Art Walk to showcase village galleries, foodBy Anthony Fyden,
12:00AM / Wednesday, May 05, 2004 | |
 | | Shown here, Andrew Devries, owner of Devries Gallery on Franklin Street, Lenox Chamber director Victoria Ross, Rebecca Hedgecock, owner of The Candlelight Inn, and Nora O'Brien, Chamber president. (Photo By Anthony Fyden) |
LENOX — A stroll through Lenox Village reveals an astonishing number of art galleries, which offer eclectic art in a variety of mediums — about 15 galleries in a two-block radius. The galleries are interspersed among fine dining and casual restaurants and inns.
In an effort to better showcase the mix of art and food the village offers, the Lenox Chamber of Commerce has announced plans for an Art Walk and Taste of Lenox, both of which will take place on May 29.
"We want to promote Lenox as a place where you have this wonderful combination of food and art," said Cinzia Di Fede, owner of the Cose d' Argilla gallery and chairwoman of the Art Walk portion of the event.
Organizers announced the event during a press event at the Candlelight Inn on Tuesday evening. Di Fede and other organizers said they believe many people — both visitors and Berkshire residents — may not be aware of the number of art galleries operating in the small village neighborhood. Di Fede said galleries "have been sprouting up" in recent years with little fanfare.
"I think it goes unnoticed," she said. "You don't even hear about them."
She said gallery owners have welcomed the opportunity to showcase their businesses. Most galleries "have their own little niche," offering a unique form of art, meaning that they are not in direct competition with one another.
"We'll all benefit from this," Di Fede said. "Everyone is excited about it."
The Art Walk will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Various galleries, all dealing in different mediums, will participate. Confirmed galleries include Andrew DeVries Fine Art, B.J. Faulkner Gallery, Chocolate and Art, Church Street Art Gallery, Cose Di Argilla, Charles Flint, Ferrin Gallery, Hoadley Gallery, Sienna Gallery, Lydia Mongiardo Collection, Lenox Gallery of Fine Art, Weaver‚s Fancy, Watkins Gallery and the Wit Gallery. To participate, all must be members of the Chamber or the Lenox Gallery Association.
An Art Walk raffle will be held, and tickets will be sold at various galleries. The grand prize drawing will be held on May 29, in the evening, with the winner receiving a $300 gift certificate to the art gallery of his or her choice. The Art Walk is free and open to the public, and many of the galleries will host special events.
Several "gallery events" will be featured during the daylong celebration. Sculptor Andrew Devries will present a bronze casting at Ventfort Hall, 104 Walker St., at 11 a.m., and an opening reception from 1 to 4 at Devries Gallery, 17 Franklin St., featuring music by the Sky Quartet. Information: 637-3462.
D'Argilla, at 93 Church St., will host a wine and cheese reception for the public from 1 to 5. Featured artists during the day will include Stephanie Anderson and a demonstration in still-life watercolor painting from 11 to 3, a Casein painting demonstration by artist Catherine Hamilton from 2 to 6 and a Seaglass Jewelry Trunk Show by jewelry designer Valerie Gates from 1 to 5. Information: 637-8886.
Lenox Gallery Of Fine Art, 69 Church St., will host demonstrations all day. Elizabeth Horowitz will demonstrate outdoor watercolor painting from noon to 1; Ira Barkoff will talk about his impressionistic landscape work from 2 to 5; artist Gloria Malcolm Arnold will do an outdoor watercolor demonstration, and Walt Pasko will perform outdoor oil painting from 1 to 3 p.m. In addition, Susan Godwin will do a still life demonstration from 3:30 to 6, as Marjori Stoll presents a still-life demonstration in the gallery. From 2 to 4, artist Joel Rudnick will do a sculpture demonstration, "Creating A Portrait," and from 5 to 6 artist Geoffrey Moss will presents "At Work In Slide Presentation." Information: Jerry Connoy, gallery director, 637-2276.
Some galleries will provide refreshments, including Lydia Mongiardo of Lydia Mongiardo Collection, 51 Church St., and Stephanie and Tom Hoadley of Hoadley Gallery, 21 Church St. Information: Mongiardo, 637-0809, or Hoadley, 637-2814.
The newly opened Watkins Gallery at 56 Housatonic St. will host landscape painter, John Martin from 11 to 5 and has also invited the public to a sculpture-carving demonstration by James Doubleday from 1 to 7. Information: Nancy Watkins Denig, 585-1644.
The B.J. Faulkner Gallery, 48 Main St., will invite the public to meet Faulkner from 10 to 7. At the Wit Gallery, 27 Church St., owner and artist Harry Richardson will offer art demonstrations. Information: Faulkner, 637-2958, or the Wit Gallery, 637-8808.
The Taste of Lenox event will take place from noon to 2. Katja Henke, managing director of Blantyre, is chairwoman of the event, which will feature samples from participating Chamber member restaurants. Participating restaurants will have samples available for tasting outside their establishments, if they are located in the village. Restaurants outside the village will showcase samplings underneath a centrally located tent in the Lenox Post Office parking lot on Main Street.
Participating establishments include Antonio's Restaurant, Apple Tree Inn & Restaurant, Bev's Homemade Ice Cream & Cafe, Blantyre, Café Lucia, Candlelight Inn & Restaurant, Carol's Restaurant, Chocolate Springs Café, Church Street Café, Cranwell Resort, Spa & Golf Club, dish café bistro, Firefly, Gateways Inn & Restaurant, Homer's Variety, Lenox 218, Loeb's Foodtown, Love Dog Café, Olde Heritage Tavern, NAPA, Senor Chiles, Spigalina, Trattoria Il Vesuvio, The Village Inn and Wheatleigh.
Beginning on May 24, Berkshire residents may purchase "passports," in advance, at the Chamber office at The Curtis, 5 Walker St. On the 29th, passports will be available there or at three centrally located tables throughout the village. The passports will be sold for $10 and will entitle patrons to taste samples of food provided by participating restaurants and to return to Lenox to take advantage of special discounts at participating restaurants from June 1-14.
Information on the Art Walk or Taste of Lenox: the Chamber, 637-3646, or www.lenox.org .
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