Artists Cooperative Announces Featured Artists for Second Sunday

CAPE MAY – The Cape May Artists Cooperative will feature the work of members Diane and Rich Flanegan and Mary Stewart in its gallery at the West End Garage from Nov. 11 through Dec. 8, 2011.
Among the artists “living by the brush,” who have set up small studios in garages, attics or other spaces throughout Cape May are Diane and Rich Flanegan. The couple moved to West Cape May and set up a small studio shop in the front room of their home, in the 300 block of North Broadway. Diane Flanegan creates stained-glass objects while her husband paints and draws in various media, offering paintings of such landmarks as the Cape May Lighthouse. Rich specializes in house portraits and can paint an ocean that makes you feel like you could just dive right in! An award winning artist and an outstanding teacher, he was commissioned to create a two panel mural depicting the historic aspects of West Cape May from gold beating to farming and the founding families. The mural is on display in West Cape May Borough Hall. Diane has done large custom windows for many Cape May and Wildwood area homes. From a rainbow transom that includes colors and stones representing members of an extended family, to an underwater scene done in pieces to accommodate the large size to a bar back piece with Celtic symbols for an Irish Bar outside of Philadelphia, Diane’s eclectic style and artistic flair can provide a unique and personal piece of art. Some of her new works incorporate local shells and sea glass. Diane’s new passion is fused glass, which she uses to make jewelry, barrettes and sculptural pieces. In her free time, Diane manages Art in the Park and several other shows for the Borough of West Cape May.
Mary Stewart is a fiber artist who has been sewing since she was ten years old. A BA in Fine Arts from Rosemont College helped her develop her sense of design, color and texture. She relocated to Cape May from Philadelphia in 1986 and works for the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). Sewing is her way of relaxing. Mary “enjoys the challenge of taking two dimensional raw materials and creating three dimensional pieces. Sewing really is a sculptural art, but it’s also like painting to me. My fabric stash is my paint box. Each piece is unique and I work largely without patterns, letting the texture and hand of the fabric dictate what it will become.” In recent years, Mary has branched out into knitting. She prefers textural yarns and loves to create whimsical hats for kids. Mary lives in Town Bank with her husband and two entertaining cats.
The Second Sunday Reception will be held on Sun., Nov. 13 and the featured artists will be on hand to discuss their works. The Second Sunday Reception is part of the city-wide Second Sunday Gallery Walk, a partnership of the Artists Co-op, Gail Pierson Gallery, Splash, Soma Gallery, Spiritcatcher Gallery and Mad Batter Restaurant. The event runs from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. It’s easiest to start your gallery walk at the Artists Co-op in the West End Garage, 484 West Perry Street, Cape May, where there is plenty of free parking, and spend your afternoon enjoying the beautiful and unique work each gallery offers. Light refreshments will be served at each gallery.
The Artists’ Cooperative Gallery is a group of local artists who have joined together to showcase and sell their work as well as educate the public about their art forms. Co-op president Diane Cutshall is delighted that Second Sundays are now a city-wide celebration of local art. “We began Second Sundays so the community could meet our artists and learn about their work. Now the opportunities for artists are so much greater with the wonderful gallery scene that has grown in Cape May.” The Artists Cooperative Gallery is open daily. Call 609-770-8261 for information.