February 15, 2007

The Village Artisans Cooperative is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a potpourri of events at its gallery at 100 Corry Street. Picture are some of its members. Left to right, front row: Sue Brezine and Laura Davis; back row: Leah Grommon, Ann Bain, Talitha Greene, John Garrett and Nancy Mellon.

By Virgil Hervey

On Jan. 26 Village Artisans Gallery members officially kicked off a year-long celebration of their 25th anniversary with a “Silver Exhibit” and reception at their 100 Corry Street gallery. The occasion also marked the start of “A Travesty of DaVinci!” a treasure hunt that will go on all year. Throughout the year there will be monthly events ranging from exhibits to hands-on workshops.

Next up is a Mardi Gras party open to the public this Friday, Feb. 16, from 6 to 9 p.m. Food and wine will be served and Mardi Gras masks made by gallery members will be available for purchase. It is expected that at least some of the guests will show up in masks.

In the planning stages is a “Coming Home Party” in September for former members of the co-op. Unfortunately, the history of the organization has not been well documented.

“Artists are not good record keepers,” co-op member Nancy Mellon said in a recent interview. They are hoping that publicity for the anniversary will reach former members, or their friends and families, and that they will begin calling in to inquire about the reunion, she said.

Interviewed recently, Talitha Greene, who grew up in the village, is perhaps typical of the co-op members both in her enthusiasm and her path to the gallery. While she also paints, makes stained glass, and fashions clocks from old CDs, her primary art is the crafting of fine jewelry.

“My hobby is my job,” said Greene, who has also worked at Rita Caz Jewelry Studio for former member Mark Crockett for 11 years.

She originally took jewelry making classes from Crockett and Gail Zimmerman, starting when she was only 12. Greene also sells her own bracelets and -earrings at Rita Caz, but “most of my stuff is here,” she said. A trained lapidary, she cuts her own stones.

She was such a frequent customer at Village Artisans that they finally decided to invite her to join, Greene said.

“It’s a fun group — a good bunch of people and very talented, too,” she said.

Originally, the gallery was located at 220 Xenia Avenue, where it remained for some 18 years. A few years ago Village Artisans moved to Kings Yard for one year, then to their current location at the Shops of 100 Corry Street, where they have been for two years. Their biggest challenge is to lure shoppers over from Xenia Avenue to the Corry Street location, Mellon said.

Currently Village Artisans has 17 members and two membership applications are pending. The group meets once a month on a Monday night at the library. There is no governing body and, according to Mellon, meetings are wide-open brainstorming sessions, where it is sometimes difficult to come to a decision.

“Artists don’t take well to government,” she said.

Artists wishing to join the co-op are asked to submit an application including photographs of their work. The application will be reviewed at the monthly meeting and, if they pass muster, they will be invited to bring in the actual works for viewing by the members.

In order to pay the rent, the group collects dues of $400 per year, takes a small percentage of the sale of any artwork from the gallery, and holds fundraisers. Members work a full day at the gallery one to two times per month and also come in and help out when they have extra time.

One of the benefits of membership, besides having a gallery in which to show your work, is the camaraderie and exchange of information, Greene said.

“It’s called a cooperative and it really works,” Brezine said. “The cooperation during the move to Corry Street was wonderful.”

Besides the regular exhibit of members’ artwork, there are special shows, usually in the interior hallways outside the gallery, where the current 25th anniversary “Silver Show” is being held. Every opening is kicked off with a party and lots of local artists show up.

In order to participate in “A Travesty of Da Vinci!” visitors can pick up a new clue each month at the Village Artisans Gallery. If you are astute, it will lead you to another store in the village, where you will find a work of art. Fill out the form on the back of the clue and bring it back to the gallery. If you have correctly identified the store and the artwork, you will be entered in a drawing to win that piece.

Contact: vhervey@ysnews.com