Ashland’s Gallery 606

Ann Ayer show

Gallery 606

The Fedites

Last Tuesday the Fedites, an informal group of Federal Reserve retirees from the class of 2004, did Ashland!  Our excuse was a show by Ann Ayer, one of our number, that was hanging at Gallery 606.  We discussed taking the train from Richmond, but decided to carpool.  (may have to train it to Fredericksburg around Christmas!) 

The Gallery has been open six weeks – this is their second show.  I was pleased to see not only Ann’s work, but also several pieces by Bill Kendrick, my one-time water color teacher, along with several other artists.  The overall quality of the Gallery was very good.  Definately worth the trip.

Next we did lunch at Homemades by Susanne – delicious!  And we saw several trains thunder down the middle of mainstreet to the station as we sat and chatted. 

The owner of Gallery 606 also has a jewlery store in town.  Jewlery isn’t one of my main interests so I wasn’t jumping at the chance to visit, but I was delightfully surprised.  Susannah Wagner and her fellow artisans design and craft custom jewlery.  Lovely intricate pieces, many fairy tale and seashell inspired.  Check it out next time you’re at the Center of the Universe.

Time for ice cream!  We strolled back across the tracks to the local ice cream store, where we enjoyed our favorite sundaes and another extended chat session.  Finally we headed home.  A good day.

Artists I’ve Met and the Media General Collection

Bistro Twenty Seven

Three Centuries of Commerce

Richmond Then and Now and History Revealed

In early June I had the great pleasure of touring the Media General Art Collection with the two individuals responsible for its selection, Jack Blanton and Ann Ayers.  The event was put together by my good friend and master gardener, Betty Fahed.  In addition to seeing wonderful art work, with learned and insightful commentary, I discovered works by artists I’ve had the honor to meet and admire.

But first, lunch! Which was at Twenty Seven, an charming bistro downtown on Broad Street.  We chose it for its delicious cuisine, and because we had enjoyed Chef Carlos Silva and his excellent presentation and fare when we all worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.  You can see our motley crew in the photo above: Sharon, Scottie, Carlos, Ann, Betty, me, Jack, and Pat.

Joseph Burrough had several pieces in the collection of the Federal Reserve Bank that I enjoyed for many years, so it was a delight to come upon many of his works – three of which were comissioned and  displayed in the Media General Board Room, as shown above.  According to the catalog, they “depict the economies of Richmond in the three centuries during which Media General and its predecissors have served the information needs of Richmonders.”  For more info, see his web site at http://www.josephburrough.com/

Julia Pfaff is a well known art quilter in Richmond. In the late ’90’s, at my request as program chair, she spoke to my quilt chapter on her sources of inspiration.  From 2000 thru 2001, I daily enjoyed a large commissioned piece of hers based on a Greek temple, which hung in the office I occupied at the Bank at the time.  The photo above shows two of five works of hers that were commissioned to hang on the curved walls of the Media General Executive Reception area.  They’re based on the Tredegar Iron Works which can still be found along the James in downtown Richmond.  For more info on her background, see http://www.vmfa.museum/pfaff2005.html

We saw many other fine paintings, sculptures and collages, including work by my one-time water color teacher, Shelly Bechtel Shepherd (see http://data.fineartstudioonline.com/dataviewer.asp?keyvalue=2777) and Nancy Witt, another artist with work at the Bank (see http://crossmillgallery.com/Nancy/index.html) 

Altogether a wonderful, inspiring afternoon.

Trading Duration for Intensity

How does the previous post on the yellow light of the butter trees speak to art?

Art captures emotion.

We live in the midst of a forest.  As the days rapidly shorten, there’s an exaulting joy in seeing the sun more brightly as the trees shed their summer shade to winter’s creeping chill.

Moving On

Here begins the sequel to ‘Are we there yet?’, posts for which may be found at 360.yahoo.com/cathytylerrichmond

Today in the capital of the Old Dominion, yellow light is filtering thru the butter trees of fall outside my studio window.  Autumn color has come just in time for Thanksgiving!