Why do visitors come to Shelburne Falls?
Answers:
1. To see the Bridge of Flowers.
2. Just to walk the village.
On weekends, the Bridge of Flowers is loaded with flowers and visitors with cellphone/cameras, while the streets are full of people walking and window shopping.
This month, the Shelburne Arts Cooperative is celebrating Shelburne Falls itself, with a mixed-media hommage featuring the works of 16 local artists.
The reception for this month’s art exhibit will be held on Saturday, July 16, from 4 to 7 p.m. in honor of the co-op’s 18th birthday. Besides getting the chance to meet some of the artists, visitors can walk through the village to see the actual sites that have inspired the paintings, needle-feltings, tapestry bead weavings and photography on display.
“It’s all local stuff — lots of (glacial) potholes, lots of buildings,” says exhibit curator and painter Sandra Denis of Charlemont. “Obviously, the Bridge of Flowers is a big draw.”
Denis, who at age 80 paints daily, has contributed several watercolor and acryllic paintings to the show. Denis has exhibited work in galleries throughout New England and in the southwest.
Martin Yaffee, a new member of the Shelburne Artists Co-op, has developed a strong social media following within the village for his early morning photographs of Shelburne Falls, especially along the riverfront or on the Bridge of Flowers. Yaffee is a long-time Shelburne Falls resident who is also a chef and baker.
Lynn Perry of Heath has rendered the Bridge of Flowers and the glacial potholes as felted pictures. She also has created a 3-dimensional pair of felted river otters to go with the exhibit.
Nancy Baker of Greenfield works in mural painting and silk painting. Her “Pothole Visitor” is among the displayed artworks. Many other artists have Shelburne Falls-inspired works shown throughout the gallery.
The gallery is owned and operated by 52 artists, most of whom live within a 50 mile radius of Shelburne Falls.
The Shelburne Artists Cooperative is open six days a week from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., with evening hours on Fridays and Saturdays until 8 p.m. It’s closed Tuesdays.
For more information, visit: www.shelburneartscoop.com