In the mid-1990s the Meetinghouse Center for the Arts moved to its current home on the site of the former Featherstone Farm — a picturesque six-acre plot of farmland surrounded by Land Bank property. The center has since become home to six buildings housing a variety of art studios, classrooms, and galleries. In honor of its 20-plus-year history in its current home, Featherstone is now hosting a multi-artist show titled “Feather and Stone,” with all of the work featuring one or the other.
With the work of 90 artists and a dozen different media represented, the ongoing show spotlights the diversity of artists who call the Vineyard home.
“We love that there is so much variety in subject matter and mediums, yet all are uniquely related to feather and stone,” says Featherstone director Ann Smith. “Martha’s Vineyard is the perfect environment and stage to host such a show, devoted to nature and our natural surroundings.”
Among numerous paintings of birds and photos of beach stones and stone walls, some of the more interesting interpretations of the theme are some simple bird sculptures made from sand by Marston Clough, a mixed-media semi-abstract work by Rob Hauck titled “Erratics,” and a tapestry by Shelly Davis featuring neutral colors and horizontal imagery to illustrate “Sticks and Stones.”
A couple of artists managed to incorporate both elements into their work. Adam Petkus carved some simple feather images into beach stones, while Sara Vail fashioned delicate bird’s nests out of wire and populated them with rock “eggs.”
Two large-scale sculptures dominate the scene at the spacious Francine Kelly Gallery. Barney Zeitz’ majestic stainless steel owl perches by the front windowed wall with wings outspread. Simon Hickman’s huge abstract wooden sculpture features both human and avian appendages. With its graceful curves blending with unusual carved details, the piece is really a standout.
With so many styles of painting included, the show is really a feast for art lovers. Some memorable pieces include a dramatic, very detailed painting of an owl against a huge moon by George Brown, a series of expertly rendered feathers by Lynn Hoeft, and a interesting, almost dreamlike photorealist work by Ella Mahoney featuring a gathering of black rabbits on a rock-strewn beach.
Colorfully setting the scene in the lobby are a large Flying Geese quilt by Wendy Nierenberg and a wonderful fabric-draped vase bursting with an arrangement of peacock feathers and blue dried plant elements by Minor Gibson.
The clever theme has given birth to a very interesting exhibit. Next up for Featherstone is a show titled “Silver and Gold,” which will no doubt lend itself to further exploration of the length and breadth of local artistic talent.
“We hope our creative and encompassing themes, especially in these winter months, will inspire our Island artists to participate and showcase their artistic talents,” says Smith.