Holiday Membership Show- Opens December 5th, 2009

2009 Holiday Show artwork by Mark Foltz

Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery’s Annual Holiday Membership Show
December 5th- January 23rd

Opening with seasonal flair on December 5th, coinciding with Jerome’s very popular ARTwalk event, the Jerome Artists Cooperative’s annual Holiday Membership Show will feature a festive selection of its artists’ finest offerings.
From small stocking stuffers, and functional household crafts, clothing, and jewelry, to large-scale masterpieces, the membership will display a wide variety of original art to meet anyone’s budget.
With over 35 members, all local residents, the Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery is a fantastic place to seek special gifts for those on your Christmas list. The gallery is home to fine art of all price ranges: paintings in oil, acrylic, ink, water color, and mixed media, photography, fiber art, jewelry of recycled materials, forged iron, steel, glass and titanium, sculptures and functional works made from gourds, turned wood, glass, papier mache, and clay. One may also purchase prints of original artworks, available in many different sizes, both framed and unframed. In addition to the great variety of art regularly displayed at the co-op, seasonal special items are available during this show, such as Christmas cards, ornaments, and other holiday themed goodies.

Opening night for the Holiday Membership Show is Saturday, December 5th, 2009, 5:30pm-8pm, during Jerome’s ARTwalk. The streets of Jerome will be bustling with holiday shoppers and the spirits of the season. Refreshments will be served, and co-op artists will be present, to share in the good cheer.

The Jerome Artists Cooperative is located at 502 Main, in the former Hotel Jerome (c.1917). Open daily from 10am-6pm, the gallery is managed and operated by its members, all local artists, ranging from Prescott to Sedona, with the majority of its members residing in Jerome, Cottonwood, Clarkdale, and Camp Verde areas.Phone 639-4276, or visit the gallery online at www.jeromeartistscoop.com for more information.

"One Woman Show" October 24-Dec. 3rd- New works by featured artist Judy Jaaskelainen

Clarkdale resident, Judy Jaaskelainen, a popular watercolor artist, and member of the Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery since 2002, presents a brand new body of art in her upcoming “One Woman Show.” The featured show opens October 24th, and runs through December 3rd.

Jaaskelainen, a vibrant spirit, grew up in California, and was young mother of 3 before she was out of her teen years. “At 64, I am the matriarch of a large and loving family. It is rare to find a family so close and dedicated to maintaining the strong bonds that unite us. We are always present for one another in crisis.”
Always artistically inclined, Jaaskelainen began painting seriously in the 1970's while living in Southern California and recuperating from spinal surgery. “My painting experience up to that time was in oils and acrylics on canvas. I began to visit galleries, art museums and exhibits and developed a deep appreciation for the art of watercolor. In essence, I was hooked. I located watercolor artists in the area whose work I felt strongly about and studied with them to develop my skills”.

Jaaskelainen graduated from Loma Linda University with a degree in Occupational Therapy. “I specialized in the treatment of patients with Spinal Cord Injury, Arthritis, and Children with Physical Disabilities.”
She is a juried member of Northern Arizona Watercolor Society, and also a member of the Arizona Watercolor Association, and Watercolor West.

"I have been painting in watercolor for over 20 years. I love the transparent properties of watercolor paints and how I can let the medium ‘do it’s thing’ on wet paper which sometimes feels like the painting is creating itself,” she says with her typical bright-eyed enthusiasm.

Where does Jaaskelainen gather her inspiration? “The natural beauty of Southwest, beautiful people in my life, beautiful animals and my sense of humor,” she says, “I usually have 2-5 paintings going at the same time and the subject matter varies, so I have more than one palette going most of the time.”

“Some of my paintings are like children showing-off for their mother with bright, bold colors that shout, ‘Hey, look at me! See how my colors bounce off the paper!’ Other of my works are tranquil and serene.”

The opening reception for “One Woman Show” is Saturday, October 24th at the Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery, 502 Main Street from 5:30pm-8:00pm. Refreshments and food will be served. The show will run through December 3rd, and will also be the featured show during next month’s ARTwalk, November 7th

The Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery is open daily from 10 a.m-6 p.m. and until 8 p.m. during openings and art walks. For more information, call 928-639-4276 or visit http://www.jeromeartistscoop.com/ .

Ghost Walk in Jerome

This weekend in Jerome is the annual Ghost Walk, with various tours being given around town, that include lectures on Jerome's history, and stories about some it's most (in)famous permanent residents. Reservations are required, but if you don't make one, c'mon up anyway for a fabulous weekend on Cleopatra Hill!!

More info on the Jerome Ghost Walk at this link: Jerome Historical Society.