Westfield on Weekends (WOW) and ArtWorks Westfield, in association with the Westfield Woman’s Club Garden Club and Stanley Park, are delighted to announce “MAGIC in the GARDEN: Elves and Fairy Houses, Flowers and Fancy,” an exhibition celebrating renewal and a Springtime world where nature and imagination intertwine.
The group show will run Saturday, April 18 through Sunday, May 31, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, April 18 from 1–3 p.m. at the WOW Center, 105 Elm Street in the heart of the Downtown Cultural District. The reception is free to attend.
Building on the burgeoning creative community and economy of downtown Westfield and strong sense of community and cultural engagement fostered by the Downtown Westfield Cultural District, the collaborating exhibition organizers aspire to bring art, imagination and community together in the full bloom of this whimsical spring gallery experience.
“This is an art show for the whole family, as it combines fantasy and art,” Bob Plasse, WOW’s President explained. “It has something for everyone.”
“MAGIC also reflects a powerful, groundbreaking collaboration between four different art, cultural and community organizations in the city, inspired by community engagement and the creativity of local and regional artists and creators,” ArtWorks Westfield’s President Bill Westerlind added.
Exhibiting artists (as of April 5) include local and regional artists Donna Carmel, Marie Crane-Yvon, Richard Nowak, Jane Barrientos, Frankie Borerro, Kelly Rose (Burgess) Veilleux, Ellen Westerlind, Jessica Young, Kim Velky, Suzanne DiSessa, Sanchitha Vishwanath, Joan Nelson and James Johnson-Corwin, as well as Arts West artists: Cathy Guidetti, Marie Flahive, Lucia Sullivan, Susan Racine and WOW’s Artist-in-Residence Don Blanton.
Anchoring the exhibition are the works of nationally recognized artists/children’s book illustrators, Gary Lippincott and Linda Graves, whose paintings and sculptural pieces brim with elves, wizards, and woodland beings in springtime settings.
Members of the Westfield Woman’s Club Garden Club have contributed a number of fairy villages, while Stanley Park will exhibit some of the fairy houses, completed for their woodland Whimsical Fairy Walk on May 2.
The MAGIC in the GARDEN exhibit may be viewed Thursday and Friday evenings from 6pm to 9pm, Saturdays from noon to 4 pm and on Sundays from 12 noon to 2 pm, when WOW’s artist-in-residence, Don Blanton continues his Open Studio Sundays, during which attendees may observe him painting or sculpting. Weekday hours include Tuesdays and Wednesdays from noon to 3pm and other times when docents are available.
Westfield on Weekends is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to creating community through events, programs, and collaborations that celebrate the arts and our neighbors.
ArtWorks of Westfield Inc.is an all-volunteer, community-centric and community funded 501 (c) (3) local arts & cultural organization promoting the rich and talented artistic diversity of Westfield and the surrounding communities
