art up front street. Deb Wheeler-Bean's hands...

art up front street .... work top by Bruce Jones

So this is how it goes.... Bruce Jones stops by the studios, knocks on the door and says that he is "checking in". Two minutes later, we have developed a plan.... a plan that was not on the agenda, but one that must have been in obvious need of development. (I think he's a very good salesman.) He shows up the following Tuesday with supplies and starts the project. Again... mostly with reclaimed materials. These massive shelf brackets are constructed by Bruce from pieces of pine found in the basement that had slots already cut out of them. We don't know what the original intent was... but we liked them. Bruce attached them to 2 hollow core (new) doors as a work top surface. Thanks Bruce. By the way, Bruce is a fan of the Stooges flick "A Plumbing We Will Go." You need to know stuff like that.

art up front street. Gaby's large work.

 Gaby Grossman paints in her studio on a quiet day. Maybe this is where all of our minds are now.... in the trees waiting for the first signs of spring. Her studio is a space that is "all her"... her inspirations of color, her pink plastic flowers, paper cut-outs, and snippets of memories on which to base the next creative frothing.

Art Up Front Street.... recreating the garden

Bruce Jones artist and maker building 4 benches for the garden

Original garden design by Renee Carmen of Mandeville Canyon Designs for New Outlook Teen Center.

At Art Up Front Street, we love the idea of regenerating the ideas of those that came before us...especially in this case. The original garden design behind the studios was done as a volunteer project for New Outlook Teen Center by Renee Carmen of Mandeville Canyon Designs sometime around 2008. Several volunteers and teens worked to make the garden a place of calm ...as well as fun.
Over the years the planting boxes, flower beds and furniture took a hit from the elements. The bottom photo shows the original layout of a stone checkerboard design (which still exists)...hopefully our "renovation" will do that space justice.
Bruce Jones, (top photo) Exeter artist and maker, is working on new benches. Thank you, Bruce. Most of the wood being used in the benches is reclaimed from past teen center projects. In the coming days (and hopefully as the temperatures rise to summer) we will plan art events in a place that so many had a part in creating.

Mark your calendar for our first big spring art show Friday and Saturday, May 12 and 13. Come by and tell us what you think.

This is what we are doing today...

Anne Kenny, an Art Up Front Street artist, unpacks art from a previous show. Anne's "industrial quilts" are created with wire, mesh, found objects, and circuitry boards.... stitched together with wire. Very fresh, contemporary.

Deb Wheeler-Bean (in orange) shares her studio today with her friend Elly LaBranche. Deb, an Art Up Front Street artist, is a mixed media artist, an alchemist, and art teacher. Elly is a painter and art teacher. Good pals.