Canal Street Art Gallery presents: Glass | Pastel, a group show exhibiting blown and sculpted glass with pastel paintings from local artists. Glass | Pastel opens September 15th and is on view through November 4th. Join the Gallery on 3rd Friday Gallery Night in Historic Downtown Bellows Falls from 5-7pm, September 15th, to celebrate and meet the artists. All Gallery events are free and open to the public and fully accessible. For wheelchair accessibility call 802-289-0104 upon arrival.

Artists in the show include Clare Adams, Robert Burch, Deedee Jones, Nicholas Kekic, Marcie Maynard, Patricia McPike, Melissa Rubin, Chris Sherwin, and Maggie F. Smith. Clare Adams, based in Cambridgeport, Vermont, shows new reverse painted glass. Robert Burch, based in Putney, Vermont creates a new series of ocean and beach inspired blown glass. Deedee Jones, based in Brattleboro, Vermont, makes pastel paintings of the Vermont landscape and water from the artist’s travels. Nicholas Kekic, based in Bellows Falls, Vermont, blows glass vessels using traditional venetian techniques with modern designs. Marcie Maynard, based in Bellows Falls, Vermont, displays a collection of pastel paintings of boats, marshes, and still lifes. Patricia McPike, based in Brattleboro, Vermont, offers a selection of pastel paintings focused on vibrant colors from the places the artist spends time. Melissa Rubin, based in Cambridgeport, Vermont, brings a series of pastel paintings of seabirds to the show. Chris Sherwin, based in Bellows Falls, Vermont, is making new series’ such as underwater themed glass paperweights with lily pads and frogs. Maggie F. Smith, based in Putney, Vermont, exhibits pastel paintings of landscapes and architecture.

The Glass | Pastel show is a newly envisioned medium focus show, of the type Canal Street Art Gallery exhibited in its first four years. These past exhibitions include A World Suspended in Color: Fine Art Glass, A Changing Form: Fine Art Ceramics, and A Moment In Frame: Fine Art Photography. One of the goals of these shows was to bring together artworks from different artists using the same medium to achieve common, unique, and sometimes surprising results. These shows presented to visitors an opportunity to learn in depth about how these artists use their materials and techniques to create their art. 

Canal Street Art Gallery brings the medium focus show back with Glass | Pastel, presenting two mediums side by side. Pastel is a painting medium which is made into sticks using different color pigments held together by a binder. Hand held, these pigment sticks are applied directly to a prepared surface. Pastel paintings are known for saturated colors and layered textures. Glass is a material used by artists as rods, or canes, of colored glass encased with clear glass. These are then held, heated and manipulated using hands and tools to create three dimensional objects. Fine art glass is known for its intricate layers, detailed patterns, bold colors and unmistakable forms and shapes.

Artworks in the Show

Maggie F Smith

Where the Brook Goes

2022

pastel on paper

11.75 x 10.5

$450

Robert Burch

Blue Amber and White Vase

2023

Blown glass

$250