Month: February 2014

Help the Marlborough Art Center decide WHEN to have our Figure Study Open Studio

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MAC is considering starting a Figure Study Open Studio with live models. The studio would be open to beginning and experienced artists.

We need to know who is interested, and when the most convenient times would be, before we make a major commitment of time, effort, and funds for such a program.

If you are at all interested in participating, please take a moment to fill out this very brief survey:

Marlborough Arts Center Figure Study Open Studio Survey

We also ask that you forward this request to friends and acquaintances whom you think might also be interested.

Marlborough Town Hall Gallery: March and April 2014

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During March and April 2014, the Marlborough Arts Center’s continuing sponsorship of art works in the Marlborough Town Hall Gallery at 26 North Main Street, will highlight work by adult art students in well-known artist Dean Waite’s oil and acrylic painting class. Class coordinator, Carole Jeffries, has organized this show wherein nine of his students will be exhibiting their art at the Town Hall during usual business hours:  8-4:30 Monday-Thursday, and 8-12 noon on Fridays.

The artists exhibiting in this show are: Robert Bavier, Jessica Binstock, Marcia Evans, Carole Jeffries, Mary Johansson, Diana Lord, Nancy Quinn, Florence Scoville, and John Smuda. Their works display a wide range of subjects. Their art also displays a range of creativity that can be found in using oil and acrylic as mediums. This is a show to peruse and enjoy, and well worth a special trip to the Town Hall just to view the art.

The Marlborough Arts Center at 231 North Main Street is a major feature of the art scene in Connecticut. Completely run by volunteers, it is a non-profit regional center for fine arts, performing arts, and fine crafts. Dean Waite’s class is only one of the many classes and Open Studios available for artists of many levels. The 4th Friday @ the Arts Cafe brings in many who attend for the true pleasure of experiencing various musical genres and the fun of close interaction with the musicians during the evening. The Member Art Shows and Exhibitions reveal the depth of talent in the Arts Center and the region. For more information visit their website www.marlborougharts.org, Facebook: Marlborough Arts

2014 Schools Student Art Show

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The Marlborough Arts Center at 231 North Main Street in Marlborough, CT is hosting the 2014  Schools Student Art Show coordinated by Sue Hollister and Lin Gotta, members of the Arts Center, with the collaboration of the region’s school art teachers. This annual event includes works of arts in various media by students in the Elmer Thienes Mary Hall Elementary School in Marlborough, the RHAM Middle and High Schools, and schools in Gilead, Hebron, and Andover.  The show is open every weekend day, Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. from Saturday, March 8 – Sunday, March 23.

Because so many student artists are involved, there will be two Opening Receptions to celebrate them and their families. On Saturday, March 8 from 1-4 p.m. the Opening Reception will honor students from the Marlborough Elementary School and RHAM Middle and High Schools. The following day, Sunday, March 9, from 1-4 p.m. will be the Opening Reception for students from Gilead, Hebron and Andover.

Admission to the art exhibition is free of charge.

The Marlborough Arts Center is a non-profit regional center for the fine arts, performing arts, and fine crafts. For more information on their artistic events, classes, musical evenings, open studios, and other community outreach programs, visit the website at www.marlborougharts.org, check them out on Facebook: Marlborough Arts Center, or phone (860) 295-9389.

President Joan C. Lester’s February 2014 Letter to the Membership

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President Joan C. Lester’s February 2014 Letter to the Membership

Hello everyone and greetings as we approach one of the wildest months that Connecticut has each year: February, wherein temperatures can vary 60 degrees within one week, when snow and rain and sunshine vie with each other for our attention, and when every day can bring surprises. One thing we can depend upon during February’s unknowns this year is that MAC is providing two delightful and very different activities to bring light and fun to us all, beginning with our first Indoor Tag Sale on February 8 and then our 4th Friday @ the Arts Cafe on the 28th starring the trio  “Seat of Our Pants“.  I sincerely hope you come to both.

As I’ve mentioned before, and as you’ve probably read in the news media announcements, our Indoor Tag Sale is a fundraiser to help support activities and classes that bring art to you, our members, and to the region. Your dues are our ongoing support every year, but they are not sufficient and therefore we must plan occasional fundraisers. So many have helped by donating a plethora of items running the range from new-looking baby equipment to chandeliers and butter warmers and animal crates/carriers – and much, much more in between. The lower level classroom became a show room with bargains galore for Saturday, February 8 from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. At the same time, with the Art Gallery and Gift Shop upstairs open also, this day is one of the times you can see the entire Arts Center open and buzzing with activity!

 

Then at the end of the month, “Seat of Our Pants” brightens up the musical scene at this month’s 4th Friday @ the Arts Cafe on Friday, February 28 from 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. with doors opening at 7 o’clock. They play and sing familiar songs from folk/rock artists and want audiences to sing along – and they always do – making for especially warm and happy evenings. The trio consists of Carolyn Brodginski, Mark Hall, and Jeff Gorman. Please visit our website www.marlborougharts.org for details about them and the music at MAC.

So, we have bookend-like pleasures in store for you and your family and friends, particularly for the shortest and unbridled month of the year. May it be a safe and warm month for you all, and a month in which you come on over and “let MAC entertain you”.

Sincerely,

Joan

Joan C. Lester, President

lee.lester@att.net

(860) 295-9565

February 4th Friday with Seat of Our Pants

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SeatOfOurPants

The Marlborough Arts Center’s “4th Friday @ the Arts Cafe” will present the trio “Seat of Our Pants” on Friday, February 28, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. at 231 North Main Street, Marlborough, CT. They are an acoustic folk/blues/bluegrass/country/old time/rock trio who are based in Marlborough but play in the music scene throughout the state. This trio is composed of Carolyn Brodginski on vocals/guitar/dulcimer, Mark Hall also on vocals plus percussion/cajon/cowbell, and Jeff Gorman on electric and acoustic bass/guitar/harmonica. Their tastes are quite varied and it is the variety of the music that creates the fun for them, and for their audiences. Their personalities bring humor into their performances so that an evening with them is very interactive and a delight for all ages.

Their group formed serendipitously in 2011 when the three decided to play together just for fun after an impromptu performance by Carolyn and Jeff at the Marlborough Tavern on a night when Mark was playing with another band. It wasn’t long before they started hitting the coffee house circuit, many times playing by the seat of their pants after just a brief rehearsal – and “Seat Of Our Pants” was born. Audiences often sing along when they hear familiar tunes from folk/rock artists like Simon and Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, as well as to their own versions of up-tempo songs you’d never expect to hear from an “unplugged band”. There are even some of their originals in the mix by this prolific trio.

The Marlborough Arts Center is a non-profit regional center for the fine arts, performing arts, and fine crafts. These “4th Friday @ the Arts Cafe” evenings held in the gracious Charles W. Hall Art Gallery add music and a convivial atmosphere to the beautiful setting and are an opportunity for people in the communities around to relax together and enjoy art in its many forms.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m., but doors are open by 7:00, allowing a chance to see the art, visit the Gift Shop with its unique creations by artist members, and settle in for the music. Admission at the door is $8/individual or $15 per couple. BYOWine. Other refreshments are available. Visit the website www.marlborougharts.org or telephone (860) 295-9389 for more details on the many artistic activities offered by the Marlborough Arts Center.