Syracuse artists Jacqueline Adamo, Lauren Bristol, Dana Stenson and Tom Huff have joined forces to produce a contemporary spin on texture for the new art exhibit at Edgewood Art Gallery and Custom Frame Shop (216 Tecumseh Road, Syracuse, New York 13224).
These four talented people – I am always running into them in town – I saw Jackie at the Yoko Ono exhibit at the Everson Museum of Art; I see Lauren every now and then while hiking at Green Lakes; ran into Dana last week at Target and Tom at the Regional Flea Market. But, weirdly enough, I missed the opportunity to see them all in one place at the same time at the art reception for their show, which was Friday night.
The exhibit is called Creative Thread. I popped in on Saturday to check it out. Edgewood is a small gallery, about the size of my living room, but owner Cheryl Chappell has a great eye and a way with space. Each show brings a fresh perspective and Cheryl does a magnificent job curating – pairing larger pieces with smaller ones and allowing all to shine. She is also a preeminent framer.
Jackie Adamo has created all new pieces incorporating fabric and sewing techniques into her oil paintings. Lauren designs her own patterns in these wonderful crochet wall hangings in addition to displaying several diminutive fiber art narratives. Dana is a metalsmith and has produced some mixed-media art pieces, as well as jewelry for this show. And Tom has chipped in with his reductive soapstone sculptures.
David MacDonald’s ceramics are still for sale too!
This exhibit continues through November 15, 2019.
The shop is open Tuesday-Friday 9:30-6:00 PM and Saturday 10:00 AM-2:00 PM. For more information call (3150 445-8111).
The former Johnny Appleseed’s furniture store (3402 Old State Road, Erieville, New York, 13061) is now The Shoppes at Johnny Appleseeds. The brainchild of Erica Gilmore and her husband Patrick, it is an over fifty vendor facility, with artisans setting up individual shopping experiences creating little vignettes throughout this amazing space.
It is a still-life lover’s dream. Charming folkloric visual merchandising at every turn. The vendors are not there hawking their wares. You are left to enjoy the process of discovery. Vintage clothing, handbags, jewelry, greeting cards, home decor including furniture and housewares, candles, art (Wendy Harris is there!) and even bird houses.
The Shoppes at Johnny Appleseed reopened in the spring of 2017 as a retail space for crafters and artisans alike. We are excited to offer such a unique venue and are always looking for talented people to continue to grow with us as we build a future at this historic Central New York location.
There is a restaurant as well, the Apple Kitchen, and they serve apple crisp! <3
Store Hours:
Wednesday-Saturday, 10-5 Sunday 11-5
Apple Kitchen Hours:
Saturday, 11-4 pm
Sunday, 11-4 pm
They have various sales and events – pet adoptions on weekends via a liaison with Wanderer’s Rest and more! You can stay informed by linking to their Facebook page. <3
Current list of vendors –
The Apple Kitchen • Alexandra’s Attic • The Heckled Hen Antiques • Decorative Edge • 13 South Metal Signs • Wendy Harris Fine Art
Those of you who knew me in the ’90s know this about me, but for the rest of you, let me paint you a picture of what my life was like. I taught art at a middle school that was an hour drive from home, so a typical Friday looked like this: get up at 5:30 am, leave the house at 6:30 to be at work at 7:30; work until 3:30 pm, get home at 4:30; go to the gym for two hours. Clean my room (or not).
At around 10:00 pm, I would drive to Armory Square. No plans – I just knew my friends would be out. They always started at a bar called Witherspoon’s (not there anymore), and somehow we would hop around until 2:00 am then go to a Denny’s. So I would pretty much do a twenty-four hour day!
Crazy times.
But before that – in the ’80s…dating myself…I worked at Bryant & Stratton teaching Fashion Merchandising. Yes, I was a professor. I used to frequent Armory Square when it was a sort of derelict meets artsy neighborhood. There was a frame shop on the corner of the main intersection called I’ve Been Framed (where I met a very beautiful guy named Mike). I got my bed (that I still sleep in) at the Antique Underground on E. Fayette St. at a basement shoppe that reeked of mold, lol.
When I told my cousin Nick the story of how I got a flat tire on E. Fayette Street (nearly thirty years ago) across from what is now The Black Olive restaurant – how there was no one to help me. Every man who walked by was either blind or crippled, or missing an arm it seemed.
It was just super weird, I know. And there were no cell phones, so I tried calling for help from the pay phone but the line was busy because there was also no call-waiting back then. I should also preface this by saying it was raining that day and I was wearing a white linen suit complete with a pencil skirt, stockings and heels…and I am still unwilling to learn how to change a flat tire, lol…. When I got one this past summer, I still called my dad. One of these days I should get AAA….
Anyhow, to make a short story long, as I have been known to do, in around 1986 or ’87, Nick started calling Armory Square the Karen section of town.
The Karen section of town has changed a lot since then. Lots of restaurant chains, as well as local haunts that are GREAT. There’s a Starbucks and a Subway along with Kitty Hoynes, Blue Tusk, Empire Brewing Company, Pastabilities, The Bistro Elephant….
There’s Jet Black, an amazing clothing shop where I bought my very first Trina Turk top, which is still one of my favorites to this day (bought in ’98 or ’99). And now (drum roll)- THERE IS AN ART CO-OP CALLED ARMORY ARTWORKS!
They had a grand opening that I missed, even though it said I went to it on Facebook. I click that I am going everywhere and I don’t always follow through. But I rectified that today.
My friend Janine and I took a stroll around the block, had lunch at the Empire Brewing Company and visited the gallery.
The address is 136 Walton Street, Syracuse, NY. It is an upstairs venue so I am going to say I do not think it is handicapped-accessible. I mean, I did not remember seeing an elevator. But if that is not an issue, once upstairs you will find an array of decorative and functional pieces by local artists.
From what I understand, there are a couple of ways one can join the co-op. There is a $120 per month cover to be a member. There is also a part-time scenario where you help (wo)man the place, ring register, and allow a 40% commission off sales of your art.
Hours of operation:
11:00 am – 6:00 pm Monday-Wednesday
11:00 am – 7:00 pm Thursday
11:00 am – 8:00 pm Friday-Saturday
noon – 5:00 pm Sunday
It is really beautifully merchandised and the prices are surprisingly reasonable. Several of my friends are selling work there – Barbara Vural, Wendy Harris, Amy Bartell. You can get art that has been printed on notecards for only $3.00 each or four for $10.00. I usually do this then put the cards in frames if I cannot afford the originals. It’s a great way to start an art collection.
Bracelets for under $40.00; hand-made sweaters, scarves, pottery, paintings, prints, you name it! There’s really something for everyone!
If you haven’t yet purchased original art for your home, I really urge you to do so. There’s nothing better than owning something made with love, something made by a neighbor. I don’t know – the comaraderie of friendship is a great gift, I think. There is so much good here that I feel like we all benefit from the experience.
So, if you find yourself in the Karen section of town, please visit this amazing place! And if you get there soon, you’ll have a chance at a $25 gift certificate prize – no purchase necessary!
For more information, call them at (315) 870-3408 or visit their website armoryartworks.com
