RiverArts will offer art and pottery classes, popup galleries, new gallery exhibitions, and camps and drop-in art days for kids in July and August. Classes including painting, photography, and multiple pottery options, exhibits and pop-up galleries, and talks and events will give community members lots of opportunities to engage with the arts this summer!

Bob Miller, Maine for his class “The Basics of Travel Photography”

Travel Photography Basics, offered by popular demand with accomplished photographer Bob Miller will run Tuesdays, July 9 – 30. Designed to help students take beautiful photos of people, places, and events whether at home or on the road, this class cover topics including planning a photographic trip, composition, tips for shooting natural and urban landscapes. In addition to techniques for photographing people, architecture, and festival or parade events, instruction will be given for low light photography such as one would find in an aquarium or museum, unusual situations (such as from a plane), and night photography. A trip is a journey of the mind and heart. Your photos can reflect how you felt, what you discovered and what you wish to show others. This class can help you be ready to do just that.

Lynne Lockhart, signature member of the Society of Animal Artists and a RiverArts favorite, will offer Cats, Big and Small on July 11 & 12, a natural follow-up to her dog portraiture class last February. Students will learn about basics anatomy, gesture, fur patterns, and more, gaining confidence whether adding a cat to a landscape, a still life, or doing a portrait. RiverArts is delighted to partner with the Kent County Humane Society, which will provide adoptable models for this class.

On July 24 – 26, Ben Dize will offer a three-day drypoint etching workshop in which students will learn about and practice one of the oldest forms of printmaking, invented in the 15th century by German author Housebrook Master. Drypoint etching does not involve the use of acid, but instead uses a hard, sharp-pointed needle to inscribe an image into the plate before inking and printing.

Lynne Lockhart (lion) for class “Cats, Big and Small”

Finally, on July 26, Kris Kelley Majors will offer a locally-themed TGIF paint night: Blue Moon on the Chester River. This two hour session will provide painters of all skill levels (beginner to advanced) the chance to create a piece inspired by the Chester River. Instruction will include techniques for blending paint to create a beautiful night sky, using brushes to create silhouettes and textures, and painting water with reflections. A great alternative to a night out at the bar or an expensive dinner, TGIF nights at RiverArts provide a relaxing, fun start to the weekend. No experience is necessary, and all materials and instructions are provided to complete and take home a finished project. BYOB and snacks for a fun Friday night! Our friends at Chester River Wine & Cheese are happy to offer a 20% discount to TGIF class registrants for a bottle of wine and some noshes for the class. Just show them your registration confirmation.

First Friday, July 5, will see the opening reception of the RiverArts Gallery exhibit, Patterns of Eastern Shore Life, and at the ArtsAlive! Education Center, a pop-up gallery Photo Fest featuring work of RiverArts Photography Club members. Professional formal or holiday-themed portraits will be taken on the spot by Club members for a $10 suggested donation.

There is still some room in select Summer Camp sessions for Little Kids (ages 4-6) and Big Kids (ages 8 – 13) with themes including Dinosaurs, Fiber Arts, Construction and more. Visit the KidSpot page for more information:  http://chestertownriverarts.net/summer-camps/

There is more to come in August, with classes including Kiln Art Glass, Pattern, Rhythm, and Repetition in Your Art, Basic Drawing, more First Friday fun, a Judged Photography and Wood exhibition, and more!

To register or for more information visit www.chestertownriverarts.org/education-2 and click on Education, or call RiverArts at 410 778 6300.

RiverArts galleries and main office is located at 315 High Street, Suite 106, Chestertown, MD  21620 – (in the breezeway). Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday, 11 AM to 5:30 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 5:30PM, Sunday 11 AM – 3 PM, First Fridays until 8 PM. Our Education Center is 200 High St., and the Clay Studio is 204 High St.

Chestertown RiverArts is a member-supported, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  Our mission is: “To be the place Where the Arts Meet the Community”

Residents and visitors to the Eastern Shore love spending their time here because of the quality of life. Much of that joy comes from the patterns found in our natural surroundings. Curators Cindy Stafford and Anne Vansant challenge artists to interpret this theme broadly for RiverArts’ annual Eastern Shore-themed exhibit, which will be on view for the month of July.

This year’s show, Patterns of Eastern Shore Life, will capture the beauties and wonders of rural eastern shore life. Some artists may be inspired by the seasonal rhythms of planting, a bountiful harvest, an early frost, or how light and shadow play across a changing environment. Some enjoy capturing the bustle of parades, fairs, summer parties, farmers’ markets. Others are taken by the wildlife and still others by the water. Open to all media.

Painting of Eastern Shore by Martha Pileggi

Exhibition Dates: July 3 – 28, 2019
Opening Reception: Friday, July 5, 5-8 pm
Awards Ceremony & Gallery Talk: Thursday, July 11, 5:30 p.m.

Drop-off: Sunday, June 30 , 2 – 4 p.m.
Monday, July 1, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Pick-up: Sunday, July 28, 2-4 p.m.
Monday, July 29, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

For more information and to submit work visit: http://chestertownriverarts.net/call-and-registration-for-patterns-of-the-eastern-shore/ or call the gallery at 410.778.6300

RiverArts Galleries & Gift Shop 315 High Street, Suite 106, Chestertown, MD 21620 – (in the breezeway). Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday, 11 AM to 5:30 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 5:30PM, Sunday 11 AM – 3 PM, First Fridays until 8 PM.

KidSPOT Creativity Center next door to the gallery. ArtsAlive Education Center 200 High St., the Clay Studio, 204 High St.

Mary Pritchard

Warhol’s cans, O’Keefe’s pelvis bones, Monet’s haystacks all announce the artists’ intrigue with their subjects through series. It has been said that creating a series allows each individual piece to stand on its own while simultaneously relating to the rest of the others in some manner. Working in this way, in distinct purposeful directions, is not about repetition but rather about being able to explore issues, themes, compositions, form, or concepts in progressively deeper and relational ways.

RiverArts announces their September Exhibition, “Connections: Work in a Series” on these very ideas. Co-Curators Rob Glebe and Marianne Sade invite artists of all media, with the exception of photography, to register on line at http://chestertownriverarts.net/call-and-registration-for-connections-work-in-a-series/

Artists are encouraged to apply early and to attend a kick-off panel discussion, with a question and answer session, on Thursday, June 20, , 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the RiverArts ArtsAlive! Center, 200 High Street.  The panel discussion will feature moderator Mary Pritchard, and artists Cindy Fulton, Rob Glebe, Steve Rogers, and Marianne Sade who will share their processes. The general public is welcome and light refreshments will be available.

Artists may submit between 3 and 5 pieces in your series, with a maximum width per piece of 24”.  Please note that the exhibition curators have the right to refuse works due to possible gallery space limitations. This show is a little different because of the potential scale of some work. If working larger scale please contact the curators so we can plan our space.Entry fees are: $7 per piece for RiverArts members and $14 for non-members.

Panel Discussion: Thursday, June 20, 5:30 – 6:30 pm

Exhibition Dates: September 4 – 29, 2019
Opening Reception: Friday, September 6, 5-8 pm

Gallery Talk: Thursday, September 12, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Drop-off: Sunday, June 2 , 2 – 4 p.m.

Monday, June 3, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Pick-up: Sunday, September 1,  2-4 p.m.

Monday, September 2, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

For more information and to submit work visit: http://chestertownriverarts.net/call-and-registration-for-connections-work-in-a-series/Or call the gallery at 410.778.6300

RiverArts Galleries & Gift Shop 315 High Street, Suite 106, Chestertown, MD  21620 – (in the breezeway).  Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday, 11 AM to 5:30 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 5:30PM, Sunday 11 AM – 3 PM, First Fridays until 8 PM.

KidSPOT Creativity Center next door to the gallery. ArtsAlive Education Center 200 High St., the Clay Studio, 204 High St.

Many flower gardens are at their peak this time of year, and the RiverArts galleries will once again reflect the glories of the garden with Art in Bloom,  their annual celebration of the art of floral design on Sunday, June 23^th from 4 to 6 pm. The galleries will be full of floral arrangements inspired by the artworks exhibited by the June exhibit, Fine Art & Contemporary Craft, a multi- media show of paintings, fiber, ceramics and other 3D artwork.

Don’t expect to see all traditional bouquets! Previous arrangements from floral designers – both professional amateur, included  a giraffe sanctuary, part of a combine harvester, feathers and driftwood, and an arrangement incorporating kale.

Fern & Rabbit arrangement, by Latrina

All are invited on Sunday, June 23, from 4-6pm.  Guests can view the arrangements and artwork while sipping prosecco, enjoying music, gourmet hors d’oeuvres, and a garden-themed raffle. Tickets for this champagne reception are $25.

Proceeds from Art in Bloom support scholarship opportunities for the KidSPOT Summer Camp program.  In addition to creating crafts, campers participate in cooperative and art-based games and activities to build social skills and promote self-confidence.

Tickets  may be purchased on line at the RiverArts website, http://chestertownriverarts.net/events/art-in-bloom/ or by calling RiverArts at 410-778-6300.  You may also stop by the RiverArts Galleries at 315 High Street, in the breezeway. Regular hours are Tuesday-Friday, 11-5:30, First Friday, 11-8, Saturday, 10-5:30, Sunday 11 am – 3 pm..

Chestertown RiverArts announces a variety of fun and engaging classes and events in June, with more to come during the later parts of the summer. With classes in painting, jewelry-making, quilting, photography and more, and pop-up galleries and First Friday celebrations throughout the summer, there is something to interest everyone in the community.

Loopy Hoops Earrings Workshop with popular instructor Melissa Kay-Steves will take place on June 8 from 10am – 12pm, and will introduce students to cold connections, forming, wrapping, and texturing wire as well as safe use of a butane torch to make balled headpins for crystal wrapped drops and earwires. Packed with tool technique tidbits, this class is for budding jewelry artists and more seasoned makers who want to get more creative with design. Students will have the opportunity to make two pairs of earrings, either of which can become your new “go to” for everyday wear. Let’s face it: you can never have too many pairs of earrings!

Cindy Fulton’s Funky Kitchen Painting

Baltimore area bead and jewelry artist Madonna Green Parker will offer The Art of Paper Bead Design on June 15. This class will teach a great, fun, and useful way to recycle by making beads out of newspaper, advertisements, scrap paper, and more. Students will explore the origins of the art while learning the basics of this beautiful, timeless craft. Be prepared to make and finish several beautiful beads for your personal stash!

On June 20, Christine Kamon will offer a quilting workshop, Around the World In A Day, in which students will create a machine-sewn baby or lap quilt (or summer picnic blanket!) in a single day using speed cutting and sewing techniques. A follow-up session to share projects and discuss various finishing options will provide time to wrap up this quilt.

Finally, on June 21, one of RiverArts’ favorite instructors, Cindy Fulton, returns to for a signature TGIF paint night, called A Funky Kitchen Painting. Participants can have a party while creating a work of art—choose between working like Mondrian and exploring primary and secondary colors, or expand your horizons into balancing different values within a certain range. Everyone will end up with a frame-able, funky kitchen painting. A great alternative to a night out at the bar or an expensive dinner, TGIF nights at RiverArts provide a relaxing, fun start to the weekend. No experience is necessary and all materials and instructions are provided to complete and take home a finished project. BYOB and snacks for a fun Friday night! Our friends at Chester River Wine & Cheese are happy to offer a 20% discount to TGIF class registrants for a bottle of wine and some noshes for the class. Just show them your registration confirmation.

RiverArts has lots more planned for later in the summer, including pop-up galleries, a four-week Travel Photography class, a new painting class called Cats, Big and Small taught by returning favorite Lynne Lockhart, and more!

To register or for more information visit www.chestertownriverarts.org/education-2 and click on Education, or call RiverArts at 410 778 6300.

RiverArts galleries and main office is located at 315 High Street, Suite 106, Chestertown, MD  21620 – (in the breezeway). Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday, 11 AM to 5:30 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 5:30PM, Sunday 11 AM – 3 PM, First Fridays until 8 PM. Our Education Center is 200 High St., and the Clay Studio is 204 High St.

Chestertown’s 9^th Annual Empty Bowls, sponsored by the RiverArts Clay Studio, is pleased to announce that it raised $5,000 in funds  to benefit the Kent County Food Pantry. This popular community event was held April 17 at the Christ United Methodist Church in Chestertown.

For the price of a $25 ticket, $10 for students,  guests enjoyed a meal of soup, bread, and dessert in a keepsake handmade pottery bowl. The Clay Studio potters  created the bowls, which are a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world.

This event was sponsored by RiverArts, Bookplate, Evergrain Bread Company, Figg’s Ordinary, Germaine’s, Carla Massoni Gallery, Mimi’s Closet, Peaceful World Enterprise, and Welcome Home.

No one should go to bed hungry.

RiverArts Galleries & Gift Shop 315 High Street, Suite 106, Chestertown, MD  21620 – (in the breezeway).  Tuesday – Friday, 11 AM to 5:30 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 5:30PM, Sunday 11 AM – 3 PM, First Fridays until 8 PM.

Clay Studio, 204 High St

KidSPOT Creativity Center next door to the gallery.
ArtsAlive! Center 200 High St.

Artistic inspiration is an unconscious burst of creativity. The concept has origins in both Hellenism and Hebraism. The Greeks believed that inspiration or enthusiasm came from the muses as well as the gods Apollo and Dionysus.

Curators Marj Morani and Pat Thompson challenge artists to let your muse inspire you to create a new work of art.  This annual RiverArts exhibit is a non-themed judged show; representational or abstraction is the artist’s choice.

All artists may submit two works of art whether painting, drawing,  printmaking, mixed media, sculpture and fine crafts (including metal, wood, fiber, ceramics, glass and jewelry). Best in show will be awarded $500. Other monetary awards include Excellence in 2D, 3D, and Open Category as well as People’s Choice. Judge Mary McCoy is an environmental artist and writer, an Artist-in-Residence at Adkins Arboretum, former art critic for the Washington Post, among other publications.

Garden Paths, Barbara Vann, colored pencil

Exhibition Dates: June 5 – 30, 2019
Opening Reception: Friday, June 7, 5-8 pm
Awards Ceremony & Gallery Talk: Thursday, June 13, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Drop-off: Sunday, June 2 , 2 – 4 p.m.
Monday, June 3, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Pick-up: Sunday, June 30, 2-4 p.m.
Monday, July 1, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

For more information and to submit work visit: http://chestertownriverarts.net/call-and-registration-for-judged-painting-and-fine-craft/ or call the gallery at 410.778.6300

RiverArts Galleries & Gift Shop 315 High Street, Suite 106, Chestertown, MD  21620 – (in the breezeway).  Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday, 11 AM to 5:30 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 5:30PM, Sunday 11 AM – 3 PM, First Fridays until 8 PM.

KidSPOT Creativity Center next door to the gallery. ArtsAlive Education Center 200 High St., the Clay Studio, 204 High St.

Each April, RiverArts celebrates our planet with the “Art of Stewardship” exhibit. This juried and judged show includes a broad range of 2 and 3-dimensional work as well as poetry. The exhibit was curated and juried by Alice Ritchie and Beverly Hall Smith, (2D & 3D, and Meredith Davies Hadaway, (poetry).

Internationally renowned contemporary American artist and passionate astronomer Greg Mort returned  to judge the 2 and 3D work. Best in Show, 2D  was awarded to Kathryn O’Grady for her painting, County Trees, with AD 2017, a sphere created by Joe Dickey from the Wye Oak winning Best in Show for 3D. First Place, 2D was The Run, #3, painting by Deena Ball, and 3D to Laura Ventura for her ceramic piece, Sunset on the Cliffs of Tolchester. Honorable Mention: 2D, Great Blue Heron, Christine Kamon; Benediction, Jennifer McGovern; and Water Moves, Joan Hart. 3D Honorable Mention: 3D, Wooden Turtle, Heidi Wetzel and Return of the Giant, Joe Dickey.

2D: County Trees, Kathryn O’Grady

Sue Ellen Thompson, author of five books of poetry and the editor of The Autumn House Anthology of Contemporary American Poetry, was poetry juror and judge. The Pat Nielsen Poetry Award, and Best in Show, in honor of the late Pat Herold Nielson, founding member of the Chester River Association, accomplished poet and award-winning filmmaker, was given to Russell Reece for his poem, Rowboat.  Wendy Ingersoll received First Place for her poem, Drumbeat.

Mort’s family foundation, The Art of Stewardship Project encourages artists and their associated art groups to commit time, talent, or treasure to an environmental organization. This year, a portion of proceeds from sales of the artwork was donated to the Sassafras Environmental Educational Center, an outdoor education facility which works with the regional school system to teach students how to live compatibly with nature.

For more information on upcoming exhibits, classes and RiverArts happenings, visit www.chestertownriverarts.org, or call RiverArts at 410 778 6300.

Chestertown RiverArts is located at 315 High Street, Suite 106, Chestertown, MD  21620 – (in the breezeway).  Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday, 11 AM to 4 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM, Sunday 11 AM to 3 PM, and open on First Fridays until 8 PM