Marion ArtWalk to feature Anne and Amy Lough in concert and two artists
See some of the works of Dr. Kamran Tavakol at the Appalachian Spirit Gallery's Second Friday ArtWalk.
Jewelry by Karen Cerstvik will also be celebrated at the ArtWalk.
The Appalachian Spirit Gallery, 144 West Main Street in Marion, has a great night planned for their July 10 Second Friday ArtWalk, which will be held from 5-8 p.m.
In the Gallery's ongoing efforts to showcase the talent of musicians living within a 50-mile radius of Marion, the July event will feature a concert by the very accomplished hammered dulcimer Appalachian musicians Anne and Amy Lough.
Anne Lough is an internationally known traditional musician with close to 50 years’ experience in performance and education. Dedicated to the preservation of traditional music, dance, stories and folklore, she now devotes her time to festivals, workshops, performances, Road Scholar classes and school residencies.
Anne has taught at major festivals and workshops throughout the country, in Ireland, the British Isles and Belgium. Excellence as a performer, her artistic interpretation, sensitive playing style, versatility, creative arranging and skill as an instructor have earned her international acclaim and bring a rare and unique quality to every performance.
Amy Lough, Anne's daughter, grew up singing with her family and followed in her mom's footsteps with a love for the mountain dulcimer. A talented musician in her own right, Amy has played throughout Appalachia at regional folk festivals, for tourism events, and on many front porches.
The July concert begins at 6 p.m. and is sponsored by The Bank of Marion.
Featured Artist
The featured artist for the July Artwalk event is Dr. Kamran Tavakol, of Marion.
In addition to his activities in medical research and academic teaching, Tavakol has been interested in visual art, painting and photography since his early 20s. In this regard, he has visited many European and North American museums and art galleries in past years and has been inspired by the works of Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet and Toulouse Lautrec, to name a few.
With respect to photography, he has taken hundreds of nature’s color slides during his residence in Canada (1975-1994), during which he collaborated with Freeman Patterson, a well-known photographer in eastern Canada and New York.
Tavakol established a local amateur photography group in New Brunswick, Canada, where he shared his vast experience in photography with the members for a few years. Later in his 30s, he developed interest in modern visual art and produced several collages that represented mental and environmental states. He is also interested in painting personal portraits, two examples of which will be on display during his gallery exhibition at the July Artwalk.
Featured Gallery Artist
The featured gallery member for the July Artwalk is Karen Cerstvik.
Cerstvik has loved and collected jewelry from an early age, but she had not thought about making it herself until she started watching Jewel School, a comprehensive program for jewelry making on Jewelry Television.
After about a year of watching Jewel School staff make “really cool jewelry with really cool materials,” she decided to try it herself. She ordered some beads and got basic tools and findings from a local craft store about 2010. In her words: " I was hooked! I sold my first pieces in the neighborhood and to family and friends. I made a lot of presents those first years too, and stocked my inventory."
Another resource for Cerstvik was the library. "I think I checked out every jewelry making book the state of Rhode Island had in its system! I practiced the how-to's and drooled over the designs."
According to Cerstvik, Jewel School was a constant. They had authors and designers visit the show, present designs and demonstrate new tools. Because the Jewel School also broadcast the show on Facebook, she got to "meet" other viewers and makers like her and she began to feel part of a whole community.
"When I moved to Virginia, I tried the Bristol Farmers Market for two years, with some success. But I'm NOT an early morning person. Setting up for an 8 a.m. opening did not suit this retiree! So, when I moved to Marion, I began to search for other outlets.” One outlet for Cerstvik was the College Community Club's annual craft fair at Emory & Henry each November. She has shown her jewelry there for the past three years.
And then Cerstvik Karen was introduced to the Appalachian Spirit Gallery.
"I showed my work and was accepted as a member. This is my fourth year, and I love being part of this creative group! I mostly make earrings, and I enjoy playing with the beads to come up with different combinations. Last year, I expanded into bracelets made with gemstones, Czech glass, crystals and glass pearls."
New work on display by Appalachian Spirit Gallery members includes paintings, executed in oils, watercolors, acrylics, and mixed media. Other work includes photography, jewelry, pottery, turned-wood items, quilts, felted scarves and vessels, botanical printing, weaving, stained glass, papermaking and handmade books.
The gallery is run by the Appalachian Spirit Artists Association, a 501(c)3 organization composed of artisans who share jobs to fulfill the group’s mission to celebrate the arts, traditions, lore and spirit of the Appalachian Mountains by demonstrating the work of local talent.
The monthly Second Friday ArtWalks are always free and open to the public.
