Call For Artists

 

If you are interested in selling your work at Valley Artisans Market, we are currently looking for members interested in selling their art. If you don't have time to fulfill the duties of membership by working a few shifts a month in the store, we are also looking for consignors! Stop by the market for a jury application and get your work in before the following jury dates:

July 20th
August 9th,
September 14th

Wheels Invitational Show

Artists' Opportunity: “Wheels,” a juried theme exhibition in the Small Gallery at Valley Artisans Market, 25 East Main Street (Rte. 372), Cambridge NY.


All 2- and 3D artists and artisans are invited to enter up to 3 pieces of work to be juried for this exhibition, scheduled for Friday, March 22- Tuesday, April 16. The show will coincide with the annual Tour of the Batttenkill bike rally held each year in Cambridge. This year's rally will be on Saturday and Sunday, the weekend of April 13-14. This nationally-ranked bike race, billed as the Queen of the Classics and “America's toughest one-day race,” draws several thousand racers and their families, as well as spectators, to Cambridge each year.


Works to be juried should be dropped off at the Valley Artisans Market on Wednesday, March 20, or Thursday, March 21, between 10 a.m. And 5 p.m. Artists will be notified via email/phone of their acceptance. Work that is declined must be picked up the next day, as VAM has little storage. Two-D work must be ready to hang, and there is no size limit. Three-D artists are encouraged to enter. VAM takes 40% of all sales.


There will be an Opening Reception for the exhibition on Saturday, March 23, 1-3 p.m..


Valley Artisans Market is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. And Sunday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. For further information please call VAM during gallery hours at 518-677-2765 or visit us on Facebook.

Special Valentine Hours

A beautiful hand painted scarf by Kathleen Weber and a beautiful hand embroidered heart by DebraAnn Salat are available at the market just in time for Valentines Day.  This is just a small sample of the beautiful artisan gifts available at Valley Artisans Market.

For this special holiday Valley Artisans Market will open all day Sunday from 11:00 until 5:00 and you can meet the artist Kathleen Weber in person.    Ian Crietz the wonderful photography artist who's work is in the small gallery this month will be working Saturday. Please visit us this weekend and enjoy meeting the wonderful artists who show their work.

Happenings At Valley Artisans Market

Ian Creitz's beautiful photography on display in the Small Gallery through Sunday February 17th.

Absolutely lovely  jewelry by Bonnie Lee Hoag. 

Chickens and pigs from Leah McCloskey

Beginnings, Ends by Ian Creitz

Please join us for the opening reception of Beginning, Ends a show by our very own Ian Creitz tomorrow January 12th, in the small gallery from 3:00 pm to 6:00pm.

Ian is a native of Cambridge who has been photographing the Southern Washington County area and the Capital District for many years.   Ian has tried to "capture the contrast between natural and man-made to show how nature will ultimately overtake our own trappings when we leave them alone"  He has succeeded and his work is a beautiful mixture of darkness and light, urban decay and the beauty of the region we live in. 

Please join us for the opening and if you are not able to make it Ian's work will be on display through Sunday, February 17th.

Holiday Open House

Come join us for the Holiday Open House this weekend at Valley Artisans Market.  We are offering 20% discount on one item all weekend.  The train above was made by the wonderful Warren Stoker who has many, many beautiful items available for the children in our lives.  We are also having an invitational in the Small Gallery with paintings and other works of art done by local artists.

There are scarves for the ladies, beautiful gourd ornaments, nativity scenes, pillows, quilts and pottery and of course there is beautiful jewelry available too.  There are refreshments and a chance to win our annual gift basket.  Please come and join us.  See you there tomorrow!

"This Way Please"

This is only one of the beautiful pieces made by the very talented Caroline Serotta, who has a showing of Tin Movie Theater Fronts and Qualified Arrows in the Small Gallery at Valley Artisans Market.  Please join us for the opening reception of this talented artists work this afternoon, Saturday October 20th from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.  The show will be running until November 13th if you are not able to make it today.  Her work is whimsical and colorful and definitely worth a trip up to the market!

Diana Spencer Opening Today

Please join us today for the opening reception of Diana Spencer's beautiful work in the Small Gallery.  The opening is from 3:00 to 5:00, please come and meet Diana and see her beautiful art work.

The Very Talented Arleen Targan

Please join us for the opening of Monotypes by our very own Arleen Targan.  If you have been to Valley Artisans Market I am sure you have enjoyed her work.  The new exhibit is wonderful.  Please come and join us.  It is a wonderful opportunity to see what Arleen can do with a monoprint technique and an exhibit of work that she has not shown in VAM in quite some time.

 Arleen Targan
"Monotypes"  
June 22 - July 17
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 23  4 - 6
The Small Gallery

Welcome New Member Ariana Kolins

What do you make and how did you start creating your art?

I am a clay artist who makes sculptural, functional and sculptural/functional work.  I’ve been working with clay for over ½ my life, in Brooklyn, North Carolina, Maine, Tennessee, Northern Ireland, New Orleans, and most recently Portland Oregon- where I finished a post-baccalaureate in Ceramics from the Oregon College of Art and Craft.  Having just moved to Albany I’m continuing to make and learning about what this region of the world has to offer.

For most of my clay life I have worked with slabs, recently I fell in love with pinching, and I can’t get enough of it.    

If you could go back in time to the beginning stages of your venture, what advice would you give yourself?

I feel like I am still in the beginning stages of my venture.  And the advice I give myself daily is to believe in myself and everything takes lots of work and time, so be patient and go one step at a time. 

What inspires you?

Good conversation, good tea, an un-pinched ball of clay in my hands, the excitement of my last piece and the possibility it holds for the next. (…and a deadline.)

What makes your work different from other people who create items that are similar to yours or in your media?

Many potters make their pots using the wheel.  I have recently chosen to go back to the basics and perfect the first technique most people work with clay do, making a pinch pot. Pinching my pieces by hand, a slow meditative process, for me strengthens my connection to the piece, and strengthens my connection to the person using the pot. 

Where do you sell your work?

Currently VAM, local craft fairs, and within the next week or so, ETSY

How did you hear about VAM?

I heard about VAM from a new friend, encourager, and good resource (I just moved to the area a few months ago,) who said that there was interesting work, good people and a good organization.  So I decided to check it out, and here I am. 

More Beautiful Pieces from Cheryl and Cecily

 Please join us on Friday June 1, 2012 for the opening reception of  this beautiful show in our Small Gallery.  The reception runs from 6:00 pm to8:30 pm.

Both Cheryl Gutmaker and Cecily Callahan- Spaulding are members here at VAM and their beautiful works are available every day.  I have seen the show after it was put on display and it is just beautiful. 

 If you are not able to come to the opening, please come by in the weeks to follow to see this lovely work displayed. 

Valley Artisans Market is also sending out a call for artists to join our artist cooperative.  Please refer back to the Call For Artist's blog post which explains in detail our policies and jury details.  See you soon!

Glass and Paper, Cheryl Gutmaker and Cecily Callahan-Spaulding

Glass and Paper

Landscapes and History Books

Cheryl Gutmaker and Cecily Callahan – Spaulding

May 25 – June 19, 2012

Reception June 1, 2012 6:00 – 8:30 PM

Valley Artisans Market

25 E. Main Street

Cambridge, NY

      Landscapes have been a traditional art form for centuries. Recent developments in glass manufacturing have allowed a new type of landscape to be created by fusing glass. During the past two years, I have begun to explore the many possibilities available for use in the fused glass landscape.

      The work in this show reflects the beginnings of a major shift in the way I work with glass. I have moved more towards a painterly image rather than a purely functional approach. My landscapes are made totally from glass; there is no paint used in this process. The illusion of depth is produced through the careful layering of tiny bits of glass called frit, graduated size of components within the piece and multiple firing of successive layers of glass in the kiln. Using these techniques, I have endeavored to create the felling of beauty and joy that I experience when reflecting on walking in nature.

Cheryl Gutmaker

     

        Over the last forty years a rich and varied body of work has grown from craftsmen and artists creating traditional handmade books to new book forms of imagination and wonder. As an artist, I am fascinated by books and history.   My work is within the book as art tradition.  A variety of book forms have been the vessels over time that have given us a connection to our common past.  Information, stories, ideas, visions and mysteries have been transferred through language to make up a collective    body of thought that enriches and enables our modern life.  

     My work is a celebration of this connection.  Each piece is an expression of specific cultures, images, rituals and languages that are part of our collective memory.  They are a new take on what it is to be a history book.  The works communicate visions of our past through color, texture and a mix of old and new images.  Come see the show on a spring day and enjoy a creative history lesson like you have never seen before.

Cecily Callahan - Spaulding

DebraAnn Salat

DebraAnn Salat is a hand embroidery artist who has been with Valley Artisans Market since March of 2011.  DebraAnn learned how to hand embroider from her grandmother when she was just a child.  Hand embroidery has been a constant in her life since that time.  She starts with a simple drawing and lets her embroidery needles do the work from there.  That makes all of her pieces one of kind as she follows where ever the needle leads her. 

DebraAnn loves to use variations of color and she has said that her favorite projects are made of tangled up threads where she picks just the right color and then decides where to place it in her work, random and planned at the same time.  She does many different types of hand embroidery, from primitive, to abstract to realism and her favorite stitch is the french knot and many of her pieces feature them.  Debra also writes her own blog: http://www.tanglestitch.blogspot.com. and sells her work on Etsy.

Just a Reminder

Hi All!  Just a reminder that the our own Carolyn Kibbe and her daughter Kate Torpey are still our featured artists in the small gallery.  The opening was a great success and it was a pleasure to meet Kate for the first time.  Some of Carolyn's work is from a trip last year to Mongolia.  It is a beautiful exhibit and well worth a trip to Cambridge.

Carolyn Kibbe & Kate Torpey

Just a reminder that  the very talented Valley Artisans Market member Carolyn Kibbe and her very talented daughter, Kate Torpey are the featured artists  in our small gallery show.  The opening reception is tomorrow, Saturday 28th between the hours of 3:00 to 5:00.  Please join us for this wonderful opening and see the other beautiful works of art they have created.

Ken Evans - Artist Statement

I use a LATHE to HAND-CRAFT ITEMS OF WOOD.  It may seem strange to some to use the term HAND-CRAFT when using a machine, but the lathe is a very unique machine in that it is the only woodworking machine which "SPINS THE WOOD WHILE THE OPERATOR HOLDS THE CUTTING TOOL IN HAND.  ALL other woodworking machines spin a cutting tool while the operator holds the wood.  The lathe is unique in this regard.

My goal is not to TURN WOOD to produce functional objects.  MY goal is to create ITEMS OF WOOD for the enjoyment of those people who love wood and pursue the visual and tactile properties of that material. 

Often I am asked if the wood speaks to me?  Does the piece of wood  tell me what it wants to be?  I wish it did.  I wish it were that simple.  For me there is a constant search for a design followed by  a search for a piece of wood with which to faithfully render the design. 

The process I employ involves both art and craft.  The ART of the process involves the design and creativity  necessary to envision a particular piece.  The form must be conceived in the mind, refined in design true to the conception, and finally rendered to a design sketch.  Finally the craftsmanship of the lathe operator is applied to a carefully selected piece of wood to produce the envisioned piece.  The CRAFT of lathe turning is the ability of the lathe operator to precisely control the dynamics of holding a very sharp cutting tool against a rapidly spinning piece of wood while controlling the cutting process to produce a preconceived form.  This is the essence of woodturning.  This is the essence of my work.

There is a tension in the marriage of this art and this craft. The art conceives, while the craft strives to create, without compromise, true to the art.  This is not an easy marriage.  This marriage must be successful for the piece to survive.

I enjoy my work.  I love it!  I love the art process and the craft process.  It is a selfish process as it gives me great pleasure to produce a unique ITEM OF WOOD having visual and tactile qualities which may be enjoyed beyond my future by those who treasure wood.  The selfish nature of this process demands the ITEM please me.  If it does not, it cannot carry the signature

                                

Martha Starke

I have a passion for making things — stained glass windows, hand-carved ceramic tiles, jewelry, hand-bound books, quilts, dollhouse miniatures, letterboxes (google it!). I have every tool known to man for making art, from glue guns to glass grinders. Truly, I am happiest when I am creating.
The medium that stays with me, though, is handmade paper. I have been playing with pulp since 1992, creating greeting cards, paper sculptures, wedding invitations, place cards and favors, thank you notes and custom items. A few years ago, I began adding wildflower seeds to my pulp so that you can recycle my papers into your garden after use.
My papers go hand in hand with my love for botanicals. I grow them, press them and make whimsical figures out of them. You can find my original framed “Petal People” at Valley Artisans Market along with cards that feature digital prints of some of my favorite Petal People.
I am obsessed. I hope you will enjoy my obsession and feel the passion behind everything I make.
To see more of my items, please visit my online shop at http://PulpArt.Etsy.com

Happy Holiday

A Happy Holiday to one and all.  This is a brand new Easter design by Valley Artisan's member, Lise Winne. The design will be available as cards and gift tags at Valley Artisans Market. You can see much more of Lise's inspirational work at Valley Artisans Market.  She is a prolific artist and has designs for every special occassion and everyday sentiment.

Lise's inspiration for the design was not entirely because Easter is around the bend! About a month ago, she produced another design called "Bunny and Moon" (viewable through via her blog through this link: http://lisewinne.blogspot.com/2012/01/bunny-and-moon.html ). After she made the piece, she kept waking from dreams where a bunny was coming out from the brush to observe the moon. Lise doesn't know why she kept having these dreams, but she wondered if she was being made aware that rabbits are just another species, a brother/sister animal, who share the same planet that humans do and who also look at the same moon. Perhaps the Lagomorpha species think about the moon in the same way a toddler thinks about it.

There are certainly a lot of associations world wide between the Lagomorpha species and the moon. Figures of hares are often found at Chinese Moon Festivals. In western cultures during the middle ages they were often associated with the lunar cycle, femininity and longevity. In the Greco-Roman period they symbolised lust, romantic love and abundance.

This latest piece is a continuation of Lise's present fascination with the Lagomorpha species and the myths and symbolism around it.

Lise's website: http://www.LiseWinne.com

Lise's blog: http://lisewinne.blogspot.com

Today at the Co-op

Today I am working at the co-op here at Valley Artisans Market and I thought I would share some of the birds here at the co-op.  There are many more finely feathered friends to be seen and enjoyed so come over the visit and maybe bring home a pet.  A lovely little bird who will be oh so happy to be placed by a nice window or where ever you decide the best place for her to be.

Irene Berkson

Irene Berkson is one of our members here at  Valley Artisans Market, she takes discarded items and combines them into works of art.  She has a very unique style which makes her work very interesting.   She also does her part to save the environment by finding items that would otherwise be discarded  and adding them to her work.  She splits her time between Brooklyn and Vermont and should be back with us in Cambridge soon.  Her story can be found on this website http://www.vermontmossandstonegardens.com/irene.html.

Just a reminder that all of the artists at Valley Artisans Market have a unique and beautiful way of expressing themselves.  It is worth a trip to Valley Artisans Market to see each artist's personal vision because  there is something for everyone.  The ride to VAM is a lovely one.  Every day a different artist mans the shop so you will get to personally meet one of the artists.  And you will be inspired by all of the talented artists who have chosen and been chosen to be part of the coop.

Have a great day hope to see you soon at Valley Artisans Market.