The Brattleboro Gallery Walk began its tradition in 1995 and its success has spawned similar events in Amherst, Shelburne Falls and a new adventure in Bellows Falls, VT. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, but what makes the Brattleboro event such a success is the sheer number of participating sites, their close proximity (all within a few very short blocks) and the unique venues.
When a small bakery can feature a full complement of art along with pastries, a unique selection of breads (the Italian-styled panini roll covered in spices like an "everything" bagel is fantastic), coffee and a fabulous river view from their cafe tables, the unique quality that typifies the Brattleboro Art scene is illustrated. Amy's Bakery Arts Cafe is well-named. It's a personal entrepreneurial adventure that combines business and art. Last month, the cafe featured dynamic black and white local bridge photography presented alongside woven wall sculptures of unusual materials commenting on environmental woes and a collection of paintings, an interesting mix. The cafe has its own curator who plans and sets up the shows each month.
Just a few doors down from the cafe is The Artist's Loft, the eclectic haunt of William H. Hays. Hays came to Brattleboro 15 years ago from Anchorage, Alaska. Anchorage provided formal art school training and a few years of professional practice. Hays is a prolific painter exploring the worlds of portraiture, dynamic landscape and occasional forays into stylistics, which he seems to master with surprising ease. His gallery is an informal compartment of three rooms. The work is casually arranged on the walls, on studio easels or in neatly arranged piles on the floor. Light floods in from Main Street into the front room. The windows provide a bird's-eye panorama of the center of town and the busy downtown vitality of traffic, shopping and pedestrians on their way in and out of restaurants, boutiques, storefronts and shops.
Walking around the rooms or fingering through the stacks of work, one gets the distinctive feeling of discovery, the discovery of one man's perspective of life. It encompasses his travels, his deep respect for nature and the power of landscape and of the people he has encountered that left a lasting impression. This is a personal journey and we are afforded a share in it. We are awed by the expansive tableaus of dynamic landscapes that give the impression that we have seen them before. But, Hays develops his work from many simple sketches and the scenes come to life in his studio, a compilation of place distilled through his imaginative power and the finesse of his brush. Exploring this art is like reading chapters of many different books, all by the same author.
Hays is affable, philosophic and more than ready to share his opinions. The expansive loft that he shares with his wife, Patricia Long, serves as their personal apartment when they are not at their house in Nova Scotia, his studio and office, and the home of his unusual business. The business is an enormous one-room Bed and Breakfast suite that rents for a little over $100 a night.
Hays was a principal force in the founding of Gallery Walk. He recognized early the importance of consistency, festivity, and cooperation among participants. Hays understands the importance of bringing folks back again and has encouraged the growth in the number of venues.
The Artist's Loft is stop number 4 (all stops on Gallery Walk display large corresponding number signs) on the gallery walk. Hays began showing art in a more traditional way in the early days of Gallery Walk, displaying a new collection of artists each month in his space, but as the number venues grew, he was able to personalize his stop to a comprehensive showcase of his own talent.
Hays attributes the growth of the other citywide events, like the impressive success of the October Literary Festival and the new development of the Latchis Theater Complex (now operating under the umbrella of the Brattleboro Arts Initiative) as outgrowths of the success of Gallery Walk.
"Living downtown has shown me the importance of having a supportive artistic community. I see my friends and associates daily. We enthusiastically support each other's efforts knowing that we are in this together. The best part of Gallery Walk is that so much goes on within a couple of blocks. There are more activities than one can visit in one night. Folks keep coming back to fill in the gaps of their last visit," Hays said.
The Artist's Loft B&B and Gallery is located at 103 Main Street. For more information call (802) 257-5181 or on the web at www.theartistsloft.com. Normal gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Each month, Gallery Walk produces a 30-page brochure providing an easy to understand map and detailed information about the locations and points of interest. For information, contact Joy Wallens-Penford at (802) 257-2616 or at www.GalleryWalk.org.
On the subject of gallery walks, the December walk in Shelburne Falls was a night to remember. Despite the freezing temperatures, the entire town was lighted with luminaries, creating a special magic of winter wind, a bridge of lights, festive holiday shoppers in an upbeat mood and an interesting array of offerings. The normal date for the luminaries is November, but due to the rains, the event was postponed until Christmas week, a tradition that I hope will continue. The combination of the rushing water, the cold temperatures and the trails of candles create a fabulous holiday experience.
Gregory Morell is the directors of the Antic Arts Center which seeks to build bridges between the Arts and the business community. You can contact at him at grmorell@aol.com.
"Sagamore Lake" a large oil on canvas by William H. Hays on display at The Artist's Loft Gallery in Brattleboro
"Resplendent Light II" an oil on canvas by William H. Hays