.
The gallery is currently reviewing work from prospective members and guest artists. Please contact MSG through its website @mainstgallery.net or by phoning 410-330-4659 if
interested.
When Wylde Women Dream is at Main Street Gallery in Mar/Apr
For Cambridge artist Tammy Vitale, things that seem worn, torn or broken to most people are her treasures. She takes these cast offs and dreams up a new life for them by refashioning them into something different and altogether new! Colorful collages and engaging mixed media art pieces come to life under her skilled and creative hands.
For March and April Tammy will be showing her collages and mixed media work along with pieces of her beadwork jewelry at the Main Street Gallery where she will be a guest artist. Her pieces will be shown alongside the work of the gallery’s nine member artists. When asked about the creative spelling of wylde in the title of her show, Tammy explained it’s something of a trademark for her. While living and working in Southern Md. she was a part of a coop gallery where the women artists called themselves “wylde women” to express their open and experimental approach to their art. Wild became wylde to differentiate the word from meanings that might come up in a google search.
Tammy’s art journey began when she was a child in Arlington, Va. and discovered she loved drawing horses. For a period of her early career paint was her preferred medium, however in the 1990s she discovered clay sculpture and was hooked. She loved making sculptures adorned with her found objects and eventually started making large outdoor pieces both for herself and for commissions. If you’ve been to the Visitor’s Center on the boardwalk in North Beach in Calvert Co., Md. you’ve seen her 7.5ft. by 11ft.architectural tile installation called “Chesapeake”.
Lately Tammy finds herself creating in a smaller studio space and has focused her attention on her collages and mixed media pieces as well as making art books and gelli prints. She also loves creating and sharing tiny totems from her treasure trove of beads and clay shards. Lucky visitors to Main Street Gallery’s Little Free Gallery often find one or more of these small gems on its shelves.
Since moving to town in March of 2023 Tammy has become well known in the community as a passionate promoter and defender of thevisual arts in Cambridge. “I want to get the word out that the arts are truly alive here in Cambridge,” she says. “I want Cambridge to be the center of the art world on the Eastern Shore!” To that end the artist, who is working on a MFA in nonfiction writing, has been spreading the word by writing articles featuring Cambridge artists and art events for the Cambridge Spy. She also interviews Cambridge artists on her weekly radio spot called “The Arts Are Alive in Cambridge”. The spot airs on WHCP every Wednesday during the Midshore Midday program. In addition Tammy maintains a FB page with the same name.
When Wylde Women Dream will open on February 29 and run through April 28. Gallery hours are Thursdays through Sundays from 11-4pm through March and 11-5 starting in April. Two Second Saturday artist receptions are planned for March 9 and April13 from 5-8pm. Tammy will be giving a brief artist talk at 6 pm at the April reception. Both receptions are free and all are welcome. Light refreshments will be served. The gallery asks that children under 18 be accompanied by an adult.
Tammy will also be giving a fun, family friendly workshop on making tiny totems, on Saturday, March 2 from noon to 3 pm at the gallery. All are invited to attend.
Main Street Gallery is located at 518 Poplar St. in Cambridge,and is part of the vibrant Arts and Entertainment District. The gallery is currently reviewing work from prospective members and guest artists. Please contact MSG through its website @mainstgallery.net or by phoning 410-330-4659 if interested.
Winter Brings Serendipity to Main Street Gallery
From January 4 through February 25 the Main Street Gallery in Cambridge will be showing the works of their member artists in a special show called “Serendipity”. The dictionary defines serendipity as an unplanned fortunate discovery and the artists at the city’s only artist owned and operated cooperative are promising just that. “You don’t know what you might find at our “Serendipity” show", says director Linda Starling. “You may discover a beautiful painting at a significant discount or a unique piece of knitwear perfect for a cold winter day. Happy surprises await visitors to this show.”
Hours for “Serendipity” are Thursdays through Sundays from 11-4pm. Two Second Saturday events are planned for the show. On Second Saturday, January 13, the gallery will be open from 5-8 pm during the Cambridge Ice and Oyster Festival and there will be something warm and tasty for visitors. The next Second Saturday will be on February 10 from 5-8pm. Light refreshments will be served and all are welcome to both receptions. There will be a brief artist talk by one of the coop members at each opening. The gallery asks that children under 18 be accompanied by an adult.
Main Street Gallery is located at 518 Poplar St. in Cambridge, and is part of the lively Arts and Entertainment District. The gallery is currently reviewing work from prospective members and guest artists. Please contact the gallery through its website @mainstgallery.net or by phoning 410-330-4659 if you are interested in being a part of this vibrant artist community.
All That Glitters: A Women’s Metalsmith Collective
Main Street Gallery is thrilled to announce that beginning Thursday, November 2nd “All That Glitters: A Women’s Metalsmith Collective” returns to the Cambridge art co-op to present a dazzling showcase of jewelry and artwork! The seven talented Eastern Shore metalsmiths and glass artists showed at the gallery last year and will exhibit again alongside Main Street Gallery’s twelve member artists. The exhibition will be open to the public until December 31 with two receptions, November 11 and December 9 from 5-8 pm. Light refreshments will be served and all are welcome.
The seven exhibiting jewelry and glass artists include Cindy Ayd, Jeanne Barr, Melissa Kay-Steves, Alexa Matthai, Robin Morgan, Linda Starling and Barbara Trower. As they did last year, each artist will be showing numerous pieces of exquisitely hand-fabricated jewelry and sculpture in sterling and fine silver and semi-precious and fused glass.
This eclectic group of women met while taking classes in metalwork at Charmtree Jewelry Studio in Stevensville which is owned by Melissa Kay, one of the exhibitors. While they come from many different backgrounds and careers, they have found their bliss in jewelry-making and glass work.
It was early in 2022 that local artist, Linda Starling, who is a member of Main Street Gallery and who specializes in beach glass and silver jewelry, envisioned a holiday show at MSG with her Charmtree classmates. She says that after taking classes and working alongside all seven women and watching them grow not only in artistry but in friendship, she thought a show together might be an exciting next step. That first show was so successful that the artists decided to try it again and are happy to show together once more. Linda explains that these classmates have become an important network for her and each other. They routinely share ideas and new techniques and while working together they continually challenge each other. The extra added bonus, she says, has been the lasting friendships they have formed. Through their classes the artists have learned or improved upon their skills in fabrication, metal clay, soldering, enameling and more and all have continued in their education taking online classes and traveling to learn from some of the best in the jewelry industry.
Main Street Gallery is open Thursdays through Sundays from 11 to 5 and online shopping is always available at: mainstgallery.net. The gallery is located at 518 Poplar St. and is Cambridge‘s only artist-owned and operated cooperative. The gallery is currently reviewing work from prospective members and guest artists. Please contact them through their website or by calling 410–330–4659 if you are interested in being part of this vibrant artist community.
Main Street Gallery’s Fall Show Features Mosaics by Pam Watroba
MSG is excited to feature one of its own member artists for the September/October exhibit. Titled “No Limits” this show is all about the rich, colorful and imaginative mosaic pieces that Pam Watroba makes in her studio on the Eastern Shore. Some are zany and whimsical, others are inspired by the diverse ecosystems from the ocean to the mountains of Maryland and many of her most recent pieces favor an abstract or contemporary style. “I absolutely love mosaics,” she says. “I love to use repurposed items and make them into things of beauty. I also love to combine the beauty of glass with the hardness of metal”. Pam’s fascination with mosaics may have come, she says, from doing puzzles with her parents who were avid puzzle enthusiasts. “We would spend hours looking for the perfect piece to fit in a space in large, complex puzzles. I still get that thrill when I find a piece of tesserae that fits perfectly in a piece of art.”
Tesserae, or the small blocks of tiles, stones, glass or other materials that make up a mosaic, come in so many forms and colors, Pam says. When she combines them with found objects, a story, often an unexpected one, is allowed to unfold. “Sometimes I start with a thought of what I am trying to create and end up with something entirely different” she declares.
A Maryland native who grew up in Baltimore County and moved to the Eastern Shore in 1990, Pam is a self-taught artist. She has spent countless hours, she says, studying the art of mosaics and learning through trial and error. After a career in education and healthcare and raising a family, Pam is finally able to pursue her true passion of creating mosaic art on a full-time basis. Besides being a member of Main Street Gallery, she is a member of several local arts councils and has participated in many member shows. Main Street Gallery’s other member artists will be showing their work alongside Pam’s for this show.
“No Limits” will open on Thursday, August 31 and run through Sunday, October 29. The public is invited to two artist receptions which will take place on Second Saturdays, September 9 and October 14 from 5-8 pm. The receptions are free and light refreshments will be served. Pam will give a brief artist talk on the September 7 opening at 7 pm. Gallery hours are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11-5. Online shopping is always available on the gallery’s website at mainstgallery.net.
Main Street Gallery is Cambridge’s only artist owned and operated gallery and is part of the vibrant Arts and Entertainment District. Located at 518 Poplar St. in Cambridge, the gallery is currently reviewing work from prospective members and guest artists. Please contact the gallery through its website or by phoning 410-330-4659 if you are interested in being a part of this vibrant artist community.
Main Street Gallery, Cambridge, Celebrates 12 Years and Presents its Summer Show “Creating Texture with Photo Encaustics” with Karen Jury
Main Street Gallery in Cambridge, MD has lots to be excited about. The city’s only member owned and operated Coop is turning 12 this summer and will celebrate with a champagne party on Second Saturday, August 12 from 5-8 pm. This is a free event and all are welcome to join us and meet our artists. The gallery will also be celebrating its guest artist for the July/August exhibition, Karen Jury, a resident of Chester, MD, whose show, “Creating Texture with Photo Encaustic” will be on the walls for the celebration.
If you are wondering what photo encaustic is, Karen says, “It all starts with a camera and a photograph and ends with wax and heat.” To make a photo encaustic image an artist prints a photo onto paper and adheres the paper to a substrate. Then comes the wax and heat part as the artist paints the photo with a heated wax mixture called encaustic. The many and varied results of this process can be seen in Karen’s arresting images of nature. “My love of flowers, landscapes and textures is evident is my work” she says.
Karen didn’t start her career as a photo encaustic artist, however. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Carnegie Mellon University she worked as an art director for a number of companies and colleges until she decided to take time off to raise her family. It was then that she rediscovered photography. Initially she photographed families, their pets and their significant events. Later she had the opportunity to photograph performances during Songwriter Festivals in Miami and Key West. “I enjoyed the creative aspect of portrait photography,” Karen tells us, “….and the creative aspect of shooting talented musicians.”
Still, the artist wanted to figure out something more creative to do with her photography. It was a friend, who after listening to Karen speak about her past and her love of textures, suggested she try Photo Encaustics. “Eureka….!”, Karen said. “I fell in love. I took courses online, a lot of trial and error, no injuries, and years later I am happy to share my encaustics.”
In addition to Main Street Gallery, Karen’s work can be seen at The Artist’s Gallery in Ellicott City. She has also shown her work at Kent Island Federation of Arts and the Maryland Federation of Art in Annapolis.
“Creating Texture with Photo Encaustic” will open on Thursday, July 6 and run through Sunday, August 27. The public is invited to two artist receptions which will take place on Second Saturdays, July 8 and August 12 from 5-8 pm. The receptions are free and light refreshments will be served. Karen will give a brief artist talk on the July 8 opening at 7 pm and the August reception will also be the champagne celebration of the gallery’s 12th Anniversary. Gallery hours are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11-5. Online shopping is always available on the gallery’s website at mainstgallery.net.
Main Street Gallery is located at 518 Poplar St. in Cambridge. The gallery is currently reviewing work from prospective members and guest artists. Please contact the gallery through its website or by phoning 410-330-4659 if you are interested in being a part of this vibrant artist community.
Spring Show 2023
Main Street Gallery is excited to present “SPRING SHOW 2023 –including New Artists, New Media”. The gallery has recently welcomed four new members who bring with them a wealth of talent, experience and exciting new work in a variety of media. They will be showing alongside the gallery’s other 9 members.
Sheryl Southwick is a well- known, award winning artist and arts educator from Easton. Sheryl makes collages, paintings and prints and says “Color and texture have been the main focus of my work since I began painting”. She says that a year spent in Paris and the French artist Pierre Bonnard were great influences on her art.
Bill Pavan is a woodworker from Cambridge. He is showing his graceful wooden bowls, vases and pepper mills which are often accented with metal and inlays of natural materials such as oyster shells. His work, he says, “specializes in accentuating the natural beauty of wood, metal and other renewable resources”. Besides his art, Bill has a career as a geneticist at NIH.
Rick Klepfer who lives and maintains his studio in Cambridge is showing a suite of black and white pen and ink drawings of Dorchester County scenes and flora and fauna from the Blackwater wildlife refuge. Rick has divided his working life among his art, architecture and writing and has contributed articles and illustrations to many national publications.
And finally, David Stevens returns to the gallery after a long absence. David, who has spent his career devoted to his art, was one of the original members of the coop and at that time showed his photos of maritime scenes. The multi-talented artist will now be showing his abstract, wall hung wooden sculptures, some of which incorporate stained glass.
“Spring Show 2023” opens on Wednesday May 3 and runs through Sunday July 2. Come meet the artists at two receptions on second Saturdays, May 13 and June 10 from 5-8 pm. All are invited and light refreshments will be served.
Main Street Gallery is located at 518 Poplar St. in Cambridge’s lively arts and entertainment district. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11-5 and Saturdays from 11-7.
For more information call the gallery at 410-330-4659 or visit their website at mainstgallery.net
(Images above are, in order, by Rick Klepfer, Sheryl Southwick, and David Stevens)
“Ontario Series: Mixed Media Constructions” is Main Street Gallery’s New Show for March/April 2023
Main Street Gallery is pleased to present Delaware artist Jack Knight as guest artist for its March/April exhibit. Jack, who was born in Ontario Canada and currently resides in Long Neck, Delaware, will be showing his 3-D constructions alongside the work of the gallery’s 11 member artists in an exhibit titled “Ontario Series: Mixed Media Constructions”.
Occupying a long wall in the gallery is Jack’s series of eight colorful works that he began in April of 2022. The artist calls these vertical wall hung rectangles, “assemblages”, and truly they are. Diverse elements such as small, brightly painted canvases, colorful buttons and balls, and even a plastic fork and a replica of a piece of cake are artfully assembled within wooden segments which are then assembled on a wooden frame to make the final 12" wide by 36" long piece.
While the works themselves exude a spirit of playfulness and fun, Knight describes the making of the series as being contemplative and visually imagined. “These wall constructions are created in a step by step process” he says and adds that they are put together on the floor. “The series reads from top to bottom and I work in sections and then assemble it as one work of art” he explains.
Jack, who grew up in Western New York, earned a BS in Art Education from Buffalo State College and a Master of Fine Arts from SUNY Buffalo. He had a long career in the railroad industry but always found time to create. In 2010 he retired and became a full time studio artist.
He has received numerous art awards including the Established Artist Fellowship in Sculpture from the Delaware Division of the Arts. His work resides in private as well as corporate collections including Milton Bradley, Bank of Boston, Pennsylvania Bank and Trust, Ernst & Young, Springfield Newspapers and Occidental Chemical.
“Ontario Series: Mixed Media Constructions” will open on March 2 and run through April 30. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday from 11-4pm in March and 11-5pm in April. Online shopping with free local delivery is always available at mainstgallery.net. There will be two artist receptions on Second Saturdays, March 11 and April 8 from 5-8 pm. All are welcome and light refreshments will be served. The artist will give a talk about his work at the March 11 opening. Main Street Gallery is located at 518 Poplar St. in Cambridge’s lively Arts and Entertainment district, and is the city’s only artist-owned and operated cooperative. It is currently reviewing work from prospective members and guest artists. Please contact the gallery at 410-330-4659 or via its website if you are interested in being a part of this vibrant artist community.
Annual "That 50’s Show" is back for January/February at Main Street Gallery
Fifty is the watchword for Main Street Gallery’s winter show. Picture 50 works for under $50. Then picture a select group of art by gallery artists discounted up to 50%. What you’ve got is “That 50’s Show”, a very special sales event you won’t want to miss. The show will open on Thursday, January 5 and run through Sunday, February 26.
The nine member artists at Main Street Gallery will be bringing work out of their studios for this annual event and offering a select group of their paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, jewelry, mosaics, ceramics and fiber works for $50 or less. What a perfect opportunity to start an art collection or add to an existing one. Come in out of the cold and see all the work the artists have created at two fun 50’s-themed artists receptions on Second Saturdays, January 14 and February 11. The receptions are from 5-8 pm and are free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
Also on Sunday, January 15th there will be a free Valentine making workshop using an amazing variety of beautiful stamps. Robin Morgan, an expert in card making with stamps, will lead participants through the steps to make beautiful cards anyone would be proud to give! This event is for adults and kids and will take place at the gallery from 1-4 pm. Come join Robin in making your own, very special, one of a kind Valentine.
Main Street Gallery is located at 518 Poplar St. in Cambridge, MD. For more information, please call the gallery at: 410-330-4659 or visit their website at www.mainstgallery.net to shop online anytime. The gallery provides curbside pick up and local delivery.
Main Street Gallery is Cambridge’s only artist-owned and run cooperative and is currently reviewing work from prospective members and guest artists. Please contact the gallery or visit their website if you are interested in being a part of this vibrant artist community.
Linda B. Starling
Theresa Knight McFadden
Lisa Krentel
“All That Glitters” will be Holiday Show at Main Street Gallery
The Main Street Gallery in Cambridge is presenting its final exhibition of the year and it promises to be dazzling. Beginning Thursday, November 3rd, the show, entitled “All That Glitters: A Women’s Metalsmith Collective” will showcase the jewelry and artwork of seven talented metalsmiths from the Eastern Shore. The guest artists will show alongside Main Street Gallery’s nine member artists. The exhibition will be open to the public until December 31 with two receptions, November 12 and December 10 from 5-8 pm. Light refreshments will be served and all are welcome.
The seven accomplished jewelry and glass artists include Cindy Ayd, Jeanne Barr, Melissa Kay-Steves, Alexa Matthai, Robin Morgan, Linda Starling and Barbara Trower. Each artist will have up to 24 pieces of hand-fabricated jewelry and sculpture created in sterling and fine silver and semi-precious and fused glass.
This eclectic group of women met while taking classes in metalwork at Charmtree Jewelry Studio in Stevensville, which is owned by Melissa Kay-Steves, one of the exhibiting artists. While the artists come from many different backgrounds and careers, they have found their bliss in jewelry -making.
Local artist, Linda Starling, who is a member of Main Street Gallery and who specializes in beach glass and silver jewelry, said she had the vision for the show after taking classes and working alongside all seven women for the past 2 1/2 years and watching them grow not only in artistry but in friendship. “ I am thrilled to bring these talented jewelers together at MSG. We were classmates who became a network for each other, sharing ideas and expertise, working together and challenging each other, with the bonus of creating lasting friendships.”Through their classes the artists have learned or improved upon their skills in fabrication, metal clay, soldering, enameling and more and many have continued in their education taking online classes and traveling to learn from some of the best in the jewelry industry.
Main Street Gallery is open Thursdays through Sundays from 11 to 5 and online shopping is always available at: mainstgallery.net. The gallery is located at 518 Poplar St. and is Cambridge‘s only artist-owned and operated cooperative. The gallery is currently reviewing work from prospective members and guest artists. Please contact them through their website or by calling 410–330–4659 if you are interested in being part of this vibrant artist community.
( pictured below in order are: Alexa Matthai’s “Pendant with Blue Stone and Cutout”, Robin Morgan’s, “Pendant Honeycomb and Bee”, Linda Starling’s “Pendant Blue Green Sea Glass with Cut Out Front”, Jeanne Barr’s “Silver Circle Earrings”, Cindy Ayd’s “Flower with Blue Stone Center Cuff”, Barbara Trower’s “Linked Bracelet, Textured”, and Melissa Kay-Steve’s “Moonflower”)
“Imperfectly Perfect” Is Main Street Gallery’s Fall Exhibition
Award winning acrylic painter, Maureen S. Farrell, is Main Street Gallery’s guest artist for September/October. Her show, “Imperfectly Perfect” highlights a collection of the artist’s figurative and abstract paintings which she created both in her home studio in Cambridge and her studio at the Davis Art Center in Easton.
On any given day Maureen’s studio is filled with several paintings she is working on at the same time. Describing her paintings as process oriented, Maureen says she starts a painting by making marks and also journaling directly onto her canvas or paper with graphite and charcoal. “I then obliterate some of those marks and add more marks to the surface before moving on to the paint.” says the New York native who relocated to Cambridge in retirement. She says she works her way through the process allowing each painting to take its own course. “Over the years”, she says, “I have discovered that when I am fully engaged and give up control the magic happens.” She finds that concentrating on self expression and using many marks and leaving what she calls “imperfections” add character and strength to her works.
But while her subjects are usually figurative or abstract, it is really her emotions that have the greatest influence on her pieces. “I paint what I feel” she declares, “not what I see”.
Interestingly for the former mail carrier, the daily handling of catalogs, magazines and newspapers that come to her through the mail have informed her work as well and often find their way into her paintings as written passages and collaged elements.
It wasn’t until after studying education and sociology in college and working as a rural mail carrier while raising three children as a single mom, that Maureen found her artistic voice. “My passion for art”, she says, “truly blossomed after I remarried, retired and reevaluated my whole purpose in life.” A gifted watercolor teacher early on became a good friend and mentor and encouraged her to continue painting. That support and the skills she acquired through taking many classes and workshops helped fuel her new found passion.
Maureen is a Signature Member of the International Society of Acrylic Painters and has shown her work locally, nationally and abroad. She is currently represented by Bishop’s Stock in Snow Hill, MD and West Annapolis Artworks.
“Imperfectly Perfect” will open on September 1 and run through October 30. The public is invited to two artist receptions which will take place on Second Saturdays, September 10 and October 8 from 5-8 pm. The receptions are free and light refreshments will be served. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday from 11-5 and online shopping is always available on the gallery’s website at mainstgallery.net.
Main Street Gallery is located at 518 Poplar St. and is Cambridge’s only artist-owned and run cooperative. The gallery is currently reviewing work from prospective members and guest artists. Please contact the gallery through its website or by phoning 410-330-4659 if you are interested in being a part of this vibrant artist community.
Chicago City Lights by Winter Storm
“Winter Storm In Summer” Is Coming to Main Street Gallery
Main Street Gallery is delighted to have Cambridge artist Winter Storm as guest artist for July and August. Her show of unique paintings and drawings is titled “A Winter Storm in Summer”.
Winter Storm was actually born Winter Coachella Christine De Lacruz, a name she says reflects her diverse lineage of Puerto Rican, Native American and African descendants. When she started making art, however, she decided to embrace Storm as her studio name, a name that aptly suits the fierce manner in which she approaches her paintings, as though taking the canvas by storm. The self-taught artist uses vivid, often pulsating colors and passionate brushstrokes to create compositions that she says express emotions like joy, pain, triumph and loss.
When she first started making art, her pain, she says, became her purpose and her artwork became an outlet for her feelings. From abstracts to landscapes to portraits of people and animals, her works are full of movement, energy and verve. She says her favorite artists are Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo and Picasso and that their influences live on in her portfolio of works.
Winter is not only a prolific artist but works in the mental health field as well as with the drug and alcohol population. She says “helping people to find their greatest version of themselves has given me a greater sense of empathy for the human condition and has informed my artwork considerably”.
In addition to Cambridge, Storm’s work has gained attention in several venues in the Washington, DC area. At the D.C. Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Wilson Building in Washington, the artist was honored to present D. C. mayor Muriel Bowser with a portrait she painted of her. Her most recent presentation was in Chicago at the Mosque Maryam where she gifted Minister Farrakhan his portrait.
“A Winter Storm In Summer” will open on Thursday, July 7, and run through Sunday, August 28. There will be two artist receptions from 5-8 pm on Second Saturdays, July 9 and August 13.
Main Street Gallery is located at 518 Poplar St. in Cambridge, MD, in the city’s Arts and Entertainment district. Please note the gallery’s hours for this show, which are Thursday through Sunday from 11-5. Visitors may also see the exhibit by appointment by calling the gallery at 410-330-4659 or browsing the gallery’s website at www.mainstgallery.net.
Main Street Gallery is Cambridge’s only artist-owned and run cooperative and is currently reviewing work from prospective members and guest artists. Please contact the gallery if you are interested in being a part of this vibrant artist community.
“Rapture” by Elissa Crouch
Hookers, Strippers and Dyers is MSG’s Spring Show
Main Street Gallery is delighted to welcome Betty Burbage and Elissa Crouch as guest artists for May and June in a show curated by local artist Lisa Krentel. Betty and Elissa, who call their show “Hookers, Strippers and Dyers”, are artists who engage in the traditional art of rug hooking to create unique handmade rugs. Those who engage in this art are known as hookers and they create their rugs by pulling loops of yarn or fabric through a woven base using a crochet-type hook. The wool, which can be purchased or recycled from clothing, is felted and then dyed to a depth and brilliance that the hooker desires. The wool then goes through a process called stripping that leaves it looking like a colorful linguine which is ready to be hooked into the maker's vision.
The inspiration to become a rug hooker came to Betty while she was traveling in Nova Scotia about 27 years ago. She was introduced to some examples of beautiful yarn and wool hooking and was intrigued by what she saw. She thought she may want to try hooking for herself and about a year later she got her chance when she saw someone demonstrating rug hooking near her home in Berlin, MD. She was instantly hooked. Betty, who is a retired supervisor for the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation, belongs to the Delmarva Friendship Rug Crafters Guild and is a member of the National Guild of Pearl K. McGown Rug Crafters. Her rugs have garnered honors, including a blue ribbon at the Worcester County Fair. They have also been published in “Celebration”, a juried show of the finest rugs in the world.
Elissa, who is a resident of Cambridge, MD came to hooking 38 years ago when a dear friend introduced her to the art. While it was definitely love at first loop, Elissa, who worked full time, could not find instructors nearby, so she taught herself how to hook. Later she took classes from well-known rug hookers and attended classes and workshops to further hone her skills.
Elissa is a prolific hooker who is fully engaged in the process of designing her own patterns and custom dyeing her wool.
Her work is in numerous private collections and she has also been published in “Celebration XXIV”.
“Hookers, Strippers and Dyers” will open on Thursday, May 5 and will run through Sunday, July 3. The public is invited to meet the artists and see their colorful, one of a kind rugs at two free artist's receptions which will take place on Second Saturdays, May 14 and June 11 from 5-8 pm.
Gallery hours for this show will be Thursday through Monday from 11-5. Visitors may also call the gallery at 410-330-4659 to schedule an appointment to see the show or visit the gallery's website at www.mainstgallery.net.
Main Street Gallery, which is located at 518 Poplar St., is Cambridge’s only artist-owned and run cooperative and is currently reviewing work from prospective members and guest artists. Please contact the gallery if you are interested in being a part of this vibrant artist community.
“TIME” by Kathy Flament
For March and April, Main Street Gallery is featuring the work of member artist Kathy Flament in a show called “Time”. Kathy, who lives and works in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware is a long-time member of the Cambridge based cooperative and is known for her colorful, expressionistic paintings. But it was a recent visit to the remains of the Bethlehem Steel Mill in Bethlehem, PA that got her thinking about the effects of the passage of time on us all and that led to her new body of work.
As she wandered with her camera through the old steel mill, now called SteelStacks, she took photos, she says “where the passage of time seemed the saddest or most invasive”. She photographed deteriorating items such as rusted pipes engulfed by saplings and grass and sun beaten factory windows, items once essential to the mill but degraded by time. That visit sparked an awareness in her and soon she started seeing the effects of time nearly everywhere she looked…..in fallen trees by the road, in sagging buildings, in worn wood with peeling paint. A trip to Atlantic City, New Jersey, itself a down-at-the-heels image of its former self, yielded shots of the worn and weathered boardwalk and odd shaped rusty bolts underneath it. “Time leaves its mark everywhere,” says the artist. “It transforms us and the world around us. Fallen trees let you count time. Wood and paint respond to both weather and time at the same time. Rust shows how time sits quietly or attacks. No matter what we look at, time changes what we see right before our eyes.”
The artist’s photos are more than records of time’s passing, however. Flament has seen in them artful objects, elements of design and surprising shapes. The photos are the inspiration for a new suite of paintings that she’s recently completed and will show alongside the photographs.
“Time” will open on Friday, March 4 and run through Sunday, May 1. There will be two artist receptions on Second Saturdays, March12 and April 9.
“THAT 50’s SHOW”
For the third year in a row, Main Street Gallery is presenting “That 50’s Show” as its winter exhibition. A special sales event, “That 50’s Show” is an opportunity for Main Street artists to offer a select group of 50 of their paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, jewelry, ceramics, mosaics and fiber works for $50 or less. The artists will also bring works out of their studios and reduce their prices up to 50%. This sale is a wonderful opportunity for art lovers to start a collection or add to an existing one. The public is invited to come out and see the work the artists have created at two fun 50’s-themed receptions on Second Saturdays, January 8 and February 12. The February 12 reception will be extra special with champagne and chocolates in celebration of Valentine’s Day and the gallery’s 10th anniversary. There will also be a table where visitors can make their own Valentine card with some of the member artists. The receptions are from 5-8 pm and are free and will be indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. “That 50”s Show” will open on Friday, January 7 and run through Sunday, February 27.
PRESS RELEASE
“SUBCONSCIOUS SNAPSHOTS” by Lori Dever
Lori Dever, a member of the Main Street Gallery Cooperative is the featured artist for the gallery’s July/August show. Titled “Subconscious Snapshots, The Birth of Ideas” this show of her recent work has sprung from her subconscious, the East New Market artist says.
Lori studied painting at the Columbus College of Art and Design but she says she has been drawing as far back as she can remember, doodling on corners of papers, making swirls and circles. The subjects of Lori’s works almost always reference the human body in some way, be it male or female. ” I need the human spirit around me to keep me connected with what is going on in the world, and I believe it is the most predominant thing in my work. I love reflecting my life into my work. It tells my story, my piece of heaven.”
PRESS RELEASE
“HOME GROWN CHORDOPHONES” by Paul Clipper
Paul, who lives in Cambridge and works in a 13” x 24” workshop in his backyard, makes what he calls home grown chordophones from all types of found objects and materials such as scrap hardware, cigar boxes, washtubs, oil cans, bed pans, wine boxes and even wheelbarrows! One might wonder if these imaginative creations can actually play music. “The oddest are visual curiosities”, says the artist,” but with careful design and construction they are also fun, functional, melodious musical instruments”.
Paul began creating his chordophones in 2019 after working for over 30 years, first in the motorcycle industry and most recently for the Dorchester Banner where he worked for 5 years and served as Editor for 3.
Paul, who is also the host of the popular “Bay Blues” radio program on WHCP (101.5FM), explains that he always had a craving to build musical instruments, but couldn’t figure out how to do it until he heard about “Cigar Box Guitars”. “It is said that the first rule of Cigar Box Guitar (CBG) building is, there are no rules, says the artist. CGB’s can be three-string, four-string, even one-string—-whatever fits the mood or the object getting strung”. With that encouragement Paul put his creativity and musical knowledge in full gear and started building. He has made 18 instruments to date, some for clients but most for himself “and all for my own entertainment and enjoyment” he states. A guitar player in his youth, Paul explains that age, arthritis and lack of practice have made him hardly able to play a D-Major chord these days, but he’s found his musical outlet by building his unique cigar box instruments and a few full-sized electric guitars too.
“ALONG THE WAY” with
Alexander Goldsborough
Alexander Goldsborough’s twin loves of travel and photography shine through in “Along the Way” his new show at Main Street Gallery. The Eastern Shore photographer has chronicled the sights and scenes of his most recent cross country journey in a series of stunning photographs on view during March and April at the Cambridge artists’ cooperative.
On a journey from his California home of ten years to his hometown in Stevensville, Maryland, Goldsborough recorded on film moments of liminal beauty or, as he describes it, the space between boundaries. “The art reflects my position in the moments between the origin and destination of my travel, and the encounters I had therein,” he says. His photographs feature subjects from close up intimate shots of people he met along the way to wide-open landscape shots. “…Through photography,” he says, I observe and capture moments I find worth sharing with others.”
PRESS RELEASE
“THAT 50’s SHOW”
For the second straight year, FIFTY is the watchword for Main Street Gallery’s winter show. Picture 50 works for under $50. Then picture a select group of art by gallery artists discounted 50%. What you’ve got is “That 50’s Show”, a very special show and sales event you won’t want to miss. The show will open on Friday, January 8 and run through Sunday, February 28.
The thirteen member artists at Main Street will be offering a select group of their paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, jewelry, sculpture, ceramics and fiber works for $50 or less. They are also bringing in works from their studios for an exciting 50% off event. What a perfect opportunity to start an art collection or add to an existing one.
“GET AWAY” with Laurie Flannery
Feeling cooped up about now? Dreaming of getting away to someplace different? Main Street Gallery’s November/December exhibit, “Get Away” featuring Laurie Flannery may be just the antidote to banish the drab and the hum drum. Laurie, a multi-talented artist and MSG’s guest artist, has created a suite of oil paintings of sun, sand and sky which include figures dressed for vacation or the beach. These are small works with a big impact and are aimed to conjure up feelings of summer warmth and seaside vacations. The Baltimore artist is also showing her fun and fanciful jewelry and several of her thought provoking photographs.
ZAP! THE ART OF BRAD HUDSON! SEPT/OCT 2020
This Fall look for something eye-popping and new at Main Street Gallery. The colorful, action-packed comic art of Eastern Shore artist Brad Hudson will be front and center in a show called “Zap! the Art of Brad Hudson!”. As MSG’s guest artist for September and October, his work will be shown alongside
the paintings, prints, sculptures, photographs, textiles, jewelry and ceramics of the 11 gallery members. For this show, Hudson, a prolific artist who publishes his comic art under the moniker of Coldstream Studios will be partnering with RAR Brewing, a well-known craft beer establishment in Cambridge, to have one of his comic drawings appear on a beer release. Check MSG’s website or FB page for upcoming details.
SUMMER SHOW with Mary Konchar JULY/AUG 2020
The artist members of Main Street Gallery are excited to feature the work of renowned local photographer, Mary Konchar, for July and August. The show, entitled “Summer Show with Mary Konchar” will highlight a mix of Ms. Konchar’s stunning wildlife, landscape and still life photographs.
WOMAN
MAY/JUNE 2020
The title of the new show is WOMAN and it celebrates all women and their lives and accomplishments through one of a kind, original paintings, drawings, prints, collages, sculptures, textiles, ceramics and jewelry. 2020 is the year of the woman which is also the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote and this all woman cooperative is on board with the celebration.
PRESS RELEASE
Duality
March/April 2020
“Duality,” the title of guest artist Susan Holt’s show for March/April 2020, is a theme she has been working on for many years and is, she says, inspired by Buddhism. The Maryland artist describes duality as the “illusion of separate-ness.” The show will open on Friday, February 28 and run through Sunday, April 26.
PRESS RELEASE
That 50's Show
January/February 2020
Fifty is the watchword for Main Street Gallery’s winter show. Picture 50 works for under $50. Then picture a select group of art by gallery artists discounted 50%. What you’ve got is “That 50’s Show, a very special sales event you won’t want to miss. The show will open on Friday, January 10 and run through Sunday, February 23.
PRESS RELEASE
Oyster Tin
November 2019
MSG artist Lesley Giles was commissioned to create the 3rd Annual Chesapeake Heritage Oyster Tin. Rendered in vibrant shades of crimson, salmon and gold, the original watercolor captures the tradition of hand tonging for oysters as the sun rises over Hoopers’ iconic lighthouse. This year's tin is available for sale at the gallery.
PRESS RELEASE
un*sus*tain*a*ble
November/December 2019
Noted "found objects" artist, Karen O'Dowd, is our guest for November and December. Her work is a visual portrayal of our un-relenting use of plastic and its impact on our oceans and waterways. By making striking artworks out of plastic, Karen is highlighting her belief that “we need to act, personally and on regional and global levels to address this world-wide problem.”
PRESS RELEASE
Inspirations
September/October 2019
This end of the summer exhibit features Cambridge potter, Fran Gross, and gives a nod to the Smithsonian Institution's traveling Water/Ways exhibit. Fran has named her exhibit “Inspirations” because she says her work is inspired by her extensive travel and the cultures and natural beauty she encounters while seeing the world.
PRESS RELEASE
MSAC Films at MSG
June 18, 2019
The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) is collaborating with Wide Angle Youth Media to produce a series of videos highlighting the Arts across Maryland. Main Street Gallery was selected as one of the sites the team visited in Cambridge on June 18.
PRESS RELEASE
Flow
July/August 2019
Our early Summer show features gallery artist, Laura Hofherr, a well-known polymer clay jewelry artist who has recently turned her creative attention to making expressive, abstract paintings.
PRESS RELEASE
Conundrum
May/June 2019
Deborah Colburn, a member artist at Main Street Gallery, is the gallery's featured artist for May and June. Her show is entitled "Conundrum" and the St. Michaels painter will exhibit alongside the work of the other gallery artist members.
PRESS RELEASE
Stories
March/April 2019
Main Street Gallery (MSG) is proud to feature the paintings of internationally renowned visionary folk artist Danny Doughty during its March and April shows. Doughty will join the thirteen-member MSG cooperative artists in an exhibit titled "Stories."
PRESS RELEASE
Reboot II
January/February 2019
2019 is upon us and the artists of Main Street Gallery are ready to refresh and renew their individual artistic visions. As a follow-up to their successful Reboot exhibit of 2018, the artists are showing insightful new works inspired by all the possibilities the new year holds. In the spirit of rejuvenation, they’ve named their new show, Reboot II.
PRESS RELEASE
