Spencer artists' studios open

Creative artistic works from Anita Gilbert (above), Holly Kellogg (below) and Perry Polson (bottom) will be on display at various Spencer sites as part of this upcoming weekend's Artisans Road Trip throughout northwest Iowa.

The upcoming Artisans Road Trip provides a unique opportunity for the art-loving public to see working artists' studios that are located in Spencer. During the weekend of Oct. 4 and 5, 10 Spencer artists open their studios or develop expanded exhibitions to offer a wide variety of new work for viewing and for sale at this special yearly event.

This Saturday and Sunday, ART offers the perfect time to meet several Spencer artists, and see how they add to the quality of Spencer life and community.

Wildwood Gallery and Turning Lab at 121 Grand Ave is a great place to start your tour. Opened for business in the spring, Wild Wood is the studio, teaching facility and gallery of Perry Polson. Perry uses the lathe, turning all types of wood into many things from bowls to pens. Perry collects his wood from local downed trees including bur oak, walnut, ash maple and boxwood.

Walk across the street to Shaky Tree and welcome back Chad Elliot. Chad will be performing his music Saturday and Sunday, as well as exhibiting a combination of ceramic sculpture, pottery and paintings.

At Arts on Grand, Judy Hemphill will display new photographs and Sue Biederman will exhibit a selection of watercolor paintings and prints. In addition, the October exhibition at Arts on Grand is a mini preview of many artists participating in the Artisan Road Trip 2008 from the four-county area.

Just next door above Hallmark is the painting studio of Mary Mello. Mary teaches painting and printmaking at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, but lives in Spencer.

Jesse Bogenrief of Bogenrief Spencer Studio said the crew would be doing special demonstrations, trying out some new techniques in glass blowing.

A model of his recently awarded commission work for Iowa Central Community College will be on display. The stained-glass work from the Bogenrief Sutherland Studio adorns the gallery space. Hand-blown glass pieces of every color and size fill the sales displays.

Holly Kellogg has a painting and collage studio in her home at 222 W 4th St.. She is turning her downstairs into a gallery space and has invited the public in to enjoy her newest work. Holly's work is an exploration of color, shape and depth through paint, colored pencil, and other media.

The art trail turns to the east to the old Reynolds school to see what has been happening this year in architectural glass, neon, and lamp work at Curiel/Reynolds School of Visual Arts.

At Clay County Clay, 717 11th Ave E., potter Mel Myers has produced new work that has traveled the state as he participated in many art fairs this summer. His working pottery studio shows every part of the process for making his hand carved, high-fired porcelain ceramic pieces.

To the northeast, just outside Spencer on the Highway 18 bypass is X-Alt Art Studios. Anthony Vodraska and Anita Gilbert moved to Spencer last year and are ready for the first public open house of their art studios. They have a painting space, complete clay studio, and a photographic and digital art studio. They work collaboratively in every aspect, and in each medium. They bring images from photography, and painting together through the wonder of digital manipulation. In the clay studio they are continuing to exploring low-fire, raku, and saggar firing techniques. They are bringing images produced in the digital studio to the glazed surface of earthenware clay work through application of digital transfers.

* For further details on all artists participating in The Artisans Road Trip 2008, look to www.artisanroadtrip.com, or pick up a copy of the Artisans Road Trip Directory at Arts on Grand, Bogenrief Studio, or Wildwood Gallery.