Month: May 2015

Carole Jeffries Exhibition at Marlborough Town Hall Gallery

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Art has always been an integral part of Carole Jeffries’ life.  And happily, since retirement, she has been able to devote much of her time to art, especially oil painting.  Carole studied oils with master marine painter Dean Waite for many years.   She has also worked with Elizabeth Sennett and has taken many workshops with a variety of regional artists.  Her work has earned prizes in shows in a number of local towns.  Carole enjoys many subjects but usually does landscapes, both plein aire and from her own photographs.  She paints portraits of pets (and people)  and also landscapes on commission.  Her paintings hang in private collections in several states.  She has co-chaired the E Hampton Art Show and for about 10 years curated local artist displays in the Marlborough Town Hall Gallery.

She is active in the Marlborough Arts Center, East Hampton Art Association, Arts of Tolland, Tolland County Arts Association.  Her work may be seen in a number of local businesses.  Carole has been a Marlborough resident for over 48 years.

Carole’s artistic goal is to express and share her vision of our beautiful world, with it’s myriad of colors and shapes.  There  is always a new challenge in art- new ideas, new scenes to view and paint, and new ways to express them.  She finds it truly exciting every time she starts a new subject,  satisfying to complete one, and fun to show her work.   Sharing ideas and working with other artists is an endlessly enjoyable pursuit.  We can all learn so much from each other.

Her paintings are all for sale, with 20{eba5a16469fb4a7f18f8ea69c1431b00c5f2da579f8ac6bd75c322ccea0d0754} of the price helping to support the Marlborough Arts Center.  We hope you enjoy the show.  Carole would be happy to hear your ideas and comments.   Thank you for coming.

DOUBLE FEATURE at 4th Friday @ the Arts Cafe at Marlborough Arts Center

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The 4th Friday @ the Arts Cafe on Friday, May 22, 2015 will be a DOUBLE FEATURE with the “Modern Riffs”, opening for the new drama “Mean”, written and directed by Jacob Lee, a 10th grade student at RHAM High School.

The talent of the semi-professional Modern Riffs is well known in the region, with student players returning from college and after graduation to “sit in” with the group. The Arts Center is delighted to have them back again.

The talent of Jacob Lee will be talked about long after this production, as the play he wrote and the 30 student actors who will perform it, go on to other performances and venues.

The Marlborough Arts Center has a long and collegial collaboration with the schools in the region. This is just one example. It is also an example of young talent who deserve our attention and appreciation. Note the students are offering this evening as a Benefit to the Arts Center with proceeds donated to the ART PARK project (buying and preserving the adjoining parcel of land in its natural state as an area for sculptures and en plain air artists).

Admission is $10/person at the door. Other donations are appreciated. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.. The concert begins at 7:30. Refreshments are available but no alcohol will be allowed on the premises this evening due to the age of the students.

The Marlborough Arts Center is a fully accessible non-profit regional center for the arts with website www.marlborougharts.org and telephone (860) 295-9389 for information on membership, classes, and various artistic events.

Leo Christmas Memorial Exhibition

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The Marlborough Arts Center is honored to have over 40 paintings by the well-known popular painter, Leo Christmas, now on exhibition through the month of May, 2015. The walls of the Art Gallery are filled with his sense of color and great feeling. These paintings reflect not only his artistic gifts, but also the spirit of the man who painted them.

This is a special exhibition because it is dedicated to the art of one man. It is also special because Joan Christmas and the family chose the works for this exhibition and have personalized many of the paintings with short backgrounds that give the viewer an increased meaning of the work, a view into Leo’s thinking and purpose behind what one is seeing.

The Leo Christmas Memorial Exhibition is open to the public every weekend in May, 1-4 p.m., at the Marlborough Arts Center, 231 North Main Street, Marlborough, CT. As always, admission is free. There is ample parking and the building is fully accessible. This is one exhibition you do not want to miss.

President Joan C. Lester’s May 2015 Letter to the Membership

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“In the merry, merry month of May…”. These 9 notes keep running through my thoughts as we begin this month of warmth, where yellow forsythia, leafing trees with white and pink blossoms, flashes of colors from pansies and daffodils all brighten our spirits after the very long cold winter. Spring IS here at last. People are smiling again. It is a merry, merry month indeed.

It is also a very, very busy month for the Arts Center. We begin with a special treat for all:    Ashly Cruz’s International Cabaret Show on Friday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m. Ashly’s shows are always special, but she has made this one even more special by offering it as Benefit Show, with all proceeds donated to our ART PARK project. She will be singing songs in French & Spanish as well as English, songs from her “Ella” shows, and delighting the audience as only she can. This is a show you do not want to miss. She will put the fun in the fund raiser!

Speaking of the ART PARK, the response has been a very positive: “What a great idea!” Many have made pledges. Many have donated. However, even with the expected grant from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, we must still raise $26,000 by the end of May. I am sure that those of you who have not yet contributed have thought about a donation but just haven’t gotten around to making a pledge or writing a check. Having full member participation is an important factor in us receiving the grant. We will be making personal telephone calls as a follow-up to the letter you received explaining the project. We will also be contacting other residents and businesses in town as follow-ups to their letters. Please give what you can to make the ART PARK a reality for the future of arts and culture in Marlborough and the region.

The merriment of May continues with 4th Friday @ the Arts Cafe on Friday, May 22, 7:30 p.m. featuring a Show by the Drama Students at RHAM. They are young, but the shows are very professional and always a delight. Song/dance/drama. Do plan to attend for a musical treat.

The Arts Center collaborates with the local/regional schools throughout the year as you know because we believe it is important to foster the artistic talents of our youth. Coming up on June 10 is the Summer Concert by the Marlborough Elementary School Band. You’ll hear more about this in my June letter and in the new media, but for those of you who plan ahead: put the date down now on your calendars. If weather permits, this will be an open air concert.

The Arts Center is honored this month to host a Leo Christmas Memorial Exhibition, with over 40 works selected by his family. Leo was a long-time member and artist who was well loved both for his art and for himself. The Exhibition is open every weekend in May, 1-4 p.m., free admission. This is a beautiful show to enjoy while honoring Leo even if you did not have the pleasure of knowing him personally, and I hope many of you do just that.

Merry May to you all,   Joan