Cape May Artists Cooperative Announces Featured Artists for August

Cape May Artists Cooperative Announces Featured Artists for August, Second Sunday Reception Planned August 14
CAPE MAY – The Cape May Artists Cooperative will feature the work of members Barbara Colosi, Diana Cutshall and Lee Hajduk in its recently renovated gallery at the West End Garage from August 8 through September 11, 2011.
Barbara Colosi is an artist working in two media. She became interested in porcelain painting in the early 90s and began taking classes with a master teacher. She became hooked on the medium and eventually acquired her own kiln. Barbara explains, “People don’t realize that porcelain painting is a demanding and time-consuming art. Some pieces are fired up to ten times to achieve the necessary depth.” Recently Barbara added jewelry making to her repertoire. Working with shells, stones and sea glass, Barbara wire wraps each piece. She also loves to garden and frequently incorporates nature into her work. A nurse for 38 years, Barbara currently works at Court House Surgical Center. She and her husband Dick live in West Cape May. She has two children and three grandchildren.
Diana Cutshall is a potter and self-taught jewelry artist. To Diana, clay and beadwork link people across all cultures and throughout all ages. They date back to the beginning of time, telling stories of human need and desire, shedding light on each culture and its search for beauty. Diana dreams that her work will become part of this ongoing human chain. “I have always been inspired by works of the past,” says Diana, “and you can see their influences in the terracotta pottery and jewelry I produce today. I want my pottery pieces to be timeless little nuggets of what is important to me — lizards, frogs and butterflies, cats and dogs, sometimes even cars. I also love the idea of personal adornment. It is interesting that, in ancient times, some people were buried with their jewelry, and I would love to make a piece that is so special to someone, they would want it with them for all eternity. I strive to create beaded art jewelry that is valued more for its design and creativity than for its material worth.”
Lee Hajduk, a self-taught photographer, purchased her first camera at the age of 15. Captivated by the natural world, she earned BS in biology from Upsala College and a MS in Zoology from Rutgers University. An avid birder, Lee uses her camera to help confirm the identity of those tough birds seen in the field. Lee is featuring photos taken on a recent trip to Antarctica. According to Lee. “Antarctica and its surrounding islands were magical and mystifying; lush, green and teeming with life in one place, desolate, ice covered but breathtakingly beautiful in others. The penguins were the most resilient and of course the cutest of the bunch. Their environment is harsh, but even under the worst conditions they are very caring, dedicated parents. They are also quite curious and unafraid of the humans traipsing around their environment. For me, it was a little piece of heaven. These little birds (some not so little at 36” tall) not only cooperated for my camera, but invited me into their world. It was an experience I will never forget and hope to share with as many people as I can through my photography.”
The Second Sunday Reception will be held on August 14 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.