Scaled Down: A Members' Exhibition

/// ABOUT THIS EXHIBITION

ArtsWorcester West Gallery

November 16 through December 17, 2023

Reception: Friday, November 17, 6:00-9:00 PM /// Learn more.

To round out the year, all artist members were invited to participate in this non-juried exhibition of small work with no theme and no media limitations. Come see a showcase of works by 124 artist members whose creations push the limits of their small scale--and prices perfectly sized for holiday gifting. Prize winners selected by Chris Michelotti (independent curator and creative director) will be announced at the public reception on Friday, November 17.

Exhibition support comes from:

Ongoing support comes from:

/// ABOUT THE PRIZE JUROR

Chris Michelotti is an independent curator and creative director interested in nontraditional spaces for the visual arts and making art more accessible. After spending his early career focused on graphic design in Seattle, he transitioned fully into the arts after serving as a designer for an indie board game. Since relocating to Massachusetts in 2020, Chris has curated and produced over 25 exhibitions and community-based projects in the city of Worcester. Through his company Panduh Productions, he works with local businesses to provide emerging and working artists unique spaces to present their works and engage with audiences outside traditional galleries. His own works have been selected for two city of Worcester projects – Give Me a Sign & I Voted and have been featured in shows at the JMAC, Artifakt Supply, Electric Haze, and CNCPT6. Chris holds a BA in Media and Communications from Asbury University. He is a member of the Worcester Bid’s Beautification and Placemaking Committee and a member of the leadership team for the Worcester Bazaar.

Ann Barrett, Whale-Time

@annbarrett430

beads, embroidery floss, box, Closed: 9" x 6" Open: 9" x 12", 2019, Not For Sale

Each bead represents 300,000 years. The light and dark blue beads represent the number of units of 300,000 years modern whales have lived on Earth. (114 units) The red bead represents how long Homo sapiens have lived on Earth (1 unit). Homo sapiens evolved in Africa 300,000 years ago. Modern whales were living in the oceans 34 million years ago. Whales have lived on Earth 114 times longer than humans have. What could we learn from mammals with much more experience living on our shared planet?

Ricardo Barros, Two Nudes (Backs)

photography, 3.75" x 5", project completed 2020, image printed 2023, $350 (sold)

FIGURING SPACE: I used the figure in a constrained environment to explore how one might photograph “space.” My space was a box exactly matching my viewfinder proportions. Knowing that space can’t be seen or touched, I used my box as a delimiter manifesting a particular space, models as my avatars, and space as a metaphor. The images were ultimately assembled into a short video. The prints have not yet been exhibited.

Lisa Barthelson, aii 50, art in isolation, family debris

@lisa_barthelson

monoprint with mixed media: printed collage and thread, 8" x 8" x 1.50", 2023, $450

My ‘art in isolation’ pieces re-use family debris monoprint remnants created by layering inked printing plates with my family's ephemeral and permanent cast-offs, recording the mundane and obsolete. The compact scale enables me to hold the prints in my hand as I stitch and collage on each piece. The aii pieces feel reminiscent of ‘at home’ domestic arts and offer the same devotion and comfort in the making. In the end, the work is meditative, providing the opportunity to pursue sustainability and to re-use and re-work while following my mantra: waste not, want not.

Ray Bernoff, Trash Painting #11

@rmhbernoff

mixed media art waste (acrylic, Mod Podge, metal leaf, plastic film, and styrofoam) on canvas board, 4" x 4", 2023, $100

In my series 'Trash Paintings,' I only use materials left over from other art projects—unused acrylic paint lingering on the palette, sheets of half-dried glue from the morning after a papier-mache session, snippets of cardboard picked off the floor. I assembled Trash Painting #11 using waste from a series of small clay wall ornaments I made in 2023. Creating with waste emboldens me to explore textures and compositions I'm scared will be ugly. What's the worst that could happen? It's already trash.

Aisena Cekrezi, The Gift

@studioaisena

acrylic, 8” x 8”, 2023, $150

My work is inspired by scenes of country life and my early memories of European summers. These happy memories caught on canvas are small but powerful. They beg the viewer to come closer and take another look. My work is a take on a romanticized perception of country life, one that is balanced and exquisitely vivid. The colors, textures, and content form images of a life I have longed for since I was a child. This feeling of longing is able to live on in my art as a physical homage to the beauties of my childhood home, Albania.

Ben Cline, Woodland Fairy (Fada Sylvestra)

@clinecraft ; /clinecraft

hand-detailed prop in a hand-crafted wooden display box, 9.5" x 8.25" x 3", 2023, $150 (sold)

The Woodland Fairy (Fada Sylvestra) piece was created using multiple disciplines, such as a hand-crafted wooden display box, custom-designed labels, and realistic modeling by utilizing weathering techniques. Both traditional hand tools and digital equipment were used to create this piece. The entire piece was crafted with attention to detail, and the intention is for the viewer to discover something new each time they view the piece. In line with the attention to detail, there are many references from the world of H.P. Lovecraft.

Carrie Crane, Portal

@carrie_crane_art

graphite, film, polycarbonate, acrylic paint on paper, 6.5" x 8" x 6.5", 2023, $700

This piece is part of the Platonic Solids Deconstructed series of sculptures, which are an extension of a series of paintings. Each piece is based on one or more of the Platonic solids. Editing the shapes, I eliminated sides, created protrusions, and stretched walls. I added trompe l'oeil drawings and reflective film to render the inside and outside ambiguous. This is a mysterious object with an uncertain function, letting the viewer come up with the story.

Christine Croteau, Passages

@croteauchristine

sculpture found object - piece of old stair case., 9.5” x 5” x 2.5”, 2023, $108

This is part of a very old and crumbly staircase. It was unearthed on Bancroft Hill in Worcester, MA, while new hiking trails were being blazed in 2023. I enjoy the shape, colors, and textures of its natural decay and its anthropomorphic elements. Staircases symbolize a passage to, from, or through something. Currently, I, my friends and family, and the world seem to be on a very precarious staircase leading to unknown ends. Yet we exist and live our lives in the passage. Neither at the beginning nor end. This piece is about finding beauty in the passage.

Kristi DiSalle, Blossoming

@kristileighcreations, @kristileighgillustration, /wonderandwhimsy

alcohol markers and colored pencil on bristol; cinnamon sugar, 10" x 10", 2023, $200

Personal trainer Brett Hoebel has said "Food is a lot of people's therapy- when we say comfort food, we really mean that. It's releasing dopamine and serotonin in your brain that makes you feel good." This piece is all about comfort. The recognizable, repeating image of the blossom cookies is meant to kindle thoughts of the holidays. I used warm colors for the cookies and contrasted them with the blue background to emphasize the warmth of the comfort food. The implied and real texture is meant to make the viewer feel like they can pick them up and eat them.

Pamela Dorris DeJong, Field Study

cold wax, oil, on braced birch panel, 8" x 8", 2023, $200 (sold)

Inspired by the Boston Nature Conservatory Program for preschoolers, this piece depicts children searching for special things to collage later. It reminds me of days looking for pussy willows and milkweed, playing with dandelions and pebbles. Children bring hope for our future. At this young age, they are focused on the environment. Let us not let them forget the glimmers of joy and beauty of our local green spaces and outdoor habitats as they progress through their busy lives.

Madge Evers, Black and White Creeper

@_sporeplay

cyanotype on altered book page and cold wax on cradled board, 8" x 10", 2022, $300 (sold)

I am an avid composter (33% of our waste is compostable!). Real plants grow from my efforts. Paper is compostable too, so from my shelves, I gather images on pages of scarcely opened books that will eventually be discarded. I began with the salvaged work of John Audubon. It felt strange to alter the birds, covering the painter’s carefully rendered habitats in cyanotype chemistry. In this image, I used chervil grown in my garden with compost made from household waste. Once complete, I mounted the image on a cradled board and finished it with cold wax.

Melody Fortier, For Naomi

acrylic and mica on wood, painted wood molding, glass dome, millinery netting/trim, found garter, 10" x 6" x 2 1/4", 2023, $250

For years, I have been salvaging vintage hose garters from old sewing boxes. I am mesmerized by their lovely little shapes as well as their hidden history. This piece is one in an ongoing series, each enshrining an individual garter. Each garter has an anonymous past, something for our imaginations to ponder. To me, they are dear and intimate objects to be treasured. I dedicated each piece to a person from my life who has passed on, whose own old garters are now lost to time. This piece is for Naomi.

Suzanne Gainer, Chat de Chefchaouen

@suzannegainerstudio

archival ink jet print, 9.625" x 7.5", 2023, $110

Chefchaouen, nicknamed 'The Blue City,' is a town in northwest Morocco known for its blue-painted buildings. I traveled there in March 2023 and fell in love with the endless photographic possibilities. Narrow cobblestone streets, ornate doors, figs and olives, the sounds of Arabic, Berber, French, and everything awash in shades of blue. This photograph depicts one of a myriad of cats roaming the streets against a carefully composed geometric background.

Alana Garrigues, The Cells Know the Way

@alanaofloveandlight

watercolor on bristol paper, 6" x 6" x .75" (framed), 4" x 4" (unframed), 2022, $225

This watercolor piece on paper is created with Daniel Smith Primatek watercolors, made of natural pigments from the earth. Soil and minerals mixed with water represent a cross-section of a tree trunk. Part of the "Mother Tree Holds the Stories" series, this small painting is one of several 4x4" paintings that explore tree rings and biodiversity and invite the viewer to consider in quiet reverence our deep connection to those who clean our air, provide shade and beauty, invite play.

Nikki Howland, Goddess

@nikkihowland

soapstone, 4” x 3.5” x 3”, 2022, $180

Ancient statues depicting females have always been described as “some sort of fertility figures”, as if the only role women could have ever played throughout history is bearing children. This is a narrow minded view of ancient cultures as it imposes modern misogynistic and patriarchal values. However, it is becoming more widely accepted that these forms were representations of Mother Goddesses, the Creators and Destructors of the Universe, the Earth and all Life contained within.
This sculpture is an abstract representation of a Mother Goddess. The red stone flowing with Her life-giving blood, reminds us of Her everlasting, elemental powers.

Jerry Keefe, One Chill Mushroom

@_lizardsarecool_

polymer clay, 2.5" x 2.7", 2023, Not For Sale

Made of clay, One Chill Mushroom was created as a reflection to relax, enjoy the fun intricacies that life has to offer, and not take anything too seriously. I decided to create a form from an organic subject of the mushroom and give it a very human pose in order to portray a relaxed energy through the clay. This piece is a reminder to those who are feeling off to not lose sight of the enjoyment and tranquility that life has to offer by sitting and enjoying whatever makes you feel the most joyful.

Patti Kelly, Pink Sky

acrylic mixed media, 8" x 8", 2022, $300

With the world forever changing and with the division of people, my process starts by seeing and feeling for hours outside my protected space. By going on walks around my neighborhood, on paths in parks and woods, driving by open spaces and vast skies, dreaming about what is beyond the sky and what is underneath the ground. The sounds and smells of the ocean and what lives around this open scene. My work is an abstract expression with color and mood as my focus. I hope the viewer will feel that space and step into their own reflections and memories.

Patricia King, Sew Many Projects

acrylic on canvas with fabric scraps, thread, needles, and pins, 8" x 8", 2023, $100

Sew Many Projects was created using "leftover" fabric scraps and other sewing supplies that have accumulated over many years. Some of the unique items it includes are an embroidered piece of lace from my 1970s wedding dress, buttons from my grandmother's button box, and a snap (can you even buy snaps anymore?). This piece is a reminder of the things we hold on to because we expect them to be useful someday.

Stevie Leigh, Self Portrait 2023

@ItsMeStevieLeigh

upcycled denim scraps, yarn, metal zipper scraps, 11" x 7" x 1", 2023, $299

Dolls were my first introduction to the art of fashion. As a child, I had many dolls of all mediums: porcelain, rag, Barbie, and even a My Twin doll. It is only fitting that this self-portrait is a mini 3D doll made of the material that I use for all my artworks: upcycled denim scraps. From my blue hair to my favorite jacket to the doll stuffing, which is also upcycled denim, Self Portrait 2023 is a representative of how I've grown and who I currently am, not only in looks but also in what I am made of.

Rebecca McGee Tuck, Brushwood 224

@rebeccabombshellart

sea debris, wire, 10" x 4" x 10", 2023, $300

This small sculpture, crafted from the discarded remnants that washed ashore, stands as a testament to the impact of our actions on the environment. From the debris emerges a sculpture where discarded plastic, metal, and wood find new purpose and beauty. This piece serves as a reminder of our responsibility towards the planet, urging us to reconsider our habits and protect our oceans. Each piece of flotsam narrates a story of neglect turned into redemption, demonstrating the transformative power of creativity and our ability to make a positive change, one fragment at a time.

Heather Muenstermann, Closed Chapter

@h_muenstermann_art

mixed media (beeswax, cardboard, photography, copper wire, jute), 6" x 9" x 2", 2023, $100

In this piece, I've revisited the use of beeswax in my artwork. In addition to the olfactory indulgences, I find the ethereal, foggy effect of the wax very appealing. While it's been some time since I've used encaustic methods, cardboard has been a favorite material as of late. In Closed Chapter, layers are secured between covers holding snippets of photographs, all of which are tightly bound with copper and jute. This piece is a nod to a chapter, tightly closed yet still present; covered in pattern and color, it gives little indication as to what's held inside.

Diane Mulligan, The Moat Garden

@dianepaintsflowers

watercolor on ampersand aquabord, 8" x 10", 2023, $150 (sold)

The Moat Garden inspires this field of poppies and blue cornflowers at the Tower of London. On a recent visit to London, I fell in love with this oasis of wildflowers in the middle of the bustling metropolis. This painting was made from location sketches and photographs I took during my visit, when common poppies, California poppies, blue cornflowers, and Queen Anne's Lace overflowed the beds. It's always a good idea to stop and enjoy flowers wherever we may find them.

Brian Murphrey, Main & Pleasent / Front Streets

Worcester_in_blackandwhite

black and white photography, 8" x 10", 2019, $100

When Covid-19 hit Worcester, I was commissioned to shoot photos of the city by a friend opening up a new dental office. I'm the type of person who is creative and thought what a perfect opportunity to shoot our city in all its glory. It turned out to be an unbelievable experience as the streets were empty, with no people, and few cars. This photo is one of my top 50 B&W’s of the Woo.

Vernita Nemec, Sailing Away

@vernita

discarded and recycled plastic, 5" x 5" x 7", 2023, $125

I am deeply troubled by the environmental destruction caused by plastic pollution. Our oceans and landfills are drowning in plastic waste, endangering wildlife and even infiltrating human organs. To combat this, I've turned to artmaking as a solution and use plastic discards as my primary medium. By transforming these otherwise discarded plastic objects into meaningful artworks, I'm giving value and purpose to plastic, urging society to reconsider its habits. Art can ignite change. I create this art to serve as a reminder that we must act now, embracing sustainable practices and responsible consumption to safeguard our planet and its inhabitants.

Kat O'Connor, Just the Dress

@katopaints

acrylic, watercolor, and graphite on wood panel, 9 1/2" x 4 3/4", 2023, $395 (sold)

Just the Dress is part of a series exploring the idea of clothing hiding or exposing the body beneath. It takes its cue from Greek sculptures of women, where thin drapery allowed the artist to explore the human form. In order to create a diaphanous, ethereal quality to the fabric, I repeatedly layered paint on the wood surface, rolled over it with a portion of the pipe, and then scraped, rubbed, or washed it off. The body exists only where the dress exists, and all other figurative elements are reduced.

Stacey Parker, Impact

@stacey_parker

laminated soap stone, 4" x 3" x 2", 2020, $400

Carving stone is a challenging and often times frustrating process, but when it comes out right, it is one of the most rewarding materials to work with. When I work with stone, I spend time with the raw stone, studying the color, form, and size and sometimes laminating multiple small pieces together before I begin to develop an idea for the final sculpture. Often, I start with a basic idea that is developed as I get deeper into the carving. This allows for flexibility and a conversation between the material and myself as I create the final form.

Gyani Pradhan Wong Ah Sui, The Empty Chair

silver gelatin print, 8" x 10", 2023, $200

Returning to my hometown of Curepipe in Mauritius after more than 4 years, I found myself confronting countless images and scenes that I had witnessed as a child through my matured eyes. The world didn't quite shine with the same wonder and the colors that used pop with vibrance turned into scales of grey. This chair caught my eye immediately, connoting the presence of a person despite being empty. And that's really what it felt like to come to this home of mine again.

Almicar Seelig, Next Stop to the Destination

acrylic on canvas, 8" x 10", 2023, $120

For many of us, people come and go into our lives at different stages of our lives. This is also true of material things...people move, we see different things in different ways based on what is happening at that point in time. We encounter numerous experiences along each of our journeys through life. We are truly pilgrims on the way to some final stopping place. I call these myriad of experiences “the next stop on our way” to that final destination.

Herman Servatius, Big Family, Small Breakfast

@hecklesthetiger

digital archival print, 10" x 11" (eight 4" x 3" photographs), 2019, Not For Sale

"Big Family, Small Breakfast" is a set of 11 photographs arranged in a circular pattern. The pictures tell a story of siblings dealing with the void left by traveling family members of a large family. This is a participatory art piece where every place it is installed chooses a picture to remove when the artwork is taken down. So far, it has been installed at a public space in Boston, a private home in New York, and an exhibition at Worcester State University. The artist does not have a choice as to which photo gets eliminated.

Tracy Spadafora, Growth

@tracyspadafora

encaustic paint and oil on gessoed wood panel, 8" x 8" x 1.5", 2023, $200

This painting, from my Evolve series, departs from the more cognitive aspects of my work and employs the organic and playful nature of wax to render dramatic, mysterious, and meditative landscapes. With the intuitive vision presented in the paintings from this series, I seek to express the grandeur and fragility of the natural world. The addition of organic materials combined with the wax helps to enforce the connection to the natural environment.

Karen Stokke, George Bailey's Dream

found objects with acrylic paint and jute twine on antique books, 11.75" H x 9.25" L x 7.25" D, 2023, $100

In the film It’s a Wonderful Life, Jimmy Stewart’s character, George Bailey, aspires to go to college and explore the world but then sacrifices his dreams in order to take on necessary responsibilities. I created this piece to honor those ordinary individuals who, like George Bailey, place the needs of others above their own, living extraordinary lives as a result. My great-uncle Dean, whose textbooks are used in this work, was one of those heroes.

Trevor Toney, Tiny Secrets

@TrevorToneyInColor

oak veneer, Baltic birch plywood, acrylic paint, 10" x 10" x 2", 2023, $450

My objects are all constructed with Baltic birch plywood and veneered with wood. I do this in a way that allows me to add acrylic color and finishes to create different sheens, opacities, and compositions that interact with the natural color and grain of the veneer. I view the wood as a main character and not just a surface for supporting other materials. I use the grain pattern and color to inform the compositions and think of my pieces as a collaboration between the natural qualities of the wood and my artistic expression.

Jill Watts, Random Thoughts Escaping

jillwattsart.wordpress.com

raku clay, glazes, wood, metal rods, epoxy, polyurethane, 9" x 9" x 8", 2019, $450

As I have tried to meditate or practice mindfulness, I have become acutely aware of thoughts tumbling over each other as they leave. My lack of ability to focus often astounds me. These thoughts swirl around me like birds circling. While I recognize them slightly sooner, I can still find myself engaged in following one for far longer than I would like. Creating a concrete image of what happens allows me to laugh at myself and my foibles.

Betty White, Nautical Nook

@inthebettywhitehouse

roombox with all items crafted, sewn, printed or sculpted by hand using beads, foam core, fabric, clay, wood, card-stock, and found objects (shells, flowers, netting, ping pong ball), 8.5" x 7.5" x 11.25", 2023, $350

Nautical Nook is a 1:12 scale miniature room box inspired by a children's book about a lighthouse, a trip to a whaling museum, and tiny shells found on the beach. It is a lit dining scene decorated with a variety of textures and nautical details, including lobster traps, candles made from shells, and two copies of Moby Dick.

Neil Wilkins, laminae/Re:23

@neil_wilkins_art; /neil wilkins art

encaustic mixed media on birch panel, 8" x 8", 2018, $250

This series of works explores the nature of boundaries: how relationships between objects and shapes become defined and altered by proximity as they flow across a picture plane. They present impermanent, elusive qualities that symbolize passing moments and act as physical representations of transition. They inhabit a space where change is not sudden or abrupt. The unhurried fluid motion drifts, emphasizing new relations and possibilities. Working in layers of wax and a variety of mixed media, I fuse the materials into rhythmic impressions and create new visual associations in each piece.

Yihong Zhou, White Light (View from Rogers Estate)

@cleardeepstudio

oil on shellacked cardboard, 4" x 5" (unframed), 8.5" x 9.5" (framed), 2022, $350

Plein air painting of the view of Clinton, New York, as seen from the Rogers Estate. Choosing to use white as light and eschewing black in favor of saturation as a shadow rather than faithfully depicting what is seen with the eye, this palette choice pushes the use of paint as a more symbolic medium for depicting the world around us. The painting is framed in a style to replicate the interior of the Rogers Estate library, the room in which it was painted. This piece is both the painting itself and the whole object as an artifact.

Scaled Down: A Members' Exhibition

/// ABOUT THIS EXHIBITION

November 16 through December 17, 2023

Reception: Friday, November 17, 6:00-9:00 PM /// Learn more.

/// EXPLORE Scaled Down

Lizzie Abelson, Wayne F. McCallum WMA, Westborough (plein air)

Lily Audette, A Multitude Of Meows

Brooke Bailey, Intersect

Amanda Baldwin, Lover's Eye

Ann Barrett, Whale-Time

Heather Barros, Can

Ricardo Barros, Two Nudes (Backs)

Lisa Barthelson, aii 50, art in isolation, family debris

Claudia Bauman, Bohemian Rhapsody

Eugenie Lewalski Berg, Between Us

Ray Bernoff, Trash Painting #11

Susan Black, Captive

Carol Bloomfield, Mae'n BWRW Eira

Scott Boilard, Cover

Thierry Borcy, Birds of the Night

Sally Bowditch, Class is in...

Leslie Breault, Chasing the Blues 2022-13

Aaron Brodeur, Black Swan Stare

Matthew Burgos, A Pair of Great Tits

Joseph Cantor, Color as a Storyteller - Yellow Rowboat

Aisena Cekrezi, The Gift

Ben Cline, Woodland Fairy (Fada Sylvestra)

Christiane Corcelle, Mon Petit Prince

Carrie Crane, Portal

Carlos Crespo, Whips: The First Stage

Christine Croteau, Passages

Adam Cutler, Haunted Heart

Jennifer Davis Carey, Pedernal

Jessica DeHaemer, Autumn

Lawrence DeJong, Wall Fragment # 24: Environmental Interaction

Ella Delyanis, The Break in the Wall

Alice Dillon, Rattus rattus

Kristi DiSalle, Blossoming

James Disilvestro, Boxed Rose

Pamela Dorris DeJong, Field Study

Annie Dubois, Le Bugue

Joseph Dunn, Fantasyscape-1

Madge Evers, Black and White Creeper

Jakob Fioole, brother

Kerry Fitzgibbons, Felt Dream

Melody Fortier, For Naomi

Owen Gaffney, Unremarkable Stevie Crumb

Suzanne Gainer, Chat de Chefchaouen

Timothy Gannon, Me

Alana Garrigues, The Cells Know the Way

Amanda Gibson, Lift Off

Henry Glennon, Hanging Marble Portal

Gloria Goguen, Hardy Sour Orange

Miranda Greenhalgh, Eastern Grebe

George Hancin, Uxbridge Farm

Samantha Hansen, A Little Bit of Everything, Version 2

Lisa Hayden, Holding the Ocean

Nikki Howland, Goddess

Elijah Johnson, Steiff Bear

Jerry Keefe, One Chill Mushroom

Patti Kelly, Pink Sky

Kristen Kieffer, HEY LADIES!

Christopher King, Cherry Stick Mobile

Patricia King, Sew Many Projects

Lydia Kinney, Card

Roy Knight, Orchard II

Oleksii Kradetskyi, Piranha

Stephanie Krist, Party Kids

Denise Lafer, I Choose Hope

Teresa Lamacchia, 1969

John LaPrade, Trinity

Stevie Leigh, Self Portrait 2023

Edward Lilley, Colorama 2

Meghan Littlefield-Whitston, Cakes & Pies

Emily Long, Bun Turns One

Madeleine Lord, Rough Road

Natalie MacKnight, Erratically Small

Virginia Mahoney, Detritus Square #11

Alexandra Martin, Becoming...

Vernon McClish, Benji