Christmas Boutique at Franklin Square Gallery Submitted by Paula Thommen 910-253-6458 The artists of Franklin Square Gallery in Southport have been busy the last few months preparing an array of items only available for Christmas. All year long the hundred plus members of this cooperative community gallery have their fine art and pottery on display. For the holidays they also reveal their other creative talents with hand-crafted ornaments, jewelry, fabric art, and knitted items all designed for the gallery’s Christmas Boutique. Many of the painters adapt their fine art to this Christmas theme. Oil painter Susan Sokoloski creates notecards and bookmarks based on her miniature canvasses, and Claire Martin adapts her acrylics into greeting cards. Painter Alma Sroka turns her talents to fabric art with baby books, travel dolls, and doll clothing. Ann Thompson and Barbara Karkut produce Santa and Christmas tree miniatures in gouache and watercolor. The potters in the gallery always have a wide selection of gift items, including napkin rings, small dishes, and decorative sea creatures. For the holidays they also create an assortment of ornaments and hand-built sculptures, such as Pam Ingram’s angels and quirky reindeer. Janet McCleery is well known for her functional pottery, large platters and bowls embellished with sea turtles. For Christmas she constructs porcelain snowflake ornaments with a crystal shimmering in the middle. Many of the artists bring their jewelry designs into the boutique. Kathy Scheetz makes ceramic pendants, starfish and sea turtles, on chains or leather chokers, while Pren Halladay, a watercolorist, creates unique glass pendants. Ortrud Tyler, usually an abstract painter, shows us her hammered copper necklaces, rings, and earrings adorned with precious stones. These are just a few of the many exhibiting artists, all members of The Associated Artists of Southport. Gallery members come from throughout southeast North Carolina, and even into Myrtle Beach, bringing a wide range of talent and techniques to this venue. In addition to the Christmas Boutique, there are oil paintings, watercolors, and acrylics, both originals and reproductions, and all types of pottery, functional plates and bowls, and purely decorative hand-built pieces. The upstairs mezzanine section called The Loft showcases paintings under $250, along with unframed originals, giclees, and laser prints. The Franklin Square Gallery welcomes the public daily from Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. It is located in the former historic school house building behind Franklin Square Park off Howe Street at 130 East West Street. The First Friday Gallery Walk, sponsored by Downtown Southport, gives art lovers an opportunity to visit the gallery during an evening reception from 5 to 7 pm on December 6. Local carolers will entertain the crowd, and the showcased art is Lynda Sherrill’s needlework manger scene.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 20:54:40 +0000
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