Tonight and tomorrow, you can find art within your own reach in Collingswood, New Jersey. Artists and art lovers are coming from far and wide to “Art for the Holidays 2014 @ The Factory,” an art show featuring an array of handmade items, including pottery, jewelry, painting, paper, mosaics, photography, glass, and wood.
One such local artist, Chase Blanchard Easley is a Mercer County resident who describes herself as a forensic pathologist with the heart and soul of an artist.
“After a car accident gave me unexpected free time, I rediscovered art, something neglected since grade school. As a highly visual person with variable photographic memory, experiences in Peru, Bolivia, Guatemala, Egypt and the southwestern United States have greatly influenced my artwork. Most of my work is decorative hand-painted plates, using paint pens and permanent markers. I love nature, so shells, rose petals, and pine cones are frequently found in other work, including jewelry. Mosaics and stained glass pieces are additional modalities for my creativity. Medical and forensic illustration is another side of my artistic output,” said Blanchard Easley in her Art Within Reach bio. (For more artist bios, check out their website!)
Art Within Reach was founded in the fall of 2011 to provide artists from New Jersey and Pennsylvania an opportunity to showcase and sell their handmade fine arts and crafts. Having outgrown its original location in the home of Art Within Reach founder Eric Wolff, the biannual art show has a brand new home beginning with the upcoming holiday show: The Factory, an innovative maker space located in the heart of Collingswood, New Jersey.
“The move to The Factory is extremely exciting,” said Eric Wolff, owner of Mud and Fire Pottery. “The Factory is housed in what was once the Collingswood Theatre, a sprawling building that was constructed in the 1920s. The new location not only provides us an opportunity to feature more artists in a breathtaking space, but the chance to include live music by local bands.”
Thirty-three artists will be featured in the show: Brenda Kele, Bonnie Shanas, Deborah Williams, and Eric Wolff (clay); Julie Bradley-Norton, Selena Braunstein, Lisa Confora, Aimee Eckert, Amy Iversen, Nancy Nalbandian, mother and son team Marlene and Noah Rosen, and Devon Winfree (jewelry); Don Kanzler, Scott Kern, Joe Perno, Barri Riley, Patrick Rodio, and Dave Shattuck (photography); Jodi Longobardo (glass); Chase Blanchard Easley, Michele Foster-Lucas, John Pangia, Deborah L. Schafer, Joshua Toritto, and eleven-year-old Julianna Mae Trace (painting); Kirk Kirkpatrick, Bruce Palese, Konrad Richter, and Steve Swift (wood); Michelle Bross and Lois Turpin (mosaics); and Jonathan Greenberg (paper).
Additionally, “Art for the Holidays 2014 @ The Factory” will feature live music on both evenings. The Unstoppable Hack Beats will perform on Friday, December 12 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., providing a touch of soul to classic rock, reggae, and ska tunes. Then, on Saturday, December 13 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., She Hates Me will perform a variety of songs, including jazz standards and eighties pop.
Learn more about the artists participating in the show and see images of their work at www.artwithinreachnj.com, and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtWithinReach
The Factory is located at 13 Fern Avenue in Collingswood, directly off of Haddon Avenue and just two blocks from Patco’s Collingswood station. Show hours are Friday, December 12 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 13 from 12:00 to 10:00 p.m.
You must log in to post a comment.