Celebrate 2020

Jerome Artists’ Cooperative Gallery kicks off Jerome’s First Saturday art walk with a new show in the new year. “Celebrate 2020,” is an all-member art exhibit featuring a wide variety of unique works of art created locally by thirty-five  member-artists. A reception for the artists will be held on Jerome’s First Saturday art walk from 5 pm until 8 pm on January 4 at the Jerome Artists’ Cooperative Gallery located on the ground level of the historic Hotel Jerome. Refreshments and merriment will be served.

Chris Ryback presents a featured original oil painting entitled, “Monument Valley.”  She states, “I have been to Monument Valley probably three times and have always been impressed with its vastness. The last time I was there, I saw two riders on horseback making their way across the valley, and I decided to include them in the painting as they provide a perspective to the vastness of the region.” She continues, “I am fairly new to oil painting and have been taking lessons on and off for the past couple of years. I found giving the foreground its form to be the most difficult part of the painting. My instructor, Mary Burnham, also a Co-op member, acknowledged my struggle by saying, ‘you have a problem, and you have to solve it!’ Then, once I got the foreground sand to look the way I wanted it, I painted in the horses. That’s when it all came together!”  

“Windows of Words,” is the latest mixed media creation by Jerome Co-op artist V. Norton. “As a professional calligrapher for the past thirty-five years,” says Norton, “I like to play with words and quotes. What makes this piece unique is the form in which you view these ‘words for the soul.’ I have mounted nine small tin boxes on wood, covering the outside of each with an image, either handmade paper or something I liked. It is reminiscent of the holiday calendar where you choose a window each day for inspiration. You must open the box to see that there are quotes on the lid and the bottom. Using several styles of calligraphy, such as Italic, Uncial and Roman connects to the insight of the words. There is even a poem I wrote,” says Norton. “I invite the viewer to participate in this discovery for themselves.”

Robert Hughes, a solo artist working from his studio in Prescott, Arizona, has been working with clay for over thirty years. He started his studio, Kiote Clay Pottery, in 1992. Prior to that, he worked as a production potter in Southern California for fifteen years. Currently, he shows regularly at art shows across the Southwest and sells his work through several galleries. Hughes describes his process: “I design most of my own glazes and use a variety of decorative techniques that I have learned over the years, including over-glaze, engobes, matte glazes, sgraffito, wax resist, carving, and incising. Since I work alone, all my pottery reflects my personal creative nature and my high personal standards. Most of my designs are inspired by nature and the desert Southwest. I start with a lump of clay and an idea…then, working through the many stages, I finish with a piece that you can use and enjoy for years.”

Kick off your new year with a new look at new work at the Jerome Artists’ Cooperative Gallery show, “Celebrate 2020!” Reception for the artists from 5 pm until 8 pm with refreshments served. Jerome’s First Saturday art walk on January 4 at 502 Main Street, Jerome. Open Daily 10 am to 6 pm. Email:  info@jeromecoop.com website: www.jeromecoop.com  Tel: 928-639-4276