Well, we're at the end of the year and and the end of our first 5.5 months of business. We've done quite a lot since our days of getting organized and getting open. And your response has been amazing!

Since July, 13 we have had four exhibitions with public openings, several community events, Friday music nights, and poetry and prose readings.

Your participation has been overwhelming! You have come out in all kinds of weather to support your local artists and causes, and we all appreciate your support.

 Our Christmas Season got off to a solid start with the Indiana County Tourist Bureau's Member Mingle followed by Downtown Indiana's Light Up Night.
You met our artists in the window on Saturdays, and some of you received gifts made by your children in our Make & Take workshops.

So, in writing this I just want say thank you for an incredible 2012 and that I am looking forward to working with you again in 2013.

Looking ahead we have 10 incredible exhibitions scheduled for 2013. We will be starting off with the Indiana County Quilt Invitational. What better way to celebrate art in January than with a quilt show? The work of 7 Indiana County quilters will be showcased in January. Curator Sandy Burwell helped to choose the quilts and to arrange the show. I think you will be impressed with the variety of work and skill displayed.

Plan on coming out for the show opening Friday, January 11, from 6 to 8.  The Simple Groove will be the musical entertainment.

And January holds so much more in the way of musical entertainment. Our Live Music Friday evenings from 6 to 8 will return with local favorite Grist for the Mill performing on January 18 and our perennial favorite Al Craige playing Jazz Guitar on January 25.  And Cindi Kordell will return on Tuesday afternoon, January 8 from  1 to 3. All music events are BYOB.

Thank you again and here's to a Busy, Prosperous and Arts filled New Year!

Bob Bonnet

Bob started his pottery career in 1974 and continued making functional ware for 6 years before he decided to suspend it for a more regular income. in 2001, he returned to the work he truly loves.

He is mostly self-taught with a few ceramics courses thrown in. Making a living as a carpenter, handyman, plumber, electrician, construction company owner and operator, and as a salesman, has provided him with a wide variety of skills and experience that he can bring to the physical and technical demands of working with clay. 

Bob says, "I want the large size of the piece, the well-crafted form and the bold decoration, to be one-of-a-kind pieces that will be displayed prominently and make a dramatic statement."

Potter's Tour Exhibition
Celadon Bowl
$40

Bob incorporates intricate, yet subtle details into his pottery that catch the viewer's eye and coerce you to take a closer look. 

It most of his work, he embosses the clay with various materials that allow for a textured appearance. 

To learn more about this artist and many others, please visit The Artists Hand Gallery, "Where Artists and Patrons Meet, 732 Philadelphia Street!"

www.theartistshandgallery.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Artists-Hand/52428662586

Local illustrator, Ken Vinton, to sign copies of "Alphie Finds the Seashell Alphabet"

The Artists Hand will be hosting a book signing on December 7 from 6-8pm which will feature Ken Vinton, the illustrator of the newly published children's book, "Alphie Finds the Seashell Alphabet". Ken, who has artwork currently housed at the gallery, painted all of the illustrations found in the children's book.

The story tells a tale about Alphie, the Alphabet Cone (Conus spurius), a shell usually cream to white in color that features rows of irregular orange, light-, or dark-brown spots. The “spots” form shapes similar to the letters of the alphabet. Alphie finds shells that have common names beginning with the letters of the alphabet, a-z.

Ken was born, raised, and educated in Indiana, PA, where he currently resides. He has been an art teacher (retired), a contractor (retired), an accountant (big mistake), racquetball pro (not-so-good), an author (three books), an illustrator (thirteen books), a national speaker on creativity and the gifted (fifteen years), an antique dealer (thirty years), and now, as always, a full time artist! A studio in the third floor of the family home is where watercolors and drawings evolve, mostly at night; sometimes all night if the passion blocks reality and time. 

Stop at the book signing on December 7th to meet Ken and get your copy signed!

Mary Beth Barber

Mary Beth Barber was born and raised in Indiana, Pa. She mostly does charcoal drawings with photo realism in mind, although she occasionally paints and dabbles in some other mediums. She currently works as a custom framer at Michael's arts and crafts store. She attended IUP as a Fine Arts major, but did not finish. She plans on going back in the near future because IUP was where she realized that she could do the realistic style drawings. She does photo realism because she is still kind of shocked that she can do it in the first place. She takes all of her own photos and works straight from the photo. She typically starts with the most detailed areas and works from there.

"Country Road"
Charcoal Drawing
$300

Mary Beth really captures the details of her photography in her drawings. She is truly a master with these outstanding skills. She draws with such perfection that it is hard to tell whether it's an actual black and white photo or an amazing drawing.

To learn more about this artist and many others, please visit The Artists Hand Gallery, "Where Artists and Patrons Meet, 732 Philadelphia Street!"

www.theartistshandgallery.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Artists-Hand/52428662586

Are you in the mood for some Christmas music?

On Friday, November 16th, Indiana will be holding it's annual light-up night! 

To help celebrate this holiday season, Lynn Jones and Chuck Potthast will be singing their favorite Christmas songs at the Artists Hand Gallery from 5:30-7pm. Stop in and enjoy a hot cup of coffee along with some festive music! 

Chuck Battaglini

Chuck is now a retired professor who once taught at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he also received his education. He has been a member of the Indiana Community for 35 years and his artwork has proven to be quite popular. With collections in such places as PPG Industries, H.J. Heinz Co. and Price Waterhouse, Chuck's work has become increasingly renowned. 

"Moving Islands"
Oil Painting
$500.00

While Chuck's artwork tends to be expressive and quite abstract, he includes hints of recognizable objects into his pieces. His work allows the viewer to focus on the texture and dimension of the piece by not clouding the canvas with distinguishable objects. The way he brings attention to the vibrant pigments not only evokes emotion, but compels the viewer to feel a connection with his pieces. His beautiful use of blending complimentary colors is what sets his work apart from other artists. 

To learn more about this artist and many others, please visit The Artists Hand Gallery, "Where Artists and Patrons Meet, 732 Philadelphia Street!"

www.theartistshandgallery.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Artists-Hand/52428662586

Book Sale & 

Open Mic Night

Sponsored by the IUP English Graduate Organization

Calling all old-fashioned book readers! (No offense to the kindle and nook fans) Come browse a number of great readings at our Book Sale on November 1st and 3rd from 8 am to 7 pm. This is a free community event and we are encouraging all to check it out. After all, you never know what books could interest you until you check out a new collection!!
Books as well as T-shirts will be sold both days by IUP's chapters of the English Graduate Organization and Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society.

The Open Mic Night will be from 12 pm to 5 pm on November 3rd only. We invite poetry, short stories, a bit of philosophy or an acting scene would even be fun to see! Or bring us something new and creative that has to do with literature or creative writing. This is a great chance to get comfortable with reading to an audience and to share your creativity with other open minds.

After you all share your great work, four local authors will be featured from 5 pm to 7 pm. A little about the featured readers:

• Patrick Bizzaro, IUP English professor and author of nine books and chapbooks of poetry. He frequently reviews peers' work in magazines such as the Asheville Poetry Review, the North Carolina literary Review and the Appalachian Journal, among others.
• Wesley Dunning, a student in IUP's doctoral program in Composition and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Dunning will read poems from his master's thesis, "Rooted Down." He received a master's degree in creative writing from the University of Memphis.
• Mitch James, an IUP English instructor and doctoral student in the Composition and TESOL program. James, who received a master;s degree in literature from IUP, has poetry forthcoming in Digital Americana and Blue Earth Review, as well as a short story collection, "The Cut Worm Forgives the Plow," from Etopia Press.
• Johnny Hrebik, also an IUP English instructor and doctoral student in the Composition and TESOL program. Hrebik received a master's degree in creative writing from Chatham University.

We hope to see you all here!

 November 1st & 3rd. Don't forget!!

Jason Chimonides performing live music at the Gallery!

On Friday, October 26, Jason Chimonides, an assistant professor in the Department of Theater and Dance at IUP, will be playing 70's easy listening music for us on his acoustic guitar. The show will start at 5:15pm and end at 6pm or later. Stop by and make an appearance! 

All are welcome! 


To learn more about this artist and many others, please visit The Artists Hand Gallery, "Where Artists and Patrons Meet, 732 Philadelphia Street!"


www.theartistshandgallery.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Artists-Hand/52428662586

Mark Altrogge

Mark graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) in 1972 with a degree in Art Education. He then went on to receive his Master's Degree in Painting, also from IUP. Influenced primarily by Vincent Van Gogh and other Expressionists, Mark uses rich colors and rhythmic brushwork in his oil paintings. 

"Ninth Street Deli"
Oil Painting
$350.00

In this particular painting, Mark focuses on a well-known landmark in Indiana, PA, Ninth Street Deli. His broad and colorful brush strokes allow the viewer to piece together the framework of this familiar establishment into something recognizable.  

To learn more about this artist and many others, please visit The Artists Hand Gallery, "Where Artists and Patrons Meet, 732 Philadelphia Street!"


www.theartistshandgallery.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Artists-Hand/52428662586