WHALLONSBURG — Whitcomb’s Arts’ upcoming show in the gallery, “Harvest: The Art of Local Farmers,” celebrates the creativity and imagination of 11 farmer-artists, such as William Glaser Wilson of Essex Farm.
His found work, “Inventing Signs,” artistically marks the beginning of an end when he and his wife and fellow artist, Julia, and their daughter relocated from Savannah, Georgia, to the Adirondacks.
Wilson studied at Virginia Commonwealth University, master of fine arts, and Savannah College of Art and Design, bachelor of fine arts.
“It’s kind of intuitive energy,” he said. “We were living in this non-functioning rectory, and I was working in this non-functioning empty Catholic Church that we were renting for a little while.
“It was in this really weird part of the Adirondacks that was post-industry, no tourism. It was being surrounded by more or less nothing and just in a really isolated area. There were certainly no art supply stores around, so I felt like it was really going back to using the supplies at hand and seeing what was in the surrounding area and not only using kind of the flora and fauna that we would find on our dog walks and our goings about.”
Wilson also brought construction materials to his artistic process in “Inventing Signs.”
“It was kind of a blending of the materials at hand, but some of the objects and various materials you might find in a hardware store,” Wilson said.
“But the work itself, I feel, is really kind of a focus on the area that’s surrounding us and trying to make sense of so much of what I find to be incredibly important but also incredibly illusory and weird in this area that is being overtaken by nature. But also in this weird kind of landmark state, like one of those really weird North Country towns where, like, there’s a town, but there’s not really a town.”
“Harvest: The Art of Local Farmers” runs from Jan. 8 through March 21, with an opening reception with the artists Jan. 9 from 5 to 7 p.m.
The exhibition highlights the intersection of farming and art through the work of artists who labor on the land.
“Both farmers and artists transform raw materials into products that have value and meaning,” Michelle Parker, the show’s co-curator, said in a press release.
“Both require dedication, growth from practice and an overarching vision. The farmer-artists in the exhibition have drawn from their unique experiences and our shared surroundings to create this remarkable collection of artwork in our gallery space.”
The mid-winter show will highlight eleven artists whose works include paintings, textiles, block prints, ink drawings, ceramics and sculptures. They use fleece, wood, metal, paint, ink, canvas, paper, clay and found objects as raw materials.
The artists contributing to the exhibit are Michael Champagne, North Point Community Farm; Zach Clemans, Sandy’s Supper Club and Landscape Paintings; Cynthia Ford-Johnston, DaCy Meadow Farm; Doliah Francis, Sand River Community Farm; Wilson, Essex Farm; Lotta Hauswaldt, Essex Farm; Kirsten Liebl, Wollecru; Joanie McMahon, Essex Farm; Benji Shankwitz, Mace Chasm Farm; Gizella Spencer, North Point Community Farm; and Susie Tarnowicz, Sugar House Creamery.
If You Go WHAT: “Harvest: The Art of Local Farmers” WHEN: Opens Jan. 8 and closes March 21. The opening reception with the artists will take place on Friday, Jan. 9 from 5 to 7 p.m. WHERE: Whitcomb’s Gallery is located at 1598 NYS Route 22, across from the Whallonsburg Grange, in Essex, NY. HOURS: The gallery is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information visit www.thegrangehall.info.