Art Field Trip

Yesterday I went on a little field trip with Nikki and Stephanie, a couple art friends.  We headed to one of my favorite galleries in the area, Mary Lou Zeek gallery in Salem.  Every year Mary Lou invites 100 artists to participate in a group show.  She sends each artist an object to create on/in/around in any way they see fit, and the works are auctioned off for a charity.  I participated one year when the object was a small wooden box and the proceeds went to an local environmental group.  The next year she sent us a plain 6x8" piece of corrugated cardboard with the proceeds going to a homeless shelter.  This year she sent out an assortment of hardbound books to benefit a literacy program.  I didn't participate, but Nikki had a wonderful piece in the show.  It's always fun to see the wide range of interpretations that artists come up with.  It's a very special show for worthy causes.  You can see it here.

The Mary Lou Zeek gallery is full of fun art.  I can never resist a face on something, so I picked up this wonderful little vase there:

After a tasty lunch at the Wild Pear, we went to Loose Ends, an unusual store out in the warehouse district.  It had imported items, home decor and some art/craft supplies.  I found this wonderful roll of stick and wire grid.  Not sure what I will do with it, but it had potential written all over it.  I'm seeing little fabric pieces hanging in some of the squares, or ribbons and fibers tied all over, or buttons suspended in the grids, or ???