Town Column : Chilmark
By Jacqueline Sexton
Published: May 22, 2008
The art season is opening with a bang all over the Island. There are new artists introducing new concepts, and long-time artists trying new paths. Dawn Greeley took her passion for color to new and dazzling heights in a show, "Finding My Way," opening this Friday at the Shaw Cramer Gallery in Vineyard Haven, 6-8 pm. As many people have already heard, with sorrow, Dawn lost her battle with cancer just two weeks ago, and so the reception will be a celebration of both her work and her life. "She was so excited at having her first solo show and worked on her pieces with such enthusiasm and determination," says gallery owner Nancy Cramer. "She wanted to go ahead with the show whether or not she made it." Her husband, Roger, their son, Alex, other relatives, and friends will be at the opening, and everyone is welcome.
At the Chilmark Library, Valerie Sonnenthal will present a series of photographs taken in Peru's Sacred Valley in 2007 with an opening reception this Saturday, May 24, from 3 to 5 pm. All the pieces are panoramic assemblage studies for large-scale installations. Although seen in the show as flat, the photos are generally made for 360-degree viewing.
The artist's interest in landscapes stems from growing up in Manhattan and only being able to relish nature during vacations away from the city. She continues to dream of bringing large-scale landscapes into urban settings.
Ms. Sonnenthal, who was a photo editor for several New York City publications and also ran a gallery there, moved to Edgartown in 2006 with her two sons, Hudson and Sawyer, and their dogs, Coco and Zero. She has exhibited frequently at Featherstone Center for the Arts, and she is currently working on a performance piece to be presented in Spring 2009 at The Yard.
We have more sad tidings: Margaret Fenlon Kuh of Bethesda, Md., and a Menemsha summer resident since the 1950s, died May 10 after a long illness. Our sympathies go to her many friends and relatives, a number of whom live in Chilmark, including her daughter, Mary Ambulos, her grandson, Gabriel Ambulos, step-daughter, Audrey Straight, and nieces Sarah Kuh and Cathy Thompson. The whole community will miss her.
We hear from Pam Goff that the community soup suppers the church put on during the winter were "so much fun" that they will start up again in June. Accordingly, the first one will be Wednesday, June 4, and every succeeding Wednesday in June, 5:30-6:30 pm. There will be clam chowder and other soups, as well as breads and salads. Everyone is welcome. The suppers are free, but donations are welcome, and any funds in excess of expenses will go to the church's mission project. For more information, please call Mrs. Goff at 508-645-9471.
The Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company will present Mayne Mentshn at the Martha's Vineyard Performing Arts Center on Saturday, May 24, at 6:30 pm and Jewish Legacy Repertory at The Yard, Sunday, May 25, 8 pm.
For tickets and information, please call 508-645-9662 or go to dancetheyard.org.
Life in Chilmark: When an impatient individual from the Fishing Hot Line called the person who schedules the Chilmark Pond openings to ask when the pond would be open, he was informed that "Well, the plovers are nesting now... but Rusty is checking on it."
