Town Column : West Tisbury
By Hermine Hull
Published: May 21, 2009
As I look out the window at yet another silvery sky, I remind myself of how it makes colors appear brighter and yet obscures everything through its mysterious theatrical scrim. Unable to mow the rain-sodden grass, everyone is complaining about the state of their lawns. Tussocks of grass are thick underfoot and full of ticks.
Overhead and at eye level are the most glorious flowers: dogwoods, azaleas, rhododendrons, Spanish bluebells, Solomon's seal, redbud, and mayapples. Last week the Kwanzan cherries bloomed like Sumo ballerinas, enormous trunks and branches wearing party-pink skirts. The dogs' coats, as the ground below, were covered with their petals beaten down by the rain. As I say this, I am grateful for every drop, hoping it will mitigate the summer drought that's bound to come.
Art students from the Martha's Vineyard Public Charter School are the exhibitors at the West Tisbury Library through this month. Their work is quite imaginative and striking, so take a look.
I went to the Chilmark Library to see Julianna Donovan's paintings. A young (maybe four or five year-old) appreciator dressed in pink with big glasses was there with her mother. She accompanied me on my circuit around the room, addressing her commentary to me. Her favorite pieces were the croquet balls and fanciful mermaids. I preferred the landscapes, especially the more abstract ones called "Wheel Loader" and "Farm." I assume the farm is Mermaid Farm, as Julianna's husband is Bill Healy, who works there with his brother, Allen.
On the way home, I stopped in Gossamer Gallery on South Road, attracted by the outdoor sculpture garden and the promise of a visit with Joan Merry inside. Joan and her husband, Don Lyons, have been frequent travelers throughout sub-Saharan Africa, where they have met and collected work by several artists. Joan shared space in North Tisbury for the past few years. Now she has rented the former Stanley Murphy Gallery and transformed it into her own, filled with paintings and sculpture from Namibia and a few Vineyard artists and craftsmen. Gossamer is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.
Earlier in the week I saw Haven Cutler and asked when she and Carol Craven were planning to open for the season. The answer was, "This Friday for Memorial Day weekend." I am opening this Saturday. The Red Barn and the Field Gallery have already opened. The season is here.
For gardeners, it has been the season for some time. Middletown Nursery, Vineyard Gardens, and Heather Gardens are open with alluring displays and all the promise that early spring holds. The Martha's Vineyard Garden Club will hold a plant sale across from the Mill Pond this Saturday and Sunday, May 23 and 24. Next Friday, May 29, there will be a sale at the Polly Hill Arboretum.
Andrea Pacheco had big plans for her May 13 birthday. I saw Andrea with her mother, Heidi, last week and was impressed that she will have two birthday parties, one with family and one with friends. She didn't say whether it will make her twice as old but she definitely liked the idea of having two cakes.
