Featherstone Center for the Arts cast a wide net, and brought in 65 Island artists to participate in its “Gone Fishing” show, running through Oct. 12.
“This is such a fun show. We thought it would be a great way to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the fishing Derby, and a great way to invite the Island community to participate,“ CEO Ann Smith says. “It’s so eclectic and uplifting.”
Participating artists chose to reflect their work through a variety of mediums, including painting, ceramics, mixed media, photography, quilting, and much more. Striped bass, fishing boats, the ocean, lobster pots, mermaids, and more cover the walls of the Francine Kelly Gallery. One could spend hours taking it all in. Here are several pieces I chose to show variety, but there are many more equally wonderful works.
Lucy Menton’s piece “Something Fishy Going On” was used as the poster for the show. It’s an oil painting of little fish — minnows, perhaps — swimming together in one direction toward a lone minnow who seems to be patiently, and from his expression excitedly, waiting for them to catch up.
A collage, “Fish for Dinner” by Donna M. Blackburn, is clever and well-executed. The background is created from torn-up pieces of seafood recipes. If you look closely, you can see titles of dishes such as Deviled Scallops, Fish Soup, Scallops with Citrus Sauce, and others. Over the paper recipes, Blackburn has painted six fish in blues and grays with amazing textures. Her use of black lines adds wonderful movement to the piece.
Wendy Nierenberg’s quilt, “Fish,” is neat as a pin; the technical craftsmanship of her work is impressive. You’d be hard-pressed to find a crooked hem or a loose thread. Yet the piece, with its orange, yellow, pink, blue, purple, and green fish, isn’t uptight or fussy. It’s lively. When you stand close up, you will find a wavelike texture on the white background, and when you step back a bit, the color pattern of the fish makes them appear to be swimming.
“Jimmy’s Lure 5,” by Sydney Mullen, is a photograph of five lures in turquoise, blue, orange, yellow and green set on a white background. Luremaking is an art form itself, and because of the white background, the details, textures, and colors of the lures pop off the background as if you could reach out and touch one.
Jenn Sherr’s “Carl and the Fishing Derby,” is a mixed-media piece of formidable size. Smith notes that Sherr created this piece to honor her father and his years of participating in the Derby. The background is a collage of various maps, netting, and newspaper clippings. Attached to the center of the piece is a circle painted blue, with tubes covered in more maps, papers, and Derby pins. In the heart of the piece are several of her father’s Derby pins throughout the years.
“Sharkcuterie Dish,” by Sarah Beth Belanger, is a funny and clever ceramic piece. Possibly a nod to the 50th anniversary of the shooting of “Jaws” on the Island, or just a whimsical take on a chips and salsa platter, the ceramic plate has a shark’s head coming up out of the platter with his mouth wide open. This is such a happy piece, and such a clever way to serve chips and dip.
Blue Fish after Lure,” by Steven London, is done in gyotaku style, which is a traditional Japanese art form and method of printing fish to record a catch. Using ink or paint on the fish and pressing rice paper on top creates a unique print. The texture in this piece is wonderful, and there is a soothing and peaceful quality to it.
The acrylic painting, “Stripper & San Gibbs Lure,” by Brian Fitzpatrick, is a stylized eye-catcher. I saw it from across the room. It’s a “headshot” of a fish who clearly was ready for his close-up. Bright, colorful, fun, and humorous, Fitzpatrick’s choice and use of colors is spot-on.
David Ferguson’s “Chum Some of This,” is a piece one could stand in front of for a long time. It’s a bird’s-eye view of fish moving clockwise, getting smaller and smaller as they move toward the center, like a whirlpool, where they meet a person rowing a small boat. Ferguson mentions that this piece was created by ballpoint pen and patience.
Kate Feiffer’s mermaid is funny, fun, colorful, and charming. This mermaid makes a statement with her bold orange-red tail and hair. Yellow fish swim behind her heading off to the right, while a bright red fish faces her as she reaches toward it, seemingly whispering, “Come hither.”
“Vineyard Striper” by Carly Herosian is a unique and intriguing piece created out of the shells of local bay scallops, sea scallops, and razor clams. This looks like a challenging medium to work with, and Herosian does it brilliantly. The fish is beautifully proportioned. If you step back, it looks almost like a live fish, but standing close, you see shells cut to varying sizes to create the fins and scales.
Adrian Smith’s “Bluefish” is made out of slate, another medium that can be challenging to work with. Carving slate can be demanding, and requires precision to avoid breakage. Smith’s piece is stunning and technically prodigious.
There are so many more amazing, fun, stirring, and one-of-a-kind pieces in the “Gone Fishing” exhibit to view. Whether you’re an avid fisherman, an ocean lover, an ichthyologist, or a chef, there is a little something for everyone.
“I do believe that this show will spark memories for many who learned to fish, clam, scallop, and oyster in these precious waters,” Smith says. “Martha’s Vineyard is a gift for fish tales, and may these creative marine pieces of art spark joy and appreciation for our Island home. Get hooked and go fishing!”
Featherstone Center for the Arts, 30 Featherstone Lane, Oak Bluffs, featherstoneart.org.
