A bowl of wrapped chocolates demonstrates Mary Beth McClure's passion for glass. She fuses different colors and types of glass then fires them in a kiln.Several local artists are opening their hearts to Hart on Friday.
In-Town Gallery, Chattanooga's 40-year-old cooperative gallery, is hosting Art to Hart, combining its regular First Friday reception with a benefit to collect art supplies for nonprofit Hart Gallery.
Hart, located at 110 E. Main St., is unusual in that its mission is to offer the homeless and other nontraditional artists a way to create and sell their work. Additionally, staff at Hart teaches classes for other nonprofits around town that serve senior adults, at-risk youth, families in crisis and the physically or mentally disabled.
Gay Arthur painted "Re-Tired Man," after she and fellow painter Victoria Pearmain met "this really cool guy" on M.L.King Boulevard while the two artists were walking in downtown Chattanooga. Arthur's work gives insight into a "man who has probably seen better days but has a dignity of his own," an example of the clientele Hart Gallery serves."February is the month of the heart, a month for giving," says In-Town President Virginia Webb. "We felt this was a really good fit. We have 33 artists who all understand the need for good supplies and camaraderie with other artists. It's an outreach from our gallery to the artists of Hart."
Ellen Heavilon, founder and director of Hart Gallery, explains that all supplies used by clients of the nonprofit are funded through donations and a nominal percentage the nonprofit gets from sales of its clients' work.
"Work here sells for anywhere from $5 for a pair of earrings to about $200 for framed paintings," Heavilon says. "When art sells, the artist keeps 60 percent and we keep 30 percent for supplies and costs of framing. The remaining 10 percent is donated to the nonprofit of the artist's choosing."
The Hart Gallery opened four years ago, she says, and has served more than 8,500 people since then, "most of those through classes."
Hart staff leads weekly classes at Siskin Rehabilitation Hospital, and twice a week they visit Chattanooga Community Kitchen and Salvation Army's Re-create Cafe, she says. They also work with women in Partnership for Families, Children and Adults' domestic violence program and lead knitting and crocheting classes at Building Stable Lives in East Lake.
Each handwoven shawl by Irene Catlin has its own pattern utilizing the unique features of the type of yarn and its color. Her fiber choices include llama, alpaca, mink, yak, bamboo, wool, cashmere, silk or a combination of these.Webb says all manner of supplies are needed, with the exception of oil paints. Otherwise, In-Town will accept donations of materials used for drawing, acrylic painting, watercolors, sculpture, pottery, woodworking, glass, beading, knitting, sewing, frames, canvases or paper.
Heavilon adds that Hart's greatest needs are art pads for both acrylic and watercolor paints, any size canvases, Sharpies and paint pens.
"Winnowing out one's own unfinished projects could be just what is needed to help Hart's mission," suggests In-Town's Jennie Kirkpatrick.
Webb says the reception is open to the public as well as all area artists. In-Town will accept donations of materials at its Frazier Avenue location throughout the month of February, she says, in addition to monetary donations from visitors who do not have supplies to give.
Featured In-Town artists for this month's First Friday reception will be oil painter Gay Arthur, textile artist Irene Catlin, glass artist Mary Beth McClure and Jim Roche, who makes pens by hand, embedding unusual materials in acrylic casings.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.