GLOVERSVILLE — The Gloversville Public Library will be hosting an art show, “Local Inspiration: A View Through Local Eyes,” at the Fulton-Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce throughout March and April with a meet the artists night today from 5 to7 p.m.
The show was organized and curated by librarian Nicole Hauser and head of children’s services for the library Sally Fancher in collaboration with the chamber and Vice President Terry Swierzowski.
The exhibit features over 60 pieces from 35 artists who reside or work in the Fulton and Montgomery County region.
This is the first art exhibition that the library has organized. Hauser said on Monday that they received over 80 submissions for consideration from artists in the community.
“It was more than we anticipated, there was a great response from the community,” Hauser said. “We wanted to try to give people who may not have the opportunity a chance to showcase their work.”
Artists were initially limited to three submissions of their best work, a quantity Hauser said many submitted. In order to best accommodate all of the artists in the gallery space, Hauser and Fancher reduced the number of featured works per artist to a maximum of two.
There is no theme for the show that features art in a wide variety of mediums, including photography, painting, mixed media, sculpture, prints colored by hand and pencil drawings.
“There is a wide variety of art from area artists. It’s a pretty great show,” Hauser said.
Hauser said that the idea for the library to host an art exhibit at the chamber came after Fancher held a traveling storytime event there last summer. Following the event Hauser, Fancher and Swierzowski discussed other opportunities for the library and chamber to collaborate, settling on a library hosted art show in the chamber’s gallery.
The lobby of the chamber building is a large open space, doubling as a gallery featuring rotating events and displaying artwork from chamber members.
The exhibit, “Local Inspiration: A View Through Local Eyes,” is open to the public at the chamber from March 1 through April 20, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m..
Todays’s meet the artist night from 5 to 7 p.m. is open to the public free of charge and refreshments will be served. A number of the local artists whose works are featured in the show will be on hand to speak to visitors and answer questions about their work.
“Come see a great show and have a chance to meet some of the fantastic people who put it together,” Hauser said. “It should be an interesting evening.”
An award for best in show selected by the library staff will be presented during the reception to one artist at 6 p.m. along with a $100 prize from the chamber.
Visitors to the gallery can vote for their favorite work throughout the show’s run, with the winning artist receiving the people’s choice award and a $25 prize from the chamber. A ballot box is located inside the chamber’s gallery entrance for visitors to vote.
RSVP for the art show reception is preferred; contact Terry Swierzowski at the chamber at [email protected] or call (518) 725-0641.
