35th Quilt so far...
Clay, wood, stained glass, fabric, photography, folk art, painting, etchings, drawings, landscapes, abstracts, humor, gravity, history, mystery, self portraits, and even a lamp fashioned from a clock face: the "quilt" created by 36 artists in celebration of the Attic Gallery's 35 years in exisitence has all of it, much like the gallery.
Each artist was assigned a year as a starting point for their piece, and their separate 12 inch square pieces now assembled into a grid, manage to tell the big story of the past 35 years while hinting at numerous subplots: some personal, some global.
The first thing one sees is a candle, symbolizing among other things the gallery's unofficial inception at the fifth birthday party of the co-creator of this first piece, Deborah Silver, daughter of the owner Lesley Silver. The candle also brings to mind the fragile flickering into existence of the Attic in 1971 when Lesley first climbed into the dark space above her husband's gift store with the intention of setting up shop in the dark hallway she found. In the last square there is a mirrored light bulb casting light beyond the border of the grid: accidental symmetry. This final piece is the work of one of the Attic's newest artists, Adam Dowis of New Orleans, whose lamps made of found objects seemed to evoke hope in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
The varied artists chosen to each create a piece have all been represented by the Attic, but for differing periods of time. After Deborah's photo collage are two etchings by husband and wife team, Dale Rayburn and Mamie Joe. Their assigned years 1972 and 1973 reflect the chronology of their relationship with the Attic and its beginnings specializing in original graphics. Later there are fine craft pieces and colorful folk art charting the changes in direction the gallery has negotiated in its journey through the decades.
In addition to the square "quilt" pieces each artist will be exhibiting two other pieces of whatever size and shape they desire.
The public is invited to meet the artists and view the works created to celebrate the Attic's 35th anniversary at 7 PM on Friday, October 6, 2006 at 1101 Washington Street. For more information about "35 Years in the Attic" call 601 638 9221.
(Many of the pieces may be viewed by clicking on the list below.)
