Art exhibit, discussion offer color and inspiration
The Meetinghouse Arts project presents “COLOR | stories,” a show of artist Elizabeth Fram’s textile collage work, beginning March 1 at Waterbury Congregational Church. Additionally, on Sunday, March 15th at 2PM, the artist will offer a free talk to share more about her process and discuss the work.
The show is organized around color, explains Ms. Fram, “which I think we all crave as we move from the cold and dark of winter into the mud that foretells the awakening of spring.” Images are typically abstract or abstracted, but suggest the kernel of inspiration. For example, That First Peony is an expression of the joy found in pushing winter’s mulch away to expose the first bud of an emerging peony, while Shadow Walk, Summer Stroll, and Dawn Patrol each acknowledge the fortifying comfort that comes with the daily ritual of walking a pet.
Ms. Fram, a Waterbury Center resident, has shown her work throughout Vermont and nationally in both solo and group shows. Her nuanced and muli-layered textile collages use fabric, stitching, shape and color to capture a specific moment, a reaction, or an emotion and translate it into a visual image. “My work reflects on seemingly minor occurrences that, when scrutinized more closely… add meaning to our lives,” explains Ms. Fram. “Abstraction and stitched marks are the language I use to examine these ideas.”
Ms. Fram’s work has been influenced by many experiences – from art studies, to travel, to living with her family in widely different communities throughout the country. Her focus on textiles evolved when “becoming a mother led me back to sewing and the subsequent discovery of ‘art quilts’ in my search to find an art form that would mesh well with raising a young family.”
The afternoon art talk on March 15 will offer a more detailed look at how Ms. Fram develops and constructs her images – from general ideas about shape and pattern to the use of specific techniques like dying, painting and embroidery. The discussion is sure to be inspiring to anyone – artist, crafter, artisan and even armchair creative — who enjoys the challenge of bringing an initial creative impulse to concrete fruition. Starting at 2 PM, it is free and open to the public.
This show is part of a series organized by Meetinghouse Arts, a collaborative effort to provide opportunities for local residents to enjoy more art and for local artists to share their work with the community. The shows are hung in the Waterbury Congregational Church at 8 North Main Street in Waterbury Village and are open to the public Tuesdays through Fridays, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Questions or comments should be directed to Torrey Smith at torreycsmith@yahoo.com