Flyer Guide: First Thursday – December 2009

Guess what? Today is December 3rd, which is the first Thursday of the month, which means it’s time for a party on the Fayetteville Square.

This month’s First Thursday event includes new art exhibits at both ddp gallery and the Fayetteville Underground as well as a SLAAP (support local art and products) Happy art sale at Kathy P. Thompson Studios.

Also scheduled is a preview of Ceramic Cow’s holiday show “A Dupont White Trash Christmas” in the Town Center and several Square merchants will be hosting holiday open houses.

To top it all off, donation tables will be set up for the We Can! food drive and the Fayetteville Animal Shelter all under the newly-lit Lights of the Ozarks.

It’s gonna be awesome.

Here’s what we know:

Fayetteville Underground

1 E Center St | 479-387-1537 | Website

Installation by Garret Hunt – Suspended Art Installation
Foyer

Those who attended Art Amiss a few weeks ago got a preview of the new installation piece by Garret Hunt, which now has a new home suspended above the foyer at the Fayetteville Underground. Visitors to the gallery tonight will be able to take in the colorful structure tonight looking down from above in East Square Plaza, or from below inside Fayetteville Underground.

Art for the Holidays – Group Show
Hive, Vault, E-Street, and Revolver Galleries

This month, Fayetteville Underground will feature fun, affordable works of original art created by its gallery artists. A variety of works will be shown from painting, mixed media, collage, and photography; to jewelry, ceramics, custom blown glass chandeliers and unique vessel sinks. Artists include William Mayes Flanagan, Leilani Law, Kelly Price-Colston, Jan Gosnell, Dana Idlet, Gregory Moore, Basil Seymour-Davies and gallery newcomers Jennifer Libby Fay, Sabine Schmidt and Ed Pennebaker.

ddp gallery

7 E Mountain St | 479-442-0001 | Website

small works 2009 – Group show

ddp gallery features small works for the third year in a row. The twelve artists she’s chosen include several from her stable of gallery-represented artists in addition to works from local and national artists.

Kyle Asfahl is a scientist, who is also a talented artist. He creatively renders the expansiveness of microbial life on small panels, exploring the relationship between humans and bacteria.

Duane Gardner will be showing smaller versions of his well-collected abstract paintings on canvases measuring 5” x 5” and 9” x 9”. Gardner works mostly in acrylic, oil and graphite, exploring a consistent shape in a varied composition.

Megan Chapman is giving a preview of works to come with a completely new body of work, never exhibited. Megan has always photographed and written as an inspiration to her paintings. Her new work combines these two – photographs and written word on hand-hewn chunks of wood covered in resin. Collect these early works now.

Cindy Arsaga presents a collection of encaustic painting combining collage and her mark-making skills on small panels. Her September show at ddp gallery was a near-sellout; so don’t hesitate with your decisions on which piece to purchase.

Katie Harper’s passion is Book Arts, graphic design and the art of letterpress. She’s collected a few appropriate quotes and created exquisite drawings to present as letterpressed coasters. She’s created a perfect host gift or a treasure for your own tables.

Alison Carter is known for her ceramics work, but she also knits. She has been creating super-cute, super-tough toy-dolls for her dog…that are really artful creations. It is up to you what to do with them, but really she won’t mind if the dog gets a hold of them.

Maeve Courteau has been making spoons for years. You may remember seeing her at the Fayetteville Farmers Market, carving away and then she disappeared. She’s back at ddp gallery! Own one of these heirloom pieces and incorporate it into your everyday.

Jennifer Pease makes you fall in love with her cups.you look for all the surprises she’s incorporated into them…a funny character here or there, a scene on the bottom of the cup or a few hidden drops of glaze reveal themselves at your last sip. She creates pure enjoyment.

Jeff Meadows hails from San Francisco and is ddp gallery’s first artist picked from a collection of over 2500 Facebook friends. Meadows has created small works of his signature graphic style – an influence of retro illustration and graffiti. Each piece is a captured urban treasure.

Laura Terry recently had an extremely successful exhibition at ddp; a series of collaged sketches were favorites. Laura is presenting more of those lovely square pieces on paper composed of delicate details inspired by Southern literature, gardens and quilts.

Don House, a favorite local photographer, has created ornaments out of recycled film canisters. They feature a few of his signature images of local scenes. Both of Don’s books will be available, including his new release, “Not a Good Sign”. In addition, several prints are available, including some that will never be printed again.

Mark Traughber of Philadelphia, PA has developed a nice following in Fayetteville, with his stencil paintings and encaustic works. These series of works are measure 4”by 6” and are perfect for that lonely strip of wall in your home.

Kathy P. Thompson Studios

3 East Mountain Street | 479-521-1502 | Website

SLAAP Happy Holiday Gift Sale
Kathy P. Thompson Studio is hosting a SLAAP Happy (support local art and products) holiday sale, with 12 artists and artisans providing a wide variety of handmade items. Everything from encaustic paintings by Cindy Arsaga, wool-woven blankets by Laurie Foster, and painted bowls by Kathy P. Thompson, to Haley Duke’s wishes, holiday botanicals by Pam Pemberton from Flora, and “Fantasy Edibles,” homemade food items from Joseph Brajcki and Chris Young will be available for purchase for affordable prices.

Other activies

A ‘Holiday Open House’ will be hosted by local shops on and around the Downtown Square. The following businesses will be open until at least 8:00 pm to welcome holiday shoppers: Bliss Cupcake Café, Town and Country Shop, Dark Star Visuals, Good Things Boutique, Jammin’ Java, Hand Held – A Knitting Gallery, Corazon, Sound Warehouse, French Quarters Antiques, and I.M. Spa.

I.M. Spa will also have therapists doing foot massage in East Square Plaza from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, and Sound Warehouse will have live music with Beans and Cornbread from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm.

In addition, Ceramic Cow Productions will present scenes from their upcoming show, “A Dupont White Trash Christmas” at the Town Center at 6:00 pm. The show will open tonight at 7:30 at the UARK Ballroom.

Donation tables will be set up for the With A Can We Can food drive in East Square Plaza, as well as for the Fayetteville Animal Shelter. The animal shelter is looking for cleaning supplies like paper towels, bleach, laundry detergent, sponges, dish soap, odoban, window cleaner, trash bags, hand sanitizer, and towels.

They also are looking for animal care items like toys and treats for dogs and cats, canned food, and non-clumping cat litter.

Of course, the Lights of the Ozarks will be in full effect as well.

Parking

To ease parking needs, the paid parking lot next to the East Square Plaza building (to the east) will be open for free parking tonight.

December Preview: Fayetteville Underground. from Megan Chapman on Vimeo.