Talent gallery shows works created by local artists in the past month
The way Peter Van Fleet sees it, the urge to make art is a disease.
But if you're stricken, you might as well try to make money off it.
Van Fleet, who paints intricate wood panels, has set up a gallery in his historic Talent home that will show art freshly created by locals. Nationally recognized artists David Lorenz Winston, a fine art photographer, and Robert Beckmann, a muralist, are co-founders of The Bell House Gallery.
"We'll continue to hope this works, because if it doesn't work we'll probably still show anyway," Van Fleet said. "It's a disease, art is a disease."
The gallery at 104 S. Market St. is open only on the second Friday of each month, including today, from 5 to 8 p.m.
"Then, like Cinderella after the ball, it goes back to being my home," Van Fleet said. "Or, Cinderfella, I should say.
"It reinforces our idea of inspiring artists and locals by showing new work," he added. "When there's only one night, people can't put it off — they have to go see it."
He and other Talent art aficionados are trying to create a monthly art walk similar to Ashland's First Friday event. Talent's summer outdoor market also is held on Main Street from 5 to 8 p.m. on Fridays.
"We're trying to create a community," Winston said, "because artists are extremely solitary individuals."
The Bell House co-founders, who have been featured in prominent galleries locally and nationally, also are trying to sell more of their work to weather the tough economic times.
"The last few years, sales are way off," Winston said. "I get royalties from my prints, but that's dropped off 50 percent."
Since the gallery opened last September for the one-night-a-month viewings, several pieces have sold, said Van Fleet, whose work also is showing this month at Medford's Rogue Gallery & Art Center.
Some nights the Bell Gallery has drawn as many as 150 visitors.
"We usually go through about 15 bottles of wine, which costs over $100, but if you look at that as an investment, we've done pretty well because we get sales," Van Fleet said.
The gallery is also designed to inspire artists to create new work each month so it can be shown. The co-founders each try to show at least one new piece a month, and they also display collections of art from other locals.
"This keeps us from working in a vacuum," Winston said.
Today, alongside art by the founders, the gallery will present nature-inspired paintings by Betty La Duke and Eileen Bowie.
Community members are invited to stop by the gallery to view the art and enjoy wine and snacks. Van Fleet encourages people to stay and talk about the art.
While it may not be classified as a medical disease, it appears art is in Van Fleet's blood. Paintings of chickens by his sister, Ellen Van Fleet, are on display at Southern Oregon University's Schneider Museum of Art through Aug. 26.
"We can't help but make art," Peter Van Fleet said. "It's insane in terms of the economic return, but it returns a lot of pleasure."
Reach reporter Hannah Guzik at 541-776-4459 or email hguzik@mailtribune.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment