NEWSLETTER
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The Art House Newsletter - December 2009
Dear Members of The Art House Mailing List,
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward to taking some time off during the coming Holidays to be with loved ones. I wish you all Peace and Prosperity.
December 11th is the last Middlebury Arts Walk for 2009. (We will start again in April of 2010.) Meanwhile, this Arts Walk promised to be loaded with Affordable Art. The Art House is doing a special show of over a dozen local artists, cash & carry with everything under $200 (!)
Deborah Sharpe-Lunsteads show, "A Year In Vermont" has been extended through December 19th. There has been such an enthusiastic response to her unique and gorgeous pulp paintings we had to give people some extra time to come in and see her work. Her show will be on display during the Dec. Arts Walk and definitely for sale.
Art Makes Excellent Holiday Gifts!
On Friday Night, December 18th O'hAnleigh, the Middlebury based Celtic trio will bring their wonderful Irish Music to the Art House. The show begins at 8:30. Come and celebrate Solstice with us!
It's been nearly a year since we had the first event at The Art House. So many people have been involved in creating this great space, I'd like to take a moment to thank them.
Thank you Linda Hampton-Smith for being my right arm and dealing with the 1,001 problems that need to be solved every day. If not for you I would not be able to keep this place together. Randy Smith for pitching in when help is needed and for making us our super-sturdy sign boards. The Blue Swans (Klara Calitiri, Patty LeBon Herb, Phoebe Stone, Sarah Wesson, Linda Smith, and Yinglei Zhang) for all the moral, physical & spiritual support. I would have been lost without you. Deb Gwinn, for getting down & dirty and helping to paint these walls, for our on-going 30 year conversation about art and for always reminding me to be courageous. Paul Ralston and The Vermont Coffee Company for our coffee machines and all the great coffee! My son-in-law Bob Eaton for helping to lay the floor. My daughter Christin for creating such beautiful food presentations for events. Raph Worrick for getting the Music series started and for bringing in such great musicians. Paul McMahon for all the drilling & hanging of our gallery hanging system, for the sign above the back door and for helping with so many logistics. Emma, Lin & Bill for being such amazing models for our Wednesday drawing sessions. Mary & Tim Williams for volunteering their time & enthusiasm. The guys at Glenn Peck & Graph-X for doing such a great job and to Lynda & Russ at The Little Press Room for figuring out how to print our crazy ideas. Thank you, thank you to all the Artists, Musicians & Performers who have put on a show here. You have blessed and enlivened this little space.
And last but not least I thank YOU for supporting this odd & wonderful adventure. I am truly amazed and grateful at the response The Art House has received and delighted at the community that is forming here.
Happy Solstice Everyone!
Mary Swanson
The Art House Newsletter - November 2009
Dear Members of The Art House Mailing List,
The Middlebury Arts Walk continues to be a fun and social event. The Second Friday of every month brings hundreds of people into town and The Art House is excited to be presenting Deborah Sharpe-Lunstead's "A Year In Vermont" for our November Show. Friday night, November 13th from 5:00 - 9:30 we'll be hosting the Opening Reception for this show features live music, refreshments and lots of fun people to talk with.
Deborah works in an unusual genre called "Pulp Painting" -
This is a specialty within the world of handmade papermaking and, in fact, very few artists in Vermont do this. Pulp painting is specially prepared pulps applied to a freshly made, still wet, sheet of handmade paper. The image is essentially embedded within the paper. These paintings must be seen to be fully appreciated because the pulp painting carries so many nuances and catches the light in so many different ways.
The show will run through December 5th but do stop by the Reception and meet the artist!
Deborah has also agreed to give us a Demonstration of her technique on Thursday, Nov. 19th. Call The Art House (802-458-0464) for more information.
Mark LaVois is playing at The Art House on Friday Night, November 6th at 8:30. If you like the Blues, his Blues Harmonica will send you to heaven. Tickets are $10 at the door--Don't miss this performance!
Drawing from the Model continues on Wednesday afternoons from 3-5:00. We've added two wonderful new models, Lin & Bill Reuthers. This are drop-in sessions, bring your own materials & $8.00 for the model.
As the weather turns colder & we enter the busy Holiday Season, feel free to stop in The Art House and have a quiet moment to yourself. There's always beautiful art to contemplate & come back into balance with yourself.
We're open Tuesdays through Fridays from 2:00 - 6:00 and Saturdays, 11:00- 3:00.
See you soon,
Mary Swanson
The Art House Newsletter - October 2009
Dear Members of The Art House Mailing List,
Happy Fall!
Here at The Art House we're looking forward to the incredible beauty that is Autumn in Vermont. We hope to see you out and about at Middlebury's OCTOBER ART'S WALK which is Friday, October 9th from 5:00 to 7:00
Remember that The Art House always stays open late on Arts Walk Nights so
you can Tour the Town & end up in the Marble Works.
For our October "Harvest" Show on October 9th we will be showing (and
selling) Baskets by Maura Clancy, Quilts by Pam Pezullo, Unique & fun Vases
by Karen Dunphy, Woodland Creatures by Heather Bleasdell & Knitted Internal
Organs (!) by Dr. Maxine Fidler.
We'll have live music, lots of snacks & wonderful people to talk with.
Please stop in & say hello
On Friday October 30th The Art House is thrilled to say we're have CRAZY
HEARSE here to play at our HALLOWEEN DANCE PARTY! Prizes will be given for
the best costumes. The show starts at 8:30. Mark your calendars--
The Gallery will continue to show many of Patty LeBon Herb's tree paintings
through October. The Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 2-6pm and
on Saturdays from 11 am to 4 pm.
Also... A very wonderful event is happening in the barn at Mary's
Restaurant, (just north of Bristol)on October 9, 10 & 11 at 8pm. The folks
who bring you Shakespeare in the Barn every summer are doing a SPECIAL SHOW
of EDGAR ALLEN POE'S work. Please call 453-2211 for Reservations.
As always, we draw from the model on Wednesdays, 3-5:00
In the meantime, enjoy our beautiful countryside!
Mary Swanson
The Art House Newsletter - September 2009
Dear Friends of Mary Swanson and The Art House,
Greetings!
Summer finally arrived in Vermont in August-- just in time for the 3rd Middlebury Arts Walk, which was even more successful than the previous two. Main St was bustling & the Marble Works was full of music & art. It was so much fun to walk around town with so much going on!
The Art House hosted an amazing array of talent for our first ever Variety Show: "One True Thing" featuring spoken word by Deb Gwinn, David Weinstock,Dennis Sparling, Mary Swanson (that's me) an origami demonstration by Don Shall, Performance Art by Jean Cherouny, An original Tap Dance & Blues Harmonica by Bob & Dace Eaton, Music by Emma Wollum, They Might Be Gypsies, Michael Morera & Scott Forrest, Glenn Goodwin & Andrew Marks and many, many more-- all recorded for MCTV.
Watch for "One True Thing" which will be broadcast on MCTV!
September 11th The Art House is delighted to present Patty LeBon Herb's show of paintings, "Late Night Jazz in the Weeping Willow." This show is all about Trees-- just in time for Summer turning into Fall. Patty is a well-known Middlebury Artist, founding member of the Blue Swans and a great human being!
The opening reception is part of the Middlebury Arts Walk (#4) on September 11th. From 5:00 - 9:30 featuring Eric Maier on Jazz Keyboard. Refreshments will be provided. The even is Free!
Friday Night, September 25th brings the Michelle Fay Band to the Art House for a unforgettable night traditional, swing and bluegrass influenced music with rich female harmonies. Many of the songs are Michele's originals, inspired by life in Vermont - past and present. The Show starts at 8:30 and costs $8.00 at the door.
September 26th, we host a celebration of Willowell & The Arts: a special tribute to the Willowell Foundation featuring a silent auction of special works created by the artists of the Lake Champlain Revisted show and the music of Emma Wollum, Michael Morera, Scott Forrest, Andrew Marks & Glenn Goodwin.
This is a very special night with 100% of all proceeds going directly to Willowell. We're asking for a $10 donation at the door but no one will be turned away. If you don't know what Willowell is all about, check out www.willowell.org.
We continue our Wednesday 3-5 drawing from the model sessions and invite you to join us. It's drop-in, $8, bring your own materials.
The Art House Newsletter - August 2009
Dear Friends of Mary Swanson and The Art House,
Summer is finally here & August is full of fun events!
The Blue Swans, a group of talented local artists have created a gallery show called "House." Rachel Baird, Klara Calitiri, Patty LeBon Herb, Linda Hampton Smith, Phoebe Stone, Mary Swanson, Sarah Wesson, Ariela Yomtovian and Yinglei Zhang fill the Great Room & Hallway of The Art House with paintings and photographs that will be delighting art lovers through September 5th. Please drop in and view this wonderful show.
The Middlebury Arts Walk happens on the Second Friday of every month. That's August 14th and The Art House is presenting "ONE TRUE THING" A Variety Show and Bar-B-Q. And we're going to be FILMING FOR BROADCAST on Middlebury Community TV.
Musicians, Poets, Stand-up Comics, Performers and a real cast of characters will entertain you while you enjoy some excellent summer bar-b-q.
Dennis Sparling, Jean Cherouny, Pierre Vachon, Deb Gwinn, Rick Klien, Emma Robiner, Michael Morera, Mary Swanson, Glenn Goodwin, David Weinstock , Eric Butterfield, They Might Be Gypsies, The Eatons and many, many more will be at The Art House to delight and entertain you.
Please join us and be part of Middlebury television history!
On Saturday Night, August 22nd The Art House is delighted to present "THEY MIGHT BE GYPSIES" the high energy Gypsy swing guitars of father & son Greg & Aidan Ryan. These two have to be seen to be believed...
A gypsy at heart, Greg grew up traveling the country and playing music with his family. He draws from influences including Folk, Jazz, Bluegrass, & World Music. Young Aidan has been performing since he was six and has recorded two CD's of original music.
And... they've just moved to Middlebury!
On Friday Night August 28th we will be hosting the live music of "BREAD & BONES" a Vermont-based acoustic trio performing original music with a strong traditional-roots foundation. Made up of Richard Ruane, Beth Duquette and Mitch Barron, their sound is characterized by imaginative two- and three-part harmonies over solid guitar and bass work.
They've been selected to be part of the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival's 2009 Emerging Artist Showcase. Their CD "I Know Stories" was named Vermont's Best Traditional Album of 2008.
On Saturday night August 29th MARK LAVOI will be playing a solo show here at The Art House. Well-known to Vermont audiences, Mark has traveled and performed with Sonny Terry, harmonica virtuoso and half of the popular duo Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Mark has recorded with many Vermont musicians, from John Gailmor to Big Joe Burrell. He is part of a duo, Cooper and Lavoie, and recorded most recently with Warner Brothers recording artist Bill Sims, Jr.
If you love the Blues, you'll love Mark LaVoi !
As always we Draw from the Model on Wednesday Afternoons from 3 - 5:00
We hope to see you soon!
Happy Summer,
Mary Swanson
The Art House Newsletter - July 2009
Dear Friends of Mary Swanson and The Art House,
The first Middlebury Arts Walk was a huge success! We had over 300 people at the Art House Reception for Prindle Wissler's show. Prindle was happy to have made so many new friends, to have reconnected with so many old friends and to be able to share her philosophy on art.
Thank you Prindle!
On the second Friday of July (July 10th) we'll be hosting our second gallery show for the second Middlebury Arts Walk. The Art House is presenting works by The Blue Swans on the theme of "House." Paintings, Ceramics and Multi-media works will be on display.
The Blue Swans are a group of local artists: Rachel Baird, Klara Calitri, Patty LeBon Herb, Linda Hampton Smith, Phoebe Stone, Mary Swanson, Sarah Wesson, Ariela Yotovian and Yinglei Zhang.
Please join us for a fun night-refreshments will be served!
On July 24th "BLT" - the Bob Levinson Trio with Bob Levinson, Dave Mack and Glenn Goodwin will bring their unique brand of funky and sweet music back to the Art House. This is a band you can dance to. In fact, it's hard to stay in your seats!
As always we Draw from the Model on Wednesdays from 3 - 5:00. This is not a class, bring your own materials & point of view. This is a 'drop-in' session & the cost is $8.00.
Our new website www.arthousevt.com is up and has a calendar you can check to see what's going on. Hope to see you soon!
Mary Swanson
The Art House Newsletter - June 2009
Dear Members of The Art House Mailing List,
There is so much going on at The Art House these days... We have new neighbors: the Farmer's Diner & Stone Leaf Tea House. Stop in and see the new & improved Marbleworks!~
And... we have a new website! www.arthousevt.com Please click on the Join our Mailing List and sign up for our mailings. It just takes a second and will insure that you only get mailings you're interested in!
And... I'm delighted to announce the following:
Friday Night, June 5: Live Music with Christensen, Khalifa and Robison.
Experimental, Improvised, and Ambient Music.
Mark Christensen (guitar, Chapman Stick, loops) , Kareem Khalifa (electric upright bass, oud, loops), Brian Robison (Theremin, loops)
8-10 p.m. No cover. Please bring food and drinks to share.
Friday June 12th "Abstractions & Distractions"..Works Old and New by Prindle Wissler.
The Art House is hosting the Opening Reception for Prindle Wissler's work. Prindle is Middlebury's own Arts Maven. At age 97 she is still producing amazing work. Join us from 5:00 - 9:30 on Friday, June 12th to view her new work and a retrospective of many of her artistic expressions. We have live jazz provided by the Manhattan Project Trio, food & drink to revel in and, of course, Prindle will be here to let us know what she thinks.
Also On June 12th...
Middlebury is kicking off its first Arts Walk- Over 30 venues will be displaying art.
LOOK FOR THE PINK BOOT AT DESIGNATED LOCATIONS!
From 5 to 7:30 pm, downtown Middlebury will become a center for art, music, food and fun.
Stores will remain open, becoming galleries displaying the work of dozens of area artists. Art will turn up in restaurants, on the town green, and in other exciting and unlikely places. This is a regular monthly event-visit downtown Middlebury on the second Friday of every month. It's a great way to get out, see people and have Free FUN! The Art House will be open after the Arts Walk ends so stroll around town & come back to continue the evening.
For more information visit www.middleburyartswalk.com or email info@middleburyartswalk.com with specific questions.
June 19 -21 "Shed Your Skin/Expect a Miracle"
A 3 - day Transformational Retreat led by Mary Swanson. From Friday night to Sunday at noon we'll be in Ritual: meditating, painting, hiking, writing, consulting oracles, eating, laughing, creating, singing and making new friends. Join us and experience a deep, fun and transformative weekend surrounded by the beauty, abundance and grace of Vermont in full Summer.
June 26th 8:30 :"The Danger Birds and Paper Castles.
On June 26th The Art House will feature two great original rock trios, Dangerbird and Paper Castles. Dangerbird members Rob Voland, Brian Hanf and Thomas Barnes play moody psychedelia that calls to mind Neil Young in his Crazy Horse days. Paper Castels features acclaimed young songwriter Paddy Reagan backed up by Ian Kovac and Peter Negroponte to bring an indie rock sensibility to american/country tinged tunes.
8:30 $8.00 at the door
You can check them out at myspace.com/dangerbirdvermont and myspace.com/paddyreagansound
Saturday Night, June 27: Live Music with Point of Sale.
Jonathan Smith, Andy Martin and Amber Jackson combine original songs on guitar with improvisational melodies from the viola. A special night of alternative rock and poetic lyrics from this talented trio.
8:00 pm $5
The Gallery is open Tuesday - Friday from 2:00 - 6:00 and on Saturdays from Noon - 5:00.
Stop in and see us!
802-458-0464
Hope to see you soon,
Mary Swanson
