“The kind of new beginnings that transform our lives are less about what we do in our lives, and more about what we deliver into the life of another.” – Craig D. Lounsbrough
SPOTLIGHT NIGHT
Allow the arts to transform the beginning of your new year and come out to GoggleWorks’ first Spotlight Night of 2018! Held Friday, Jan. 12 from 5:30 to 7:30pm, you and your friends are invited to join us for the opening reception of three new exhibits on display at GoggleWorks. In Cohen Gallery East, we will have Mud to Moon: the shared musings of Peter Kinney & Jeff Waring, in Cohen Gallery West, False by Amanda Lee Watkins and in our lobby, On the Road: presented by Studio B Fine Art Gallery.
Mud to Moon pairs the work of two artists inspired by elements of the earth. “My art is a search for the spirit, rather than the letter, of the land; an inner essence of me and the earth intertwined,” Peter Kinney said of his process. Artist Jeff Waring says “My process is often initiated with something physical from my surroundings, maybe a sprinkling of pine needles to pivot within a flow of paint, or chunks of earth captured on the edges of drying acrylics, or relics of the situation under foot.” Waring and Kinney met at Haverfood School, where Kinney mentored Waring. They both were active with the Highwire Artists Cooperative; Kinney was involved in the first Philadelphia Artists Cooperative exhibit in 1988.
Reading-born artist Amanda Lee Watkins’ exhibit False is a showcase of drawings, some full of color, some strictly black and white. “The work’s intention is to evoke a mysterious intrigue and pure curiosity,” Watkins writes about her work — and the work does just that. The contemporary images feel mysterious, intriguing, disturbing, and anomalous, making viewers wonder. “My illustrations possess this sense of a subtle surface covering an intricate, darker satire,” she says. Wavering outlines seem to provide the drawings with a sense of life and energy, with an eccentric style that makes this exhibit a must-see.
Studio B Fine Art Gallery’s “On the Road” Exhibition showcases work from the members of Studio B, Boyertown. In a quilt-like display, 40 standard-sized canvases fill the lobby wall of GoggleWorks with a splash of life. From bucolic scenes, to political commentary, and personal portraits, the artists at Studio B present something for everyone’s taste.
On display in the Schmidt Gallery, In-House: an exhibition of our students, work exchange, and renters will also be open for viewing. This exhibit is not highlighted in Spotlight Night but will have its own closing reception 5:30-7:30pm Friday, Feb. 2. Admission and parking are free; complimentary light fare. Cash bar will be provided by Belly-Kitchen & Drinkery.
FIRE & ICE FEST LIVE DEMOS
Looking for something sizzling to do this weekend? Join us at the 4th Annual Reading Fire & Ice Festival from 2-5 Saturday, Jan. 13 for some blazing warm glass and flameworking demos by artist-instructor Ellen Mitnick at the GoggleWorks booth. Or join us on-site in the Ceramics studio at GoggleWorks for more demos of an ancient Japanese firing technique called Raku (楽). What makes Raku different from a more familiar firing process is that the work is removed from the kiln after reaching maximum heat. Demos will happen hourly from 2-5pm Saturday, Jan. 13.
If Raku isn’t for you, our hot glass artists will wow you while you observe our talented artists create art in some blazing heat ongoing from 2-5pm. Both these demos are completely free to observe. If you’re looking for something a little more hands-on, sign up for our glass icicle workshop from 2-5pm Saturday, Jan. 13. Visit GoggleWorks website for ticket information.