Annmarie Garden is extending Sailor Made: The Art of The Woolie to run through July 5 allowing the boating crowd and summer travelers a chance to see this rare collection of folk art. The unique hand-sewn collection of art has been a hit with visitors.
Mezzanine Gallery: Sailor Made: The Art of the Woolie is a collection on loan from Donald Berezoski, a resident of Huntingtown and long time woolie collector. This unusual exhibition of sailor’s folk art, called “woolies,” showcases more than fifty framed wool works. Like scrimshaws, woolies were created by sailors, mostly British, during their long months at sea and appear to have been gifts for family members. The height of woolie production was 1840 to the 1880s, with the advent of photography leading to decline in popularity of the amazing art.
Berezoski’s exhibition includes a number of rare woolies that show a number of ports-of-call, people, animals, lighthouses, and other images. The intricate weavings were created using materials readily available to sailors – canvas, wool, thread, and nails. Sailors used sewing skills they developed on the job repairing the sails and their uniforms.
The exhibition includes woolies with rare embellishments, including silk thread, copper, wire, and mica. The detailed needlework, like the ship’s rigging, is wonderful to behold and is astounding when one considers the conditions under which these beautiful works of art were created. As is the case with other types of folk art, the works communicate the details of the artists’ lives, including great historical moments at sea, as well as the simple things sailors missed by choosing a life at sea.
In addition to Sailor Made, Annmarie Garden’s Arts Building is currently displaying Celebrations. In the Main Gallery just downstairs from the Woolie, Celebrations features works in glass by the National Capital Art Glass Guild. This fabulous collection showcases a variety of techniques used by artists working in glass. Stained glass, fused glass, large sculptures and jewelry can be found in this show. Celebrations remains on exhibit through Feb.16.
Main Gallery, Celebrations: Works in Glass by the National Capital Art Glass Guild, situated in the Main Gallery is an exquisite exhibit of art glass. Visitors will find this glorious explosion of color, design, and texture that showcases the varied techniques that glass artists use to build artwork. Whether it is hand-blown, fused, or soldered into stained glass panels, this show highlights the versatility of the medium. With the many windows in the Main Gallery, exploring the way glass and light interact is a magical experience.
Celebrations is on exhibit in the Arts Building at Annmarie Garden through February 15.
Annmarie Garden Sculpture Park & Arts Center is a thirty-acre public sculpture park and arts center located at 13480 Dowell Road in Solomons, Maryland, just off Route 2/4. The New Arts Building is open Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Admission to Annmarie Garden, including the exhibits, is $3 for adults; $2 for seniors; $2 for children ages 5-12; kids under 5 are free; AMG members are free. To learn more about Annmarie Garden, visit www.annmariegarden.org.
