Street Market

An artist’s studio can reveal a lot about an artist and their process. Recently, Rebecca Green, an illustration student, allowed us a behind-the-scenes look at her studio, inspirations, and plans for the future.

In the core of Kendall College of Art and Design you can find Rebecca Green’s studio. She spends most of her days there, working on a variety of projects. The cubicle-sized, windowless space is quaint and inviting due to the wooden furniture and vintage decorations that make it a personal space. Her recent work is dispersed throughout the studio, and includes everything from magnets and greeting cards, to line drawings, 3D sculptures, and fine art paintings.

Rebecca’s style of work is similar to her studio space, nostalgic and honest. Her down-to-earth attitude is represented in a majority of her work through the combination of text and image. The simple words she uses speak of everyday life, telling stories and sharing thoughts commonly expressed about the world. Old things such as vintage carnivals, theatres, and buildings help shape her style of work. Creating in both 2D and 3D, her muted-colored characters come across as eerie and mysterious.

After graduation in December, Rebecca plans to travel and continue doing what she loves best, creating art. This summer she will be attending the Oxbow School of Art thanks to the West Michigan Scholarship. For the past two years she has had her work featured in the Society of Illustrators student gallery show in New York and last year she received the Arthur Zankle Scholarship. Her work has also been featured locally in Revue magazine and on the cover of On-the-Town magazine.

Rebecca was a vendor at last year’s Grand Rapid’s Avenue for the Arts Market and plans to continue selling her work at the upcoming markets this summer.

To see more of our studio visit, go to our Flickr slideshow.

To learn more about Rebecca Green and view more of her work, you can go to her website at myblankpaper.com or contact her at greenb130@hotmail.com.

To meet Rebecca, head down to the Avenue for the Arts Market June 5th, 2010 from 4 until 9pm!

Ever wonder what inspires local artists to build, inquire, or create? Rosemary Cheslock, the mastermind behind Glass Eye Butterfly, allowed us a behind the scenes look at her process, studio, and why she has been a vendor at the Avenue for the Arts Market for the last five years.

Her jewelry can truly be described as one-a-kind.
“I will make beads in one sitting, and then try to go back and never be able to make it the exact same way again,” she says.

Rosemary has always loved jewelry and attending art shows with her sisters. She gets her inspiration from books and magazines. Her time spent at art shows and talking to other artists about their techniques has played a part in shaping her one-of-a-kind designs. She creates unique pieces that you would not normally see “walking down the street.” The unpredictable nature of her work is what she loves best.

“You never know what you’re going to end up with when making beads,” Rosemary explains. “My favorite part is playing with different colors and techniques.”

Bracelets are her favorite type of jewelry to create because they are typically worn in view, unlike earrings and some necklaces. She markets her jewelry through her Etsy store and at work by wearing her pieces and selling them right on the spot.

After installing a torch and propane tank, a box to vent fumes, and moving in all of her bead making supplies and tools, Rosemary converted a spare bedroom into her Glass Room studio in her house in Wyoming, Michigan.

“Don’t let the financial side of beadmaking scare you,” Rosemary warns. “It’s a pricey hobby due to all of the equipment, but it is a lot of fun and very rewarding. I have met so many other bead makers like me from all over West Michigan and as far away as Louisiana.”

Rosemary is involved in beadmaking organizations such as Wet Canvas and Lampwork Etc. She has also attended bead expos and bead retreats where other beadmakers meet for a weekend, share ideas, and do what they do best, beadwork.  At her latest bead retreat she learned how to etch copper and make earrings out of cans. She uses these techniques along with her own handmade beads to create one-of-a-kind pieces.

“It’s so easy to network and get involved. Beadmakers are the most generous people with sharing their knowledge, time, and talents,” Rosemary says.

Her hard work and creativeness paid off because in 2006, Rosemary won first place at a Delphi Annual stained glass contest in the sun catcher category. She created a glass butterfly with a bead body that later became the inspiration for the name of her website, glasseyebutterfly.com.

Rosemary’s good friend, Debby Flynn, introduced her to the Avenue for the Arts Market, and the two of them have been selling their individual jewelry side-by-side ever since. Rosemary’s favorite thing about the Avenue for the Arts Market is how inexpensive it is.

“The Avenue for the Arts Market was my first attempt to sell to the public. Having a lower table fee allows someone to easily get started selling to the public,” Rosemary tells me during a phone interview. “The energy on the street and variety of the people who attend the event also make it a fun place to be.”

The Avenue for the Arts Market is an event that exhibits the work of forty local artists and organizations selling their homemade goods and fine art. You can find the event along the sidewalks on the 100 block of South Division on the second Saturday of every month this summer. These dates provide an opportunity for people of all ages to visit a community who is enthusiastic about sharing their ideas and artwork.

To learn more about Rosemary Cheslock and view more of her work, you can go to her website www.glasseyebutterfly.com or www.etsy.com/shop/glasseyebutterfly. You can also contact her at rjcheslock@gmail.com.

To meet Rosemary, head down to the Avenue for the Arts Market June 5th, 2010 from 4 until 9pm!

Vendors!

Make sure to register for the 2010 Avenue for the Arts Market!
Click on the link on the right-hand side that says “Registration” for more details.

Check it out! Amber Stout, intern for the Avenue for the Arts Market, designed these sweet flyers for the 2010 market this summer! They were sent to the printer today and will soon be at a location near you!

June 5 - set up 3pm, event 4pm to 9pm

July 10- set up 3pm, event 4pm to 9pm

August 14- set up 3pm, event 4pm to 9pm

September 11- set up 3pm, event 4pm to 9pm

The first market is going to coincide with FESTIVAL!  The market in July, August and September take place the second Saturday of the month!Vendor set up begins at 3pm and we have continued to keep vendor registration simple.

Print, fill out and submit the registration form. You can register for one event or all 4 it is up to you!

Or simply register the day of, stop down at 106 Division the day of the Market between 3pm-4pm fill out your form and you are ready to setup!

The day of the event everyone must stop into the information booth (located at 106 S. Division parking lot) to sign in/or register. The Market begins at 4pm and runs until 9pm. If you know of anyone else who would be interested in participating as a vendor please pass this information on!

If you have questions about the Market please give me a call at (616)885.0435

or jschaub@dwellingplacegr.org.