Summer Art Party/ Monster Draw

A Publication of the Murray Art Guild • 500 N. 4th St., Murray, Ky., 42071 • 270-753-4059 • www.murrayartguild.org
Artists Spotlight
Summer Art Party/
Monster Draw
Empty
Bowls
Valentine’s Sale
murray art guild
Unique handmade gifts for your special valentine.
WOODWORK
JEWELRY
HANDMADE
CARDS
PAINTINGS
www.murrayartguild.org
AND MORE
February 9, 2013 • 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Art Market • Murray Art Guild
500 N. 4th St. • Murray, Ky., 42071
Support Your Local Downtown Merchants
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Ezell ’s
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Murray, Kentucky
Open Tues. – Sat. Like us on
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Financial aid available
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270.753.4723
Come and
at Ezell’s Cosmetology School
Perms Color Cuts Highlighting & Tinting
Waxing Facials Manicures Pedicures
Sculptured Nails & Gel Polish
OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC
MAG Events ............................................................................... 2
Staff
Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary
with the Murray Art Hop
by Angie Hatton ........................................................................ 3
Executive Director
Debi Henry Danielson
Intern
Meg Henry
Executive Committee
Community Cultural Center Interest Group
Continues Work
by Catherine Bates .................................................................... 5
p.10
President
Brad Robertson
Treasurer
Eileen Wirsig
Secretary
Heather Duffy
p.8
New Life
270-767-0020
Empty Bowls
by Pam Rockwell .....................................................................10
HappyGoLicky Jewelry; on a Personal Note
by Tonda Thomas .................................................................. 13
Top 10 Creative Ways to Support MAG
by Melissa Drake .................................................................... 15
p.13
10% discount for senior citizens and MSU students with I.D.
www.EzellsCosmetology.com • ezellcos@bellsouth.net
New Life
“Serving You For 24 Years”
On the cover: Yarn Bomb Bicycle, by MAG weavers.
Photoshop enhanced illustration by Melissa Shown.
See page 10 for related story.
More Than A
Artists Spotlight
by Brad Robertson, Pam Rockwell
and Debi Henry Danielson ..................................................... 6
Summer Art Party/Monster Draw
by Pam Rockwell ...................................................................... 8
Board Members
Melissa Drake
Cooper Levering
Stacey Mills
Michael Muehleman
Melissa Shown
Jerry Speight
Jenni Todd
New classes beginning in January, April & September. Enroll Any Monday.
Christian Bookstore
2012 – 2013
Murray Art Guild
Board of Directors 2012
Discover Treasure, Far and Near, with Etsy.com
by Melissa Drake .................................................................... 19
Weave a Rug in a Day or Make a Platter from Clay
There’s a Workshop for That
by Eva King ............................................................................... 21
Bookstore...
• Willow Tree Angels
• WebKinz
“Serving
You for 24 Years.”
• Gifts
• Music
More than a bookstore ...
• DVDs
Christian Bookstore
• Wi-Fi • Gourmet Coffee
Lower Level
• Whole Bean Coffee
of New Life
• Willow Tree Angels
• WebKinz • Gifts
• Music • DVDs
Lower level of New Life Christian Bookstore
Christian Bookstore
5TH & MAIN • COURT SQUARE • MURRAY • 753-1622
5TH & MAIN • COURT SQUARE • MURRAY • 753-1622
Contributing EditorS
Melissa Drake and Pam Rockwell
Layout & design
Melissa Shown
Printing
Murray Ledger and Times,
Murray, Kentucky
The Murray Art Guild is a community based non-profit organization dedicated to supporting arts
enrichment. The Guild was established in 1967 when several like-minded community members
decided to establish a place where artists could create art as well as exhibit and sell their work.
Forty-six years and several locations later, this goal is still key to our mission as we provide arts
programming for local youth and adults in a range of disciplines, host year round exhibitions and
house community studios and an Art Market.
The Murray Art Guild welcomes participants of all ages and abilities.
MAG is committed to principles of equal opportunity and diversity.
We are proud to promote the delectation that comes from art.
2013
January
15th GUILD OPENS
10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Tuesday – Friday
February
9th VALENTINE’S SALE in the Art Market
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
WINTER BLUES EVENT : TBA
March
30th SPRING ART/TROLLEY HOP
Around town, 6 – 9 p.m.
June & July
TBA YOUTH SUMMER ART WORKSHOPS
Schedules available in April
July
5th SUMMER ART PARTY/
MONSTER ART RALLY
6 – 8 p.m.
October
18th EMPTY BOWLS SOUP SUPPER
5 – 7 p.m.
November
15th – 17th MAG HOLIDAY SALE
Friday, 4 – 7 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sunday, Noon – 4 p.m.
(vendor applications due in August)
December
8th ART MARKET
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE
2 – 4 p.m.
23rd GUILD CLOSED
UNTIL JANUARY 14, 2014
GUILD GALLERY
February
Blankets: MAG Weaving Studios
Opening Reception: Feb. 1, 5 – 7 p.m.
July
Clay: Wayne Bates & Cooper Levering
Opening Reception: July 5, 6 – 8 p.m.
March
Recent Works:
MAG Life Drawing Studio
Closing Reception: Mar. 30, 6 – 9 p.m.
August
Student Work:
Murray State University
April
Student Work:
Calloway County High School
October
Woods: curated by Wyatt Severs
May
Recent Works: MAG Painting Studio
June
Painting: Mary Fuhrmann
September
Clay: Reid Parish
November
Student Work:
Calloway County Middle School
December
Small Works: MAG Members
EXHIBITIONS
March 30 – April 15, 2013
Visual Evidence regional juried exhibition, Miller Center, Downtown Murray
Opening Reception and Art Hop, March 30, 6 – 9 p.m.
(deadline digital entries, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013)
October 4 – October 28, 2013
PROOFS regional juried photo exhibition, Miller Center, Downtown Murray
Opening Reception: October 4, 6 – 8 p.m.
(deadline digital entries Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013)
December 8 – 19, 2013
Small Works MAG members exhibition and
Art Market Holiday Open House at Murray Art Guild
Opening Reception: Dec. 8, 2 – 4 p.m.
(deadline entries Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013)
ONGOING: MAG Art Market at the Guild. 500 N. 4th. Murray.
Juried. Year round. Commission based sales.
2
Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary
with the Murray Art Hop
by Angie Hatton
T
he big blue and yellow Murray-Calloway
Transit Authority trolley pulls up to the
Robert O. Miller Conference Center. With a
hydraulic swish, the doors open and passengers
spill out onto the sidewalk for their next stop
on the semi-annual Art Hop. Inside, a little over
two dozen photographs hang in the regional
juried exhibition, PROOFS. The children
rush to the snack table, looking for sweets,
as the adults greet the people they know, and
walk around the gallery, admiring the art and
glancing at the captions for familiar names.
I think this is needed in
Murray. Most of the time, you
can see art at the guild or at
the university, but with the
Art Hop, people go to both
and spread their experience.
Murrayan Paula Hulick grabs the arm of a
friend. “Have you seen Chuck’s picture?” she
says. Chuck Hulick is one of at least five first
time exhibitors in this PROOFS competition.
In “Misty Patriotric Sunrise,” an American
flag hangs off a front porch sill, light from an
early morning sun lending a brilliant glow
in the middle of the field of stars. Hulick
calls himself a “snapshot type,” though he’s
been taking photographs of landscapes and
documenting his travels for 40 years.
“This picture was accidental,” he said. “I
went outside to get the newspaper in June and it
was foggy, which was different because we had
been in a dry time. As I walked by the flag, I
thought it might make an interesting picture.”
Finding something unique in the everyday
is an important part of being an artist,
Gallery 109 owner Jennifer Fairbanks said.
Looking at one of her own paintings, an
orange slice beside a china cup, she says it’s
about letting your perspective come out.
“Sometimes it’s composition, sometimes you
see something and it’s beautiful, like the way
the light comes through it,” Fairbanks said.
Those who go on the Art Hop are always sure
to encounter something surprising and beautiful.
For Thomas Snodgrass, 14, of Murray, it was a
flyswatter. Tina Sexton’s “Flyswat” is a close-up
black and white image of an intricately patterned
flyswatter against a blurred backyard background.
“Sometimes the simpler the picture, the
more it stands out,” said Snodgrass.
He said he’s also drawn to the metal sculptures
he’s seen in which wrought iron twists or
crumples into shapes that defy logic. Snodgrass
and his family have been to almost all of the Art
Hops. He likes looking, but he’s also explored
creating art: drawing pictures, weaving a rug, and
making a miniature sculpture out of a clothespin.
Art students are often most creative
when they’re forced to experiment, Shannon
Duffy observed. Duffy teaches classes at
Murray State University, and finds inspiration
for her own work on hikes through the
woods with her children. Duffy’s jewelry
incorporates bits of bark, shells, and stones
her children have found and carried home.
“We often think of jewelry as a precious
object,” she said. “But work like mine, especially
the found objects that were held by my children…
are more about the memory embedded in it.”
It’s important for Art Hop organizers to
showcase a variety of forms and techniques, from
a child’s first still life to ink prints from Finland.
For many in the community, this is the only time
of year they go to galleries. And they seem to
be spreading the word. Murray Art Guild Board
President, Brad Robertson, said that the Art Hop
has grown over the past two years, with more
of the community joining in at each event.
“I’m glad to see it’s not the same people
every time. I see new ones,” Robertson said.
“I think this is needed in Murray. Most of
the time, you can see art at the guild or at
the university, but with the Art Hop, people
go to both and spread their experience.”
The partnerships with Murray State and local
businesses during the Art Hop have been special
to MAG Executive Director, Debi Danielson,
because, she said, it’s encouraging to see different
groups working together toward a common goal.
“As far at the guild is concerned, one
of my goals when I started working there
was just to have a higher profile in the
community, and I think the Art Hop has
really helped us to do that,” said Danielson.
3
Community Cultural Center Interest Group Continues Work
F
by Catherine Bates
or a little over a year now an interested group of
citizens continue to gather each month in effort
to envision a Community Cultural Center. Baby
steps are being made in answering the questions
of the cultural values of our community. MurrayCalloway County continues to grow in many ways,
it only seems fitting for us to imagine a space that
could enhance cultural civic pride. This group feels
that a space should be created that will encompass
the various cultural avenues that exist in our
small, yet, diverse community. Our vision includes
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promoting a cultural ecosystem that is open to
community activity on various levels. A Community
Cultural Center could be a gathering place of
activities for all ages and a variety of civic and arts
related events that occur daily.
As the community grows so do we outgrow
spaces, and as buildings age, so do we require a need
to assess what is available and find ways to envision
new or reusable areas. When asked, what is a
Community Cultural Center? The mission statement
of the group suggests this: “a gathering place for
sharing, creating, exploring, performing and being
inspired and through partnerships and cooperation
the Center provides a cultural platform for our
community.”
If you are interested in supporting the work
being done, or in finding out more about a
Community Cultural Center in Murray, information
and contacts can be found at www.mccartscenter.org.
“The arts are not a frill. The arts are a response to our individuality and our
nature, and help to shape our identity. What is there that can transcend deep
difference and stubborn divisions? The arts. They have a wonderful universality.
Art has the potential to unify. It can speak many languages without a translator.
The arts do not discriminate. The arts can lift us up.”
~ Former Texas Congresswoman Barbara Jordan
Ages 3 & up
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903 Arcadia Circle
Murray, KY 42071
270-753-5352
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Elle Arant-Rose ~ Director/Owner
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906-A S. 12TH ST.• MURRAY
4
5
Artists SPOTLIGHT
SHANNON DUFFY
Shannon Smeltzer Duffy’s show, “Lost and Found,” was recently featured at
the Murray Art Guild during the Trolley Hop in September. Shannon is currently
teaching art education full-time at Murray State University, where she received her
B.F.A. focusing on woodworking in 1999. Duffy continued her education at Arizona
State University where she earned her M.F.A. in metalsmithing in 2004. Shannon’s
metalsmithing skills are highlighted in works from Helicopter Studios, the at-home
art studio, where she also designs and produces unique toys for children. Items can
be found online at Etsy.com or in person at many events including the Murray Art
Guild’s Annual Holiday Sale.
Not only is Duffy a dedicated art educator, she is also the mother of two
wonderfully gifted children, ages 9 and 7, from whom she undoubtedly draws
inspiration for some of her works. Duffy recently taught children’s weaving and
felting courses at the Murray Art Guild and will be teaching VSA courses for children
with disabilities, alongside some of her MSU students. What an asset Shannon has
become for the MAG and our arts community.
Dr. Camille Serre is a long-standing contributor to the Murray Art Guild. The 45-year veteran
of art education recently retired from her post at Murray State University after 27 years of service,
having also taught at Purdue University and K-12 art in Dearborn, Mich. Among her exceptional list
of accomplishments, Serre most recently published Recipes For Sculpture: Methods For Creating Toilet
Paper Food Sculpture & More, a textbook encompassing her expertise in the art form. Serre is probably
most prolific in the area of metalsmithing/jewelry for which she received her
M.F.A. at Eastern Michigan University, followed by her Ph.D. in art education at
Purdue. When the 2011 Kentucky Art Educator of the Year was asked to reflect
on our arts community, Serre said, “Over the past 27 years, my involvement
with the Murray Art Guild provided many rewarding experiences, from
conducting workshops and developing programs for children to jurying
exhibitions as well as exhibiting my own work. For these opportunities to
work within the arts community of Murray, I am forever grateful.” Please join
us in wishing Camille a wonderful retirement!
TERRY JOE SLEDD
6
Artists SPOTLIGHT
Stacy Frett, a mixed media artist originally from Northern Illinois, has been making some
form of art since childhood. Although she is interested in many mediums, she prefers to make
photographs for now. Her work tends to follow different paths along the way, most recently
working with studies in reflection, both visually and emotionally. The content of Frett’s work
also conveys a sense of geometrical patterns and organic shapes colliding together in a
symphony of color. The use of color became more interesting to her after moving to the south.
“The hues are amazing and with each changing season I become more entranced by what my
eye and camera are capturing.” Frett’s work can be seen at the Murray Art Guild, online at Etsy
and Bonanza. Photo title: Silence
STACY FRETT
REID PARISH
CAMILLE SERRE
Art can answer varying needs: sometimes a need to say something, others a
need to do something. Terry Joe Sledd of Stella needed something to do. Interested
in the creative process of writing but needing new challenges, Terry Joe opted to
try his hand in the visual arts. After his first choice, sculpture, proved to be more
physically demanding than he was able, Terry Joe combined his interests in writing
and sculpture and began creating one-of-a-kind artist’s books. Sledd studied the
art of bookmaking at Arrowmont School of Arts and Craft, Gatlinburg, Tenn., and
Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. Today he divides his studio time between
blank sculptural books, which suggest a story with covers of wood, metal, leather
and found objects; and unique hand-bound journals of leather, handmade papers,
and candy boxes. Sledd is an exhibiting member of the Murray Art Guild and a juried
member of the Appalachian Artisan Center in Hindman, Ky.
“I see design in everything that I look at or touch,” says Murray Art Guild’s
resident clay artist, Reid Parish. “I grew up in a home where both parents were
actively involved in making or building things: whether it was oil paints or
slip-cast ceramics or construction or boat repair.”
Parish earned a B.A. in ceramic arts at Alabama’s University of Montevallo
and a master’s in ceramics at Murray State. He has taught in every imaginable
venue including artists’ co-ops, art schools and public schools from pre-K
through college. “After working in clay for the past 30+ years it is still an
adventure,” says Parish. “I love the process!”
In 2010 Parish refurbished an outbuilding at MAG and opened Rainwater Studio where, in addition to creating beautifully
refined white stoneware pottery he shares his expertise by conducting classes and workshops. He is responsible for bringing
the Empty Bowls Project to the Murray community helping raise more than $4,000 for Murray Need Line, while exposing
countless volunteers of all ages to his art form.
TERRI HJETLAND
Metals artist Terri Hjetland recently retired from her career teaching in the
Calloway County Homebound Program. She grew up in New Jersey and earned
her K-12 teaching certification from the University of Missouri and Keane College.
She moved with her husband to Calloway County in 1979.
“I started creating at the age of seven,” Hjetland states, “and over the years
have searched for old, unique, and intricate techniques.” Those techniques include
a Japanese braiding technique known as kumihimo, an ancient 3D Japanese
embroidery technique, temari and scrimshaw.
Five years ago Hjtland began working in metals. She has explored chasing and
repoussé, and her fascination with intricate detail has resulted in the beautiful line
of intricately crafted chainmaille jewelry available in MAG’s Art Market. Terri states,
“I love working with metal – hammering, etching, manipulating, etc. The creative
process is therapy for me – it helps keep me sane.”
7
MAG weavers display the bicycle bomb. From left, Jane Hall,
???, Eilleen Wirsig.
Patrons chat with Harper in the MAG Gallery.
MAG members Mary Jane Littleton and Jennifer Fairbanks
enjoy the Summer Art Party/Monster Draw.
SUMMER ART PARTY/
MONSTER DRAW
M
AG weavers and friends were up and hard at
work early on the morning of July 6, 2012.
They were on a mission. Their job was to sock the
guild with Yarn Bombs to kick off Murray Art Guild’s
Annual Membership Drive and Summer Art Party
Extravaganza. The party is a come-and-go event
that runs from 6 – 9 p.m. on Friday during Freedom
Fest each year. It brings the community together
for an evening of music, art, food and fun in
support of our community arts center at 500 N. 4th
Street in Murray.
MAG director, Debi Danielson states the
purpose of the event is, “… to give the community
the opportunity to experience the many different
aspects of the guild, build the guild community
and create awareness of the arts and artists in our
community.” And, she states, “I tell you what... It’s
just to have fun!”
And a fun time it was! Attendees were treated
to great music by Wayne and Bobby Harper in
the community garden throughout the evening.
Everyone had the opportunity to try their hand
at making a clay bowl (or two or three) under
the expert guidance of clay artists (and MAG
board members) Cooper Levering and Michael
Muehleman. All bowls made at the event were
contributed to the Empty Bowls Project, proceeds
from the sale of which benefit Murray Need Line.
And what July party would be complete without
homemade lemonade? Made and sold by young
guild member Jayne Bishop, all proceeds from the
8
delicious quench were donated to the guild.
In addition to the festivities going on out back,
inside, the Guild Gallery opened an exhibition of
pastel and charcoal drawings and watercolors by
artist Kathryn Harper. Her work featured landscapes
both local and from her travels abroad.
The Summer Art Party Extravaganza had an
exciting, new fundraising feature this year: the
first ever, annual Monster Draw Rally. Artists Marie
Dolchan, Francis Wells, Sue Gregan, Annette Sitton,
Jennifer Fairbanks, Mary Fuhrmann, Ken Kictzke,
Rick Mjos, Heather Duffy, Joy Thomas, Tom Jackson
and Reid Parish created 11 individual drawings in
the community studios during
the event. Attendees were able
to watch the drawings evolve
over the course of an hour. Eleven
tickets were sold at $50 each and
11 ticket holders went home with
a work randomly drawn from the
batch. Danielson states that the
fundraiser not only generated
much needed revenue for guild
operations but it also “demystified
art-making” by allowing the
public to witness the creative
process. The event was so popular
among attendees that Danielson
intends to expand the concept in
July, 2013 (see calendar) with a
Monster Art Rally to include artists
not only drawing but working in a variety of art
mediums.
Murray Art Guild is a not for profit community
organization devoted to providing support to area
artists and exposure to the arts for all citizens. Its
operation depends on memberships, fundraising
and volunteers. Membership is open to anyone
in the community. Participation in events and
activities, memberships, and donations support
the guild’s mission: motivating artistic growth
through community arts development. Check out
the schedule of events in this MAGazine and make
plans to join us!
MAG welcomed Governor’s Scholars students from across the state who donated their time helping with
preparations, assisting with workshops and bombing the guild for the Summer Art Party Extravaganza.
Young MAG supporters help raise funds by selling freshly
squeezed lemonade.
Heather Duffy (left) and
Joy Thomas (right) create
drawings for the first annual
Monster Draw event.
MAG board member, Cooper Levering, assists young artists
in creating bowls for the Empty Bowl Project.
MAG patrons enjoy the
colorful and creative array of
hors d’ouvres served at the
summer art party.
Charcoal drawing by Kathryn Harper
9
EMPTY BOWLS
O
n a chilly day last October with a fire
crackling and lively music ringing through
the Community Garden the Murray Art Guild and
MSU Student Nutrition Association (SNA) served
up more than 150 handcrafted clay bowls full of
piping hot, homemade soup. MAG’s 2nd Annual
Empty Bowls Soup Supper was a smashing success
netting $2,500 for Murray Need Line, which,
according to Director Tonia Casey is the largest
food bank in an 8 county area.
MAG director Debi Danielson attributes the
rapid growth of the Empty Bowls Project at the
guild to partnerships. MSU nutrition student
NIcole Schmittou organized the Student Nutrition
Association which, with help from MSU faculty
Kathy Timmons and Beth Rice, and contributions
from local businesses prepared the many gallons of
soup served at the event. Two hundred bowls were
created throughout the year at the guild by guild
members, volunteers, the Murray/Calloway Special
Olympics Delegation, Governor’s Scholar Program
Students; bowl donations were also made by local
2012
ceramic artists Wayne Bates, Reid Parish, Allyce
Capps, Cooper Levering and Michael Muehleman,
Tom Jackson and the MSU Clay Club students.
Attendees who came out in support of Empty
Bowls were making a contribution at the local
level to this international grass roots effort to
fight hunger and create positive and lasting
social change through the arts and education.
It’s a simple concept. Local artisans contribute
bowls and for a minimum donation of $15 guests
receive a meal of soup and bread and take home
a beautiful, locally crafted bowl as a reminder of
those with food insecurities and to support local
organizations like Need Line which provide not
only food but personal hygiene products, medical
prescriptions, assistance with rent and medical
travel and shelter for the homeless and working
poor in our community.
Left: supporters Dr. and Mrs. Charles Cella choose a
handmade bowl in return for their Needline donation.
Above and below: Murray State nutrition students
serve up homemade soup and bread.
Bottom photo: Live music was provided by ???
MAG members present a handmade bowl along
with a $2000 check to Needline director, ?????.
From left, Reid Parish, director, ??, Nicole Schmittou?, and MAG president, Brad Robertson.
10
11
“Build Your Own”
HappyGoLicky Jewelry; on a Personal Note (by Tonda Thomas)
We use only fresh, high quality ingredients.
Alaskan pollock, freshly picked vegetables,
100% beef, boneless chicken breast and long
grain brown rice. Everything is prepped and
cooked daily in our kitchen!
12
Melissa Drake, nicknamed “Licky” by her sister in early childhood, has
made art for as long as she can remember. She credits both her grandmothers
for sparking her interest in creating beautiful things. They provided her with
endless supplies, arranged for her participation in workshops at the Murray Art
Guild and even taught her to sew, always encouraging her to explore different
mediums and express her individuality.
Drake was also a water baby, spending hours on Kentucky Lake with her
family. Her father had her navigating their 36’ cabin cruiser by the time she
was 16. Upon graduation from Murray High School she received a partial
scholarship in theater to attend Penn State, but before the end of her first
semester she began enrolling in art classes and eventually returned and acquired
her BFA in studio art from Murray State University.
During her college years she read about an island in the Bahamas known
for its shark research program. Always up for adventure, Drake wrote to the
director requesting an interview and when her calls went unanswered she
journeyed to the tiny island of Bimini and knocked on the door of the “Shark
Lab.” She convinced the director that although she did not have a background in
marine biology she had a certification as a Dive Master, boating experience, and
could even do a bit of plumbing if necessary. Convinced, he hired her on the
spot.
Her first assignment was painting murals on all the walls of the facility and
since she accepted lower wages her first year there, she helped support herself
by bartering for goods with her paintings. She lived and worked on the little
island for eight years, spending the latter five as the manager of the lab. She was
in the ocean daily, swimming and feeding the sharks, enveloped in the colors
and textures of the sea. Unencumbered by civilization in a way that many people
never experience, she developed an even deeper and more intense devotion to
her passion of visual arts.
Called back home to help her father with his growing firearms and furniture
company, Lewis Drake & Associates, Melissa gained valuable business insight
to combine with her previous managerial skills. Completely enthralled with her
newest hobby, metalsmithing, she started researching the possibilities of internet
sales for her jewelry on the global artist’s marketplace, Etsy.com.
Drake began saving money to invest in the best tools and buy supplies in
bulk. Working past midnight became a regular occurrence – developing her
products, learning about self-employment, and reading up on what makes a
successful craft business. When she reached her set goals much faster than
expected she mustered the courage to tell her father it was time to leave the
family business. Drake says, “It was an instant relief to hear him say, ‘I’ve
known since you were born that you were meant to do something creative.’ “
HappyGoLicky was born.
Fast forward to today … samples of Drake’s work can be acquired at the
Murray Art Guild, and her entire collection browsed and purchased on her
website, www.HappyGoLickyJewelry.com. Using “fine” silver that is 99.9% pure
and 100% reclaimed, she creates eco-friendly unique rings, necklaces, bracelets,
and medallions. A wrap bracelet was featured in Better Homes and Gardens as
a favorite holiday gift pick. Her plan to attend more craft fairs has been altered
by her internet sales tripling in the last year. She has hired a full time assistant to
help with orders, shipping, and customer service. She resists hiring more staff in
order to be able to give each piece her own touch, insuring the depth and detail
of her evolving style are present in every item. She enjoys working individually
with clients to create jewelry to their specifications. Nature continues to be her
greatest inspiration and HappyGoLicky jewelry owners often share comments
post purchase about the joy they feel when wearing designs that evoke
memories of things and places they love.
Drake is now a member of the same Guild that that provided classes for her
as a little girl. She serves on the board of directors and is passionate about her
involvement. She loves that the Murray Art Guild offers so much to all different
ages: education, fellowship with other artists, and a place to generate and share
those creations. She says she is now a part of an organization that helped bring
her to this place of bliss that is now her life.
Melissa Drake’s art can be viewed and purchased on her website: www.
HappyGoLickyJewelry.com
13
Top 10 creative ways to support your Murray Art Guild
Become a Member and Spread the Word
Murray Dance
e
r
t
n
e
C 200 N. 4th
Stop by the Guild or join online to enjoy discounts on all workshops, open studio space, and
other cool perks. Like us on Facebook and then share our posts to let your friends know about
interesting projects and exciting events MAG offers.
Attend Events
Murray
Bring a friend to an opening of an exhibit. Join others on the MAG Trolley Art Hop to view artwork
in galleries all over Murray. Take home a handmade piece of art after a dinner of hot soup at the
Empty Bowls project. See the online calendar.
JAZZ • TAP • BALLET • IRISH STEP • MODERN
Sign up for Goodsearch.com.
murraydancecentre@gmail.com
To register call Rebecca
It’s a search engine which donates 50% of its sponsored search revenue to organizations like
ours. Join & select the Murray Art Guild as your cause, then shop companies like JCPenney, Office
Depot, Lowe’s, & WalMart and they will donate a portion of the sale to the MAG.
270.210.0053
Volunteer
VIEWED
TO BE
THE BEST
www.pella.com
270.767.2500
PELLA CORPORATION
Murray Operations
307 Pella Way • Murray, KY 42071
Bake some cookies for an opening of a show. Assist in preparing the gallery space for an exhibit.
Help clean up after a special project. It can be as quick and easy as bringing plastic utensils &
napkins to an event. Just call and ask. 753-4059.
Advertise in the MAGazine
Be seen by your community in the highly anticipated annual MAGazine that is circulated in the
Murray Ledger and present at all Art Guild events. An economical way to gain exposure for your
business.
Take a Workshop
Learn to paint or draw, weave a rug, create beautiful jewelry, throw some pots. There is always
an array of neat classes for all ages. Check the website for a schedule, www.MurrayArtGuid.org.
By far the most fun way to support the Guild!
Make a Donation
A good old fashioned check in the mail always works, or try the more tech savvy approach by clicking
the Paypal button on the website. Either way, it’s tax deductible. Plus, it makes you feel good.
Enter Work into Exhibits
Are you a budding photographer, or simply take a neat shot on vacation you believe others
would appreciate? Enter it into the juried PROOFS photography exhibit, for example. Or enter
your arts & crafts for sale into the Holiday Show where a percentage of the proceeds benefits the
Guild. Check the website for shows and entry deadlines.
711 Main St.
Murray, Kentucky 42071
Endowment Fund
Plan for the MAG in your future to guarantee it flourishes and continues to inspire the younger
generation to expand their creativity and appreciate the arts. It’s a truly selfless way to keep the
artistic fire burning in your own community for years to come. Ask Eileen Wirsig, MAG treasurer,
about the Murray-Calloway County Community Foundation.
Shop at the Murray Art Guild
14
A collection of handmade items can be purchased at the Guild, Tues.-Fri., 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. From
woodworking, ceramics, weavings, paintings, jewelry, soaps and more, find artisan hand crafted
gifts for someone special … or yourself.
What’s your
favorite way
to support
the Murray
Art Guild?
15
Allergy & Asthma Clinic
Richard M. Stout, M.D.
WORKSHOPS 2013
Diagnosis and Treatment of • Asthma • Allergies
• Hay Fever • Sinusitis • Cough • Insect Allergy • Food Allergy
Whirl • Side by Side • Spiral
Drawing • Oil Painting • Clay
Open Studios
ADULT AND PEDIATRIC PATIENTS
www.murrayartguild.org/
workshops
Office Locations:
Murray, KY • Union City, TN • Paris, TN
1-800-756-5551
201 South Third Street
Murray, Ky., 42071
(270) 753-2411
Owners:
Mike Garland and Jeremy Grogan
www.thejhchurchillfuneralhome.com
16
Pierce &
Associates,
PLLC
Fax: (270)753-0275
info@piercecpa.com
Murray Athletes Partner with MAG
on Community Service Projects
(by Pam Rockwell)
Athletes, coaches, unified partners and volunteers from the Murray/
Calloway Special Olympics Delegation rolled up their sleeves to lend a hand
with MAG’s community garden and Empty Bowls projects last spring. The
delegation weeded, turned and readied for spring planting the garden
beds located behind the Guild at 500 N. 4th street in Murray. The beds are
available for rent by anyone in the community.
No one stood idle that warm day in early March. Participants who
needed a break from toiling outdoors were set to work creating clay bowls
for MAG’s Empty Bowls Project. Under the instruction of resident clay artist
Reid Parish, the group contributed to the production of more than 200
stoneware bowls. The bowls were filled with hot soup and sold at the Guild’s
annual Empty Bowls Soup Supper in October which raised $2,500 for Need
Line of Murray.
Tools, labor, dirt and manure were provided by Jereme Rose’s Life Team
from the Journey Church of Murray. The delegation’s athletes and volunteers
were very proud to be a part of these community service events.
For information on renting a garden plot or participating in Empty Bowls
contact the Murray Art Guild at www.murrayartguild.org or 270-753-4059.
Thanks for
supporting
the arts!
310 Main Street • Murray, KY
17
SAYS
Thanks
for supporting
your local artists
Polymer Clay
Kaleidoscope
Pillow Beads
at Aimee Bailey’s
Wildflower Wonders
Etsy shop
Steele & Allbritten, Inc.
Plumbing and Electrical Contractors
Swimming Pool Retailer
Discover Treasure, Far and Near, with Etsy.com
270-753-5341
(by Melissa Drake)
FAX 270-753-1270
Josh Schecter
Brad Erwin
Michael Mott
209 S. 3rd St. • Murray
Rockhouse Creek Photography
by Stacey Mills
270.761.PICS (7427)
Cell: 270.752.7047
www.rockhousecreekphoto.com
Rockhousecreek@aol.com
260 Crestview Lane • Almo, KY 42020
18
Hand-poured,
100% soy candle at
Robert Schwenck’s
Murray Candle
Etsy shop
H
ave you ever needed a truly
special gift, maybe something
hand crafted, monogrammed
perhaps, or even a one-of-a-kind
surprise for someone special?
Finding just the right present could
be tricky and time consuming…
until now. Enter Etsy.com, an online
handmade global marketplace, and
say goodbye to days of pounding the
pavement at the mall or scouring mail
order catalogs.
Etsy.com, launched in the summer of 2005,
was derived to change the way the global economy
works by empowering the small business owner,
building on the belief that people value hand
crafted items and provenance just as much as price
and convenience. Etsy extends a worldwide venue
to artists where each sets up their own “virtual
shop” to sell their wares.
The beauty of Etsy.com is found in its copious
assortment of artsy goods ­– photography, painting,
jewelry, sculpture, clothing, pottery, needlecraft,
woodworking, even edibles and bath & beauty
products. Dream of an art form and Etsy offers
it. And if you cannot find the perfect piece, you
can surely find an artist to custom make it for
you, as most welcome commissioned work and
personalized requests. Currently, the number of
artisans ranges into the hundreds of thousands,
with new shops opening daily, promising a
diversity found on no other commerce website.
Internationally handmade products are at your
fingertips in the collection of galleries from all
over the map. Browse intricately crocheted scarves
from Istanbul, wooden beads carved in Peru,
Portuguese ceramic tiles, origami sculptures from
Japan, metal belt buckles forged by a Spaniard,
or candles poured by Robert Schwenck right
here in Murray, Ky. Yes, right here in Murray, Ky.
Looking online for handmade goods can still mean
shopping locally, too. Etsy boasts at least 20 artists
and crafters living in Murray, and the numbers rise
into the hundreds as you stretch further out into
western Kentucky. The value of Etsy as a bazaar is
different to each of them.
Art Guild member and “Chaise Longue
Gallery” Etsy shop owner, Stacy Frett, appreciates
the international reach, stating, “Just today I had
a conversation with a woman in Estonia about a
photo I took in New Concord. Twenty years ago
that sort of exchange wouldn’t have been so easy.”
While she likes having her prints for sale locally at
Murray Art Guild, she also enjoys discussing her
nature-themed photographs with many distant
admirers. It has given her a new confidence just
knowing that someone as far away as India has
been influenced by her work.
Local artist, Amy Washington, specializes
in wool diaper covers and credits Etsy with
providing her sufficient income after her husband
was tragically killed in a car accident last April.
Washington’s shop, “Mama Bear Baby Wear,”
enables her to keep working from her house so
she can continue to homeschool her two small
children.
Hoping to grow her polymer clay jewelry
hobby info her full time job, Aimee Bailey, sells
locally but increases sales for her miniature food
charms & seasonal beads through her Etsy shop,
Wildflower Wonders.
Murray Art Guild member and recent
exhibitor, Shannon Duffy, scored the highly
coveted Etsy “Featured Artist” blog article for her
very successful shop, “HELICOPTERstudios,”
which is undergoing renovation as she adds her
new metal work.
By simply emailing her customers their
purchase of her digital collage sheets, Tamara
Bennett, owner of “Custom Creations,” loves
the ease of Etsy. Like many shop owners she is
also an Etsy buyer. Her favorite acquisition is a
personalized necklace bought for her motherin-law with all the grandchildren’s names hand
stamped on it along with their birthstones.
Robert Schwenck calls Etsy the “world’s largest
craft fair,” and is happy to have found an outlet for
his soy scented candles though his aptly named
shop, Murray Candle. His citronella candles
were a huge hit during the summer, with his fall
fragrances now picking up speed. Encouraged
by his sales he is expanding his exposure on the
internet with social media by linking his shop to
his Facebook fan page and Twitter account.
Finding artwork made by these locals, fellow
Kentuckians, or people from any other part of the
world is quick and easy. You can narrow down a
search on Etsy by country, state, city, or even zip
code. Refine it further to browse by price, category,
color, specific item, or shop owner. The artists are
easily contacted for questions.
With so many talented artists showcasing
a variety of high quality work it is easy to see
why Etsy is growing by leaps and bounds. In one
month alone, July, 2012, Etsy reported sales over
$69 million, and new members totaled nearly
800,000. It is free to join as a buyer. Sellers pay a
small commission when their work is sold, well
worth the cost considering their shop is perused by
millions who might otherwise be unaware of their
craft.
Whether you are an artist or craftsperson with
unique items to sell or a shopper with an important
handmade present to find, give Etsy.com a try, and
you will discover treasure.
19
Weave a Rug in a Day or Make a Platter from Clay:
There’s a Workshop for That (by Eva King)
W
hether you are foraging
to feed an artistic interest,
seeking to strengthen an area, or just
looking to learn a new technique,
Crowns! - These hats were made in a workshop directed
by the Guild in partnership with the Playhouse in the Park,
the Calloway County Public Library and the Murray State
University Women’s Center. The Hat Making workshop was
in conjunction with Playhouse in the Park’s production of
CROWNS directed by Stephen Keene.
For a complete 2013 workshop schedule visit
www.murrayartguild.org/workshops
20
a Murray Art Guild workshop may
be the perfect avenue to take you
there. Workshops are appealing and appropriate
for a number of reasons. Because they typically
focus on a specific issue, they are usually short in
duration, lasting anywhere from a few hours to an
entire day to a full week or two. The concentrated
nature of a workshop can provide an extremely
productive experience exploring a particular topic.
Workshops are generally affordable with reasonable
fees that sometimes include materials and supplies.
Workshop settings are individualized, friendly
and energizing, and offer unique opportunities
to develop interests, explore areas and fortify
techniques.
The Murray Art Guild provides a variety of
workshops in areas such as painting, drawing,
woodworking, photography, jewelry making,
ceramics and weaving, on different days of the
week and at different times of day. The instructors
are highly qualified artists and art educators, skilled
and experienced craftspeople who are willing to
mentor, teach and share information.
Reid Parish, who holds a B.F.A. and masters
degree in art with concentrations in ceramics,
offers numerous clay workshops at the Murray Art
Guild. Parish’s workshops can be one-time events
where the participants produce a single piece such
as a summer memory frame, a platter or a coin
box. He also offers extended projects that can take
one or two days or a week to complete. Parish
sees the workshop format as an opportunity to
“feed an interest without pressures of an academic
environment.” Most of his adult students have no
background in art; they are simply interested in
pottery. Children’s workshops are available after
school and during the summer. Parish provides
beginning, intermediate and advanced classes for
students who want to explore ceramics, and he
teaches wheelwork and firing.
Experienced weavers Eileen Wirsig and Mary
Cates are available to teach loom weaving. They
offer a four-harness loom class for children and
adults, in which students plan a project, wind a
warp, dress a loom and then weave a rug or scarf.
The adult workshop normally lasts 2 1/2 days in
order to create a single project from planning to
weaving, although larger five-day projects that
explore different types of stitches are available.
Many adult weaving students are retired teachers
or those with experience in other fiber arts such as
knitting or quilting. The children’s classes, which
are offered only in the summer and last five halfdays, are generally filled. All students take home
a project at the end of a workshop. Guild weavers
will continue to coach and mentor students who
are interested in further exploring the craft after
they’ve participated in a workshop. Looms and
fiber are available at the Murray Art Guild. Anyone
wanting to just sample the art of weaving can
schedule to weave a rug in a day; the project will be
already planned, and only the choice of fabric has
to be made. They also offer weaving workshops on
the rigid heddle loom and the triangle loom.
Silversmith and jewelry designer Beverly
Kietzke instructs in the art of jewelry making.
With a minimum of tools, such as a good set of
pliers, and some ideas, students can create earrings,
bracelets, and necklaces with chains. Beginning
with inexpensive wire and moving up to sterling
silver, Kietzke teaches wire bending and shaping,
bead stringing and silversmithing. She will also
teach metal chasing and stamping, and the ancient
chain maile technique of making individual
chain links connected with jump rings — a time
consuming process with beautiful results. Diana
Fuller, who loves and has always wanted to make
jewelry, is a student of Kietzke’s, meeting once
a week at the Murray Art Guild for two hours.
Fuller brings her own ideas to the work sessions,
and Kietzke shows her how to make the ideas into
jewelry. Keitzke also shares resources for materials
and supplies with her students and explains the
intricacies of metal ordering. Fuller was given the
opportunity to show and sell her work alongside
Kietzke at the 2012 Gourd Patch Art Festival in
Mayfield, Ky., in September.
Marie Dolchan, a retiree whose background
is in ceramics education, wanted to develop her
potential in painting and drawing. After attending
a beginning painting workshop taught by Gene
Snowden at the Murray Art Guild, she began to
joyfully explore the use of pastels and paint to
create still-life compositions. From Snowden,
Dolchan acquired a variety of valuable information
ranging from basic matters such as a realistic place
to start when purchasing materials, to formal issues
such as use of space, lighting and color. Dolchan
found the condensed information presented in
the workshop appealing, and appreciated the
individualized attention she received.
My own MAG workshop experience helped
me find a fresh approach to creating art. After
having worked mostly in oil paint on canvas and
board for a number of years, I began searching for
a medium that would exploit my interest in bright
colors, bold patterns and simplified forms. In the
summer of 2010, I decided to participate in a oneday workshop at the Murray Art Guild, conducted
by paper appliqué artist Jody Stokes-Casey of
Milam, Tenn. In the workshop, I was introduced to
a tracing paper technique of making patterns and
shapes, then cutting and assembling the shapes to
create a picture. After the workshop, I continued to
explore the process, refining it to suit my purposes.
I now use cut pieces of paper rather than paint to
create compositions. The results are very much
pattern-oriented with simplified forms, flattened
perspectives and bright, bold colors.
So if you are searching for a new art medium,
yearning to learn a new technique, or simply
wanting to experience the joy of creating, check out
the Murray Art Guild. Most likely there will be a
workshop for that.
21
Katrina Coffelt, LPCC, NCC•Ashley Champion, LPCC