Art Map Burlington Article

ART NEWS & NOTES

Big Joe Burrell Statue
The effort to commemorate Burlington’s most notable Jazz musician with a life-sized bronze statue on Church Street is just a few hundred dollars away from being able to send the model to the foundry. The fifty thousand dollar milestone represents two-thirds of the funds needed for the project. Shelburne artist Chris Sharp designed the sculpture. Sharp, a student of master foundry worker and sculptor Ray Hitchcock, studied sculpture at the University of Vermont and University of Connecticut. From 1995 to 2005, he showed his work at Phoenix Gallery in New York City and Kingston Gallery in Boston. You can read all about the project (and make a donation online) at their website: www.bigjoestatuefund.com.

Group of Seven
The Group of Seven were a collective of Canadian artists who believed the heart and soul of national identity could be found and shared by painting the landscape. Their legacy is a remarkable statement of national identity. We mention this for two reasons: First, the notions ‘Vermont art’ and the ‘Vermont artist,’ though bandied about quite often are as poorly defined as ‘Canadian art’ and ‘Canadian artist’ before the Group of Seven went about defining it. Perhaps they can teach us something about what ‘Vermont art’ means. Second, Studio Place Arts is hosting Dr. William Tortolano who is sure to give an engaging talk on the Group of Seven on Sunday, May 4th, 3:30 to 5PM at their art center in Barre. www.studioplacearts.com

Firehouse Center Reno Near Completion
The work going on at the Firehouse Center for the Visual Arts on Church Street is near completion. This April, workers installed glass walls off the side entrance to make the space more open. In the new configuration, the reception area for the building, which had been on the third floor, is now street level. The change is about “creating more of an understanding of the building as a whole,” explained Burlington City Arts’ Eric Ford. While most people are familiar with the Firehouse Gallery on the street level, fewer people are as aware of the community darkroom, classrooms, meeting space, and resource areas, like the computers and research library on the third floor. By moving the reception area to street level, Burlington City Arts hopes to make the whole building more accessible.

Avant Garden
Burlington artist Maggie Standley is spearheading an effort to turn a small plot of land on Myrtle Street (between Park and North Champlain Streets) into a park. She and others have formed the Avant Garden Association whose mission is to conserve one of the few remaining lots in the neighborhood. They’ve gotten the support of The Conservation Board and the Planning and Zoning Department. They have also submitted a proposal to the Conservation Legacy Program. Those interested in learning more should send an email to maggiestandley@yahoo.com or call 802-233-7676.

Lamentations
Back in December, Art Map Burlington included in its holiday wish list a permanent home and restoration for Judith Brown’s quintet of welded metal sculptures. It looks like our wish may be granted sooner than we thought. Kat Clear, working with others, has taken up the cause and created the Lamentations Awareness Fund to accept donations to restore the work. They have arranged to put the work on view: It ‘debuted’ as an April Fool’s prank at its original location at the University of Vermont, then moved to the Firehouse Center. In May and June it will join Kate Clear’s WHOOPSIE! grrls show at FLYNNDOG. In July and August it will be part of EXPOSED! at the Helen Day Art Center in Stowe, then in September it’s back to Burlington for the South End Art Hop.

Heads Up!
First Friday Art Walk July
A programming note: July’s First Friday falls on Independence Day and a number of art venues are not planning on being open. We took a vote and it was decided to confront the forces of space and time and move First Friday Art Walk to the following Friday, July 11th. So keep an eye out for some special programming on July 4th and a full-scale Art Walk on July 11th. And don’t forget, art happens all month long! So get out there and check it out.

		MAY 2008 V.3-N.5
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Drawing of Big Joe Burrell by Chris Sharp		ART NEWS & NOTES Big Joe Burrell Statue The effort to commemorate Burlington’s most notable Jazz musician with a life-sized bronze statue on Church Street is just a few hundred dollars away from being able to send the model to the foundry. The fifty thousand dollar milestone represents two-thirds of the funds needed for the project. Shelburne artist Chris Sharp designed the sculpture. Sharp, a student of master foundry worker and sculptor Ray Hitchcock, studied sculpture at the University of Vermont and University of Connecticut. From 1995 to 2005, he showed his work at Phoenix Gallery in New York City and Kingston Gallery in Boston. You can read all about the project (and make a donation online) at their website: www.bigjoestatuefund.com. Group of Seven The Group of Seven were a collective of Canadian artists who believed the heart and soul of national identity could be found and shared by painting the landscape. Their legacy is a remarkable statement of national identity. We mention this for two reasons: First, the notions ‘Vermont art’ and the ‘Vermont artist,’ though bandied about quite often are as poorly defined as ‘Canadian art’ and ‘Canadian artist’ before the Group of Seven went about defining it. Perhaps they can teach us something about what ‘Vermont art’ means. Second, Studio Place Arts is hosting Dr. William Tortolano who is sure to give an engaging talk on the Group of Seven on Sunday, May 4th, 3:30 to 5PM at their art center in Barre. www.studioplacearts.com Firehouse Center Reno Near Completion The work going on at the Firehouse Center for the Visual Arts on Church Street is near completion. This April, workers installed glass walls off the side entrance to make the space more open. In the new configuration, the reception area for the building, which had been on the third floor, is now street level. The change is about “creating more of an understanding of the building as a whole,” explained Burlington City Arts’ Eric Ford. While most people are familiar with the Firehouse Gallery on the street level, fewer people are as aware of the community darkroom, classrooms, meeting space, and resource areas, like the computers and research library on the third floor. By moving the reception area to street level, Burlington City Arts hopes to make the whole building more accessible. Avant Garden Burlington artist Maggie Standley is spearheading an effort to turn a small plot of land on Myrtle Street (between Park and North Champlain Streets) into a park. She and others have formed the Avant Garden Association whose mission is to conserve one of the few remaining lots in the neighborhood. They’ve gotten the support of The Conservation Board and the Planning and Zoning Department. They have also submitted a proposal to the Conservation Legacy Program. Those interested in learning more should send an email to maggiestandley@yahoo.com or call 802-233-7676. Lamentations Back in December, Art Map Burlington included in its holiday wish list a permanent home and restoration for Judith Brown’s quintet of welded metal sculptures. It looks like our wish may be granted sooner than we thought. Kat Clear, working with others, has taken up the cause and created the Lamentations Awareness Fund to accept donations to restore the work. They have arranged to put the work on view: It ‘debuted’ as an April Fool’s prank at its original location at the University of Vermont, then moved to the Firehouse Center. In May and June it will join Kate Clear’s WHOOPSIE! grrls show at FLYNNDOG. In July and August it will be part of EXPOSED! at the Helen Day Art Center in Stowe, then in September it’s back to Burlington for the South End Art Hop. Heads Up! First Friday Art Walk July A programming note: July’s First Friday falls on Independence Day and a number of art venues are not planning on being open. We took a vote and it was decided to confront the forces of space and time and move First Friday Art Walk to the following Friday, July 11th. So keep an eye out for some special programming on July 4th and a full-scale Art Walk on July 11th. And don’t forget, art happens all month long! So get out there and check it out.

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