July 17, 2010

Gallery Night: So little time, so much to see!

The Potter's Dream, by Marie Abbott, $650; at the Artists' Gallery

There's so much going on this weekend, we were tempted to skip Gallery Night -- but we're glad we didn't:  There was so much interesting and unusual art on display. Here are just a few sights that caught our eye during a much-too-quick run-through at too-few of Downtown's many art galleries Saturday.

Above is a porcelain on granite sculpture by multimedia artist Marie Abbott, who was featured at the Artists' Gallery. Here's the story behind the artwork: "One night, while sleeping, a potter dreamed he was making a pot on his wheel. Being a lonely man, he dreamed of creating the woman of his dreams, and she started to arise from the clay."

And, to prove Abbott's multimedia credentials, the luminous painting below is also hers.


Tulip Times, by Marie Abbott, $250; at Artists' Gallery

Once, this was the Grotto, Sam and Gene Johnson's banquet space 
adjacent to the Bistro/Yellow Rose. The spooky undersea-motif ceiling 
remains, but on Gallery Night it was display space for the artwork of
Design Partners' staff -- who occupy the space above, and whose more
mundane work involves packaging design for many big companies.

Colorfully painted chairs by Laura Underwood, $300, at Design Partners Gallery

Stone People Series 1, by Tony Macias; $300; at Racine Arts Council

Shapes Collage by Sea Daniel, at My Friday Girls art group, 202 Fifth St.

Trish Poole painted this Katrina-rescued cat on her carry-on luggage; at Cobblestone Ltd.

Musician Rob Reid drew a crowd outside the Racine Arts Council, 
layering tracks of vocals and various instruments. He and the Chicago duo
Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray will perform there Sunday from noon to 2 p.m.