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.

First party....

What a lovely night. Thank you to our community of friends for coming and celebrating with us. Since that night, another artist became a part of the collective. In addition to Dawn Amey (design and laser cutting), Gaby Grossman (painting), Deb Wheeler-Bean (assemblage and re-purposing) and Rose Bryant (painting), we now have Anne Marie Kenny with "industrial quilts". Our collective is gaining energy.... and we are looking forward to all that the times ahead bring.
Art Up Front Street would like to again say "thank you" to Lori Ripa and Teresa Toomey for putting on a great party... we love you.
If you could not make the party and you want to come by for a tour, let us know. Generally these are our hours, but we can make adjustments :-).

tue - sat....10am-4pm

sun - mon .....closed

~special events as posted

~holidays..........closed

~evenings.......by chance

A little party this Saturday pm, Feb 18, 6 to 8... join us

We are having a party this Saturday. A little thank you to the neighbors and friends who have been so supportive with the project, plus anyone who might want a tour before we fill the spaces. Don't bring anything but yourself. Please, RSVP by email so we can do a final count. Thanks, Looking forward to seeing you!

Art is going up...

The gallery is coming together... such a nice time of year to be starting the process of hanging art because the DAYS are getting noticeably LONGER. Yay. And it will only get better. We have posted hours on the website and have just applied to be listed on Trip Advisor.

Another plus.... we discovered our dishwasher works. Mal is a genius. :-) 

Enjoy the color below - some from the past - some from the now  ... there's more on the way.

Deb's door

whose poppies?

Gaby's little color

art up front street in the news

You may have seen the article in the paper today... but just in case here is the story.
http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20170202/art-up-front-street-meets-need 

Thank you Lara Bricker .... the ultimate composer of happy news for our community. We look forward to the days ahead and are very grateful to friends and supporters who have circled around us. See y'all soon.
Rose and Mal

four artists in.... we have room for four more

www.artupfrontstreet.com

We are so glad to be at this stage in the process. Studio walls are up, basement space is organized, four artists are currently moving in and the collective is now reviewing emails with requests to tour and apply for studio space. The exterior improvements will wait until spring.

Currently we have 4 spaces to fill..... We are seeking 2-D... such as painting, printmaking, textile art, graphite,pen and ink. Other process might be considered... but at the moment we unfortunately are not taking open flame, high heat, fume producing, or loud processes, Most of the studios are "open air" and the basement is a shared community work space.

We can't wait to have our small "hello" to the community party this February. Later in May we will have our large first annual ART UP FRONT STREET spring open studios.

Thank you for all of the well wishes and kind words.
Looking forward to seeing you around a tray of treats with a glass of something in your hand :-).

Deb's storage wall (shot from the floor).

artist collective in Exeter, NH

Our driveway is on the LEFT side of the building and parking is all the way in the back behind the studios

Nicole Couillard, master of everything... paints, organizes, sorts, hauls, and generally keeps us moving FORWARD

Bruce Jones builds a beautiful door