By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Last Saturday was Shop Small Day. This Saturday, Dec. 4, could be called “Shop Smaller Day” in Bowling Green.
Saturday will offer prime opportunities for people to buy directly from local artists and fine crafters. This is not a national campaign, or even a locally coordinated one. It’s just what bubbles up from a vibrant arts scene.
Grounds for Thought will host its annual boutique from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with more than 15 artists participating
ArtX will take place on campus from 5-9 p.m.in the Fine Arts Center and the Wolfe Center for the Arts with work by student artists from all the studios on sale.
And, the Gallery 131, at 131 W. Wooster St. will be open for its weekly hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. [READ RELATED STORY: New art gallery pops up in downtown BG just in time for the holidays]
Because of the pandemic, said Kathy Pereira de Almeida, one of the Grounds boutique organizers, “these artists have been working but haven’t had as many opportunities to sell.”
Saturday offers that chance for artists, crafters, and buyers to connect again face-to-face.
ArtsX: Here We Go
ArtsX on campus has its roots in the student art club sales, but has expanded over 17 years to offer so much more. ArtsX offers a vision of all the arts on campus coming together in a jam packed evening of sights, sounds, words and fancy footwork.
Last December all that got moved online. Now it’s back to an in-person extravaganza, aptly themed “Here We Go.” Sue Sweeney, communications and events strategist with the College of Arts and Sciences, said that the event is going live this year, but an online component will be maintained for those unable to attend in person, or those still reluctant to be in a crowd. Masking is required.
This year the premier artist will be the university’s own Bowling Green Philharmonia. The orchestra will perform “Winter Dreams, a Holiday Celebration,” at both 4 p.m. leading up to the opening of Arts X at 5 p.m. and then at 8 p.m. leading to the close of the event. Both performances will be in the Donnell Theater in the Wolfe Center.
The concert is being presented in memory of Katrina Carrico, the orchestra’s concertmistress who died recently.
The program will feature selections from Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker,” featuring dancers from the Black Swamp Fine Arts School and from the Toledo Ballet.
The concert will also feature the Air from J.S. Bach’s Orchestra Suite No. 3, the first two movements from Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1 “Winter Dreams,” and Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” and “A Christmas Festival.”
Art work by faculty and staff members will be on exhibit in the Fine Art Center galleries.
The event includes music, dance, and theater performances, demonstrations, and hands-on activities.
Among the presentations will be the students in ENG 3420 who wrote their own inclusive story books. “Students will share the picture books they wrote, illustrated and designed to give voice to diverse narratives inspired by campus and local community partnerships.”
They will show their work in Room 130 in the Fine Arts Center.
Holiday Boutique
Pereira de Almeida said she first started discussing the holiday boutique at Grounds with Laura Wicks, co-owner of the coffee shop, shortly after the Black Swamp Arts Festival.
They wanted to rerun to an in-person event but were concerned about the lingering pandemic.
So they made the tough call of reducing the number of artists to allow for more elbow room for exhibitors and shoppers.
On Saturday 10 artists will be exhibiting and selling their work in the coffee shop at 174 S. Main St. and another five will display in the storefront at 244 S. Main St., the future home of the Grounds for Thought roaster.
Pottery, leather goods, jewelry, paintings, encaustic, fine art prints, wood, totes, jams, cards, mixed-media, herbs, wool hats, and more will be on sale.
Exhibiting in Grounds will be: Sandy Wicks; Ann M Beck Art ; Becky McOmber; Becky White-Schooner of Schooner Farms; Mary Dennis; Lynne Helm; Marge Meserve; Penny Evans-Meyer; Suzanne Fahrer; and Vicki Knauerhase. In the pop-up shop will be: Little Bare Furniture (Ellen Fure Smith); Swampcat Handcrafted (Suzanna Eberly); Andrea Pereira de Almeida; Isabel Pereira de Almeida; and Kathy Pereira de Almeida.
Pereira de Almeida also noted that her daughter Andrea has her paintings currently on display in Grounds. Also, Kim Sockman’s Kimmer Cards and Julie Martini of Sweetwood Lane’s journals from upcycled hardback books are regularly on sale at the coffee shop.
