Women of Letters

I just spent Saturday and Sunday gallery sitting for the new exhibition about the alphabet. My partner in this endeavor is Mary Hart of Winchester, MA.   There are photos in a picture album linked on the left.  Here is more info about the show.

Women of Letters
Alphabetically inspired artworks
Collage, painting and encaustic

An Abecedarium, defined as a primer for learning the alphabet, is just one element to be found in “Women of Letters”, the new exhibit opening at the Ayer Lofts Gallery on June 6, 2009.  The women, Western Avenue Studios artist Karen Bettencourt and Winchester artist and teacher, Mary Hart are offering more than 40 works inspired by their fascination with letterforms. In the Abecedarium, Bettencourt and Hart, each created 13 individual alphabetical expressions.  Other alphabet related pieces round out the show.

 Karen Bettencourt of Woburn is taking a break this year from curating the Paste-up collage show and is participating in this exhibit instead.  Her early work included watercolors, tapestry weaving and art quilts. Currently, she is creating fabric, paper and digital collages and learning encaustic (painting with wax).

 Mary Hart of Winchester has been a calligrapher for over 35 years. The common element in her work is the use of letterforms, both as writing and abstract calligraphic marks. Mary teaches classes in Calligraphy, Graphic Design, Visual Dynamics and Color at Middlesex Community College, The Museum School in Boston, and Cambridge Center for Adult Education.

Women of Letters will be showing in Ayer Lofts Gallery at 172 Middle Street in Lowell, MA from June 6 – June 28, 2009.  There will be a reception for the artists Saturday, June 13th from 2-4pm. Gallery hours are Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to 4:00pm.