My View of Life on the Dock
Jolly reminder from Rocky Neck – please spread the word! Just days away until the 2021 Rocky Neck Art Colony Holiday Fair.
Friday November 26 – Sunday Nov 28th
Reception Friday 5-7pm!
deck your halls, walls, shawls and trawls 🙂
The grand opening for Rusty+Ingrid Creative Company’s new digs in Rockport continues through Sunday. Don’t miss the chance to stop by and see their work in their new studio and gallery. Their prints are vibrant, original, and completely handmade (including the frames). Also, they’re offering popcorn in different flavors. Who knew chocolate-drizzled popcorn was delicious? Not me.
The good news is that if you miss the grand opening, you can just stop by during regular gallery hours, or check them out in Boston at SoWa on Sundays, or find them online (especially their very cool Instagram).
Having Rusty and Ingrid relocate to Rockport is a great asset to the burgeoning makers and artists’ scene in town, and Rockport is truly lucky to have them right on Main Street. The space is live/work, so the entire family is making Rockport their home — another way they’re investing in the community. More and more downtown Rockport merchants are also Cape Ann residents, which has obvious implications for the level of investment our local merchants make the community. This shift is making a huge difference in town, and good things are happening all over. That is, if summer ever shows up and the MBTA doesn’t shut down the train.
There’s an article in the current Northshore home magazine featuring interiors of one of the gorgeous homes on Bass Rocks Road and JUNI VANDYKE spotlighted in another piece about the impact of Room & Board’s Boston presence and the value of local artists and artisans. Artist Juni Van Dyke was interviewed, and her work is featured.
Last Chance:
to see Mothers and Daughters, a group show curated by Van Dyke at Jane Deering Gallery, 6 pairs of mother/daughter artists. The announcement features work by Paige Farrell. There will be a closing celebration Thursday March 30th from 4-6pm. The first was packed! The show ends March 31.
This year I was lucky enough to acquire one of the limited-run wall hangings created in printer Julia Garrison’s studio & shop, The Sarah Elizabeth Shop, in Rockport. The piece hangs near our dinner table and I stare at it during every meal, surprised every time by the beauty and the level of detail in the design.
The wall hanging was printed from a block carved in 1950 by local artist Delores Rapp, who was trained by Virginia Lee Burton, the founding member of the Folly Cove Designers, so it is only fitting that over six decades later, prints are being made from the block using the same Acorn Press that was used by the Folly Cove Design Collective, which Julia uses in printing both archival and her own original designs.
This year, the current owner of the vintage block (Delores Rapp passed away a few years ago) came to Julia and they worked out an arrangement that allows Julia to print a limited run of wall hangings from the block. All the wall hangings are hand-printed and sewn locally, using archival ink on linen, which lasts forever, so your descendents will still be enjoying this pieces many Christmas moons from now.
You can purchase the hanging (and see other options for ink/background colors) directly from Julia online HERE. Or better yet, go see her in her studio/shop this weekend at 5 Whistlestop Mall in Rockport to see the wall hangings — and her other wares — in person.
This piece is bound to be an heirloom in our own family — I am already attached to it more than pretty much any other holiday item I have — and will no doubt be equally as meaningful in the homes of every one else who gets their hands on one. It is beautiful both for the amazing design (when you consider that every detail was hand carved!) and for its connection to our local and current artistic heritage.
I’m sorry my photos don’t do it justice. Check it out at Julia’s online shop or in person to get the full effect of these limited-run pieces.
Our interview at The Cape Ann Farmer’s Market
These guys should be very proud of themselves. Producing a New England product with New England materials without compromise in the workmanship or materials.
These shoes are on a whole ‘nother planet- no one makes stuff this good any more.
Check out their site-
Also check out their blog which tells their story-
http://newenglandouterwearco.tumblr.com/
Also on Facebook-
https://www.facebook.com/NewEnglandOuterwear
Good Morning Gloucester 