According to Picasso, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” The creation and appreciation of this revitalizing force is a defining human quality, and it's not reserved for big city museums or the south of France. The Lehigh Valley is home to a wide array of talented artists and curators bringing exhilarating and thought-provoking art to your community—and maybe your walls.
The Holiday Inn in Allentown is home to an easily-overlooked gallery space with a unique approach to the typical art experience. For just under a year, Rob Riegel and Brandon Wunder have pooled their creative resources to carve out a retail space for local artists and craftspeople—none based farther from the Valley than Jim Thorpe. From street art to stained glass, greeting cards to fine jewelry, local apparel to abstract expressionism, The Alternative Gallery offers unprecedented variety from 40 to 50 of the Lehigh Valley's talented creators. It's worth a visit just for the extraordinary shark and octopus seashell sculptures made by Allentown's Pasco Ruggiero. The content of the collection has raised controversy on occasion, but the owners are adamant that a strong message deserving exposure will find a venue at the gallery, where discourse is encouraged over pearl-clutching. The Alternative Gallery takes part in numerous community events, stressing its role as a conduit connecting art and artists to the public. Schemes in the works include secret geocache-inspired pop-up shows, an expanding collection of music from local artists, and open forums to cultivate dialogue with exhibiting artists. With affordable prices and engaging events, art is for everyone at this gallery.
It's easy to appreciate fine art on a visceral level at The Snow Goose Gallery, a fixture on Main Street Bethlehem for more than two decades. Breathtaking pieces by artists from as near as Bucks County and as far as Tasmania show the power of art to energize and inspire. The collection focuses on traditional realism, with scenes from nature, still lifes and rare platinum photography that could transform any room into a shrine to beauty. There's plenty to admire in Ray Hendershot's evocative watercolors of Pennsylvania's stone farmhouses and Dutch painter Ton Dubbeldam's pointillist productions, as well as unusual calligraphic furniture art and brass relief. Occasional receptions showcase new work from the gallery's artists, and from May to mid-June, The Snow Goose holds its 21st annual exhibition of fine art miniatures. “The Art of the Miniature” is a chance to see the delicate work of more than 40 artists from around the world, including the exquisite pen and ink creations of the gallery's owner, Mary Serfass. The gallery also offers museum-quality framing by Doug Serfass, a certified picture framer, to accentuate and preserve your dearest pieces. The largest molding selection in the Lehigh Valley includes French, Italian, Spanish and Art Deco styles, even hand-carved genuine gold leaf—everything necessary to do justice to a treasured work of art.
Studio 606 is the shared brainchild of area writer Sharon McCarthy and erstwhile Banana Factory artist Ann Schlegel. The two are passionate about the home of their new studio/gallery/informal “Bistro Boheme,” exulting in Allentown's recent developments and awakening potential as an urban center of culture and arts. After 81 years as the family-owned Salomon Jewelers, this beautiful, old, 2,000 square-foot building now houses the intellectual playground of Schlegel's art space (creator of the iconic Adult Beverage paintings you may have seen at Pistachio Bar and Grille) and McCarthy's public relations company Surge Communications. One of their first acts as tenants was to organize Allentown's Art Squawk, a First Friday-esque walking tour of the neighborhood's plentiful art galleries, to be repeated quarterly. This snug and whimsical space holds a game room and music room replete with instruments (including a lovely 101-year-old baby grand)—whatever the creative duo needs to get and stay inspired. It makes a wonderful haven for impromptu gatherings of the area's musicians and artistic talents of all kinds. For now, planned events are limited to McCarthy's Monday night Write Nights, where the Valley's writers are invited to explore, experiment and build a supportive writers' community, but plans for the future promise a wealth of intellectual excitement, including literary workshops and enrichment for children and teens, open mic nights and time will tell what else. Stay tuned!
Monsoon Gallery's storefront on Third Street in Southside Bethlehem has been a landmark since 2003, but in 2010, an expanding collection brought them to a more spacious address on Main Street, where Artfully Elegant, a Monsoon Gallery, specializes in a vast collection of handmade jewelry. Browse the glass-topped cases to discover unique creations of silver, gold and precious stones, as well as more unusual materials like Molly M's botanicals, composed of birch, suede and felt. Surrounding the treasure troves along the long avenue of the gallery are works of fine art from U.S. and international artists, astonishing in their variety. Wall art includes pastels, oils and photography, but there's also pottery, stationery, large, torched steel sculptures from Jason Mernick and even dainty insect art. If this plethora leaves you wanting more, their online store offers an even wider inventory. What it can't offer is the view of Main Street from the second floor, where the collection continues and sleek black couches accommodate the admiring art lover. One thing that sets this gallery apart is the nod to a younger audience. Adorable and hip animal-themed Modern Moose clocks are a must for any nursery with panache. If you see a real animal in Artfully Elegant, don't be alarmed. It's just the vice president's shepherd/husky mix, Wilco. He won't bite!
Connexions is a welcoming space showcasing local, regional, contemporary art in a wide variety of styles and mediums. Their motto is “A little bit of everything,” and it aptly describes the eclectic collection. Here you'll find photography, oil and acrylic paintings, mixed media and everything in between, a visual feast curated skillfully in the gallery's limited space. While there's plenty of wall art on display, owner Anthony Marraccini eschews limitations on the type of art featured, so the collection includes textiles, sculpture, ceramics, greeting cards, several jewelry artists and the colorful crocheted hats of local fine artist Nancy Bossert. This Downtown Easton gallery is equally diverse when it comes to events. Dedicated to actively engaging the art community, it hosts regular receptions with artist talks, the occasional book signing and monthly BYOB “Drink ‘n' Draw” sessions, giving artists a chance to hone their sketching skills with a live model. If you're not much for sketching, you can still nourish your creative spirit at the monthly open mic, an informal and popular potluck affair giving voice to local musicians and poets. Events often spill out into the garden, where visitors are welcome to make themselves comfortable for a little chill time, weather permitting. Presiding over all is Fredo the cat, a gracious if portly host with his own Facebook page. The multi-talented Marraccini is also behind the free quarterly publication, The Elucidator, a voice for small businesses as well as a venue for substantial journalism.
Ahlum Gallery is home, studio and retail space for Denise Ahlum-Sandy, whose gallery at this address originally opened in 2001. After the recession hit the art world with a particularly low blow, she lent the space to a tea shop and took her work on the road to trade shows and juried exhibits up and down the East Coast. The gallery is reopened since October 2012, with an abundant inventory of Ahlum-Sandy's versatile interpretations of natural subjects. A fine command of watercolor brings lush orchids, demure swans and blushing grapefruits to life, while atmospheric pastel cloudscapes evoke the sky's own talent for color and composition. Particularly unique are vibrant aquarium scenes using Dr. Ph. Martin's brilliant inks. Ahlum-Sandy's soothing landscapes are inspired by photographs taken during her travels through the patchwork fields and snowy forests of Europe. For now, Ahlum-Sandy plans just two open houses a year, so make an appointment to peruse her collection or have a piece of art custom-framed.
SAVOR: ART GALLERIES
Ahlum Gallery 106 N. Fourth St., Easton610.248.3198 | ahlumgallery.comThe Alternative Gallery | 904 W. Hamilton St.Allentown | 610.905.4899Artfully Elegant 451 Main St., Bethlehem610.866.6600 | artfullyelegant.comConnexions 213 Northampton St., Easton610.250.7627 | connexionsgallery.netThe Snow Goose Gallery 470 Main St., Bethlehem610.974.9099 | thesnowgoosegallery.comStudio 606 606 Hamilton St.Allentown | 484.707.3282
by daisy willis | photography by colin coleman
