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*sparks* blog

The latest and greatest happenings at Art Collective
​in historic downtown Frederick, Maryland.

We're celebrating 4 Years in Downtown Frederick, MD

1/19/2023

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Meet The Artists

6/17/2021

 
Now, let’s hear from two of Art Collective’s local artists about their work and how they are re-inventing things post-pandemic. Deana Whitaker of Six Gables Original, and Lindsay Anderson of Lindsay Elizabeth Art.

Deana Whitaker Greenberg of Six Gables Originals​

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RE-inventing my identity this year!  My last child is headed off to in-person college (after a freshman year at home) and I’ve joined the circulation staff at C Burr Artz Library, so my decades-long role as work-from-home Mom is coming to an end.  But my role as a maker-of-things is a constant through-line in my life.
​I started sewing at the age of six, when Santa brought me a weird little sewing machine that used a glue cartridge instead of thread.  In my senior year of high school, already admitted to college and looking to take it easy, I took a clothing construction class.  I was motivated by a desire to always have pockets in my clothes--so ahead of my time!--but quickly became addicted to textiles in general.  I love the colors, the textures, the quirks of how different fabrics behave.  I love to solve the puzzle of how a garment should fit together.  When I work with vintage linens or a pile of flannel shirts, I lose track of time as I work out how to best use the original textile to create a new garment.  It’s a delight to me to see a finished product and know that it sprang from MY head.
Sure, okay, but what about the monsters?  I’ve been making NomNom Bags since 2008, at first just a few a year, but even as my output has gone way up, I still love each one.  The moment of “birth,” when I turn the bag right-side-out, is a surprise each time.  I can pick the colors, of course, decide how many teeth, but each monster gets its own personality in its own way.  After I turn the bag and see who I’ve got, I pick the name card to best suit that monster.  Naming the monsters and listing their favorite foods and activities takes as long as the sewing, but is integral to the fun of the bag.  I love to see how my silly creatures delight children, but it’s especially great to see an adult find a NomNom Monster that speaks to them.
You can follow me on Instagram @DeanaSews for photos of new releases, my adorable cats, and the occasional hiking photo.  I’m on Facebook as Six Gables Originals (but terrible at remembering to post there).  And soon, I SWEAR, I’ll be at sixgables.com, posting about new projects.  Maybe in July I’ll REcommit to actually starting that blog...

Lindsay Anderson of Lindsay Elizabeth Art 

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​Hello Art Lovers, I’m Lindsay Elizabeth (Anderson). I am most definitely RE-inventing my productivity as an artist this year. With a one year old, a four year old, and hybrid teaching, my paintbrushes have been collecting dust. Just recently, I’ve made time to create. It’s so important that I SCHEDULE it (in ink) or it won’t happen. 

I was born and raised in Frederick, MD and fell in love with creating at an early age. I pursued the dream of becoming an artist and connecting with others through creativity when I began my master’s degree in K-12 art education back in 2009 . Soon after graduating, I began teaching Visual Art at Windsor Knolls Middle School in Frederick County and never looked back. Going on twelve years, a few different schools, and incredible experiences that I couldn’t have imagined, my career evolved into becoming a working artist and educator. Honestly, I wouldn’t change either profession for the world and can’t even imagine one without the other. I love sharing art processes, techniques, and styles with others as much as I love creating the work itself. I currently teach Art, Drawing & Painting, Sculpture, and Ceramics at Frederick High School. Having spent ten years at the middle school level and loving every minute, I have found my true home working with high school artists.  
As a local artist, my work continues to evolve with every collection. I am constantly redefining my creative process and experimenting with unique representations of my favorite subject matter. The delicate jellyfish, vibrant florals, and crashing waves that I often paint are truly joyful and therapeutic. The occasional unrealistic color combinations inspired by trending color palettes and detailed dancing lines are characteristic of my style. Mark-making with paint is part of the creation process I find incredibly fascinating so be sure to look close. Every mark, every layer, and every “oops” is intentional. 
For me, creative success is when my artwork has connected with someone in such a way that they find the perfect spot in their home to hang it. I hope that the chosen painting colorfully compliments that perfect piece of furniture, becomes the perfect statement piece to start a conversation, adds some vibrant color to a gallery wall, or simply styles that cozy corner bookshelf.

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I sincerely enjoy getting to know my collectors, so please reach out! You can find me on Instagram @LindsayElizabethArt and on my website at www.LindsayElizabethArt.com. If you’d like to take a glimpse into my life as a high school art teacher and see the talent I get to work with every single day, you can follow me on Twitter @ArtfulAnderson #FrederickHighArt.

June is PRIDE Month

6/15/2021

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During the month of June, the LGBTQ communities come together to celebrate the freedom to be themselves. Pride gatherings occur around the world to bring together minority groups who have struggled for decades to overcome prejudice and be accepted for who they are. Check out these colorful pieces by PiHole Designs and Row House 14. 
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FATHER'S DAY 2021

6/15/2021

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Father’s Day is quickly approaching. QUICKLY, as in, it's this Sunday! Check out new work by master tie dye artist, Morris Pierce of @mojorelics. His shirts are not your standard Deadhead tie dye (not that there’s anything wrong with that!)--they have a precision that lends them a fractal-like design.  With color palettes from vibrant to nearly sedate, there’s something for most any dad!

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Maryland Day 2021

3/5/2021

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The official date of Maryland day is March 25, but our state is too great to confine celebration to one day!  We have beaches and mountains, crab cakes and kinklings!  And so much great art! Art Collective focuses on offering the work of local artisans--we currently represent twelve Maryland residents.

Obviously, we have the best state flag and the best state sport (jousting!), but did you know we have a local monster, too?  The Snallygaster was described as a beast with "enormous wings, a long pointed bill, claws like steel hooks, and an eye in the center of its forehead” that screeched like a train whistle. Some accounts suggest that the Snallygaster nested in an attic on Braddock Mountain, swooping over the Middletown Valley to find its victims and suck their blood.  The monster was said to have a particular taste for children and candy.  Teddy Roosevelt reportedly considered coming to hunt it down! 

​​No need for you to hunt, come on in to Art Collective to get a zippered pouch with a sparkly Snallygaster on it! Braddock Heights resident Deana Greenberg of Six Gables Originals makes the pouches mostly from upcycled materials so that you can store your agates (state mineral!) and Patuxent River Stones (state gemstone!) in style.  She will neither confirm nor deny that the Snallygaster is nesting in her attic saying only “I need to pay for all this candy corn somehow.”
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March is Women's History Month

3/5/2021

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March is Women’s History Month, a great time to focus on the female identifying artists of the past and today!  Art Collective is home to the art of 21 women, and a few of them agreed to share their reflections on women who inspire them. Interestingly they are all living artists! 

Take some time this month to learn about a woman artist! 
#womenshistorymonth #womenartists
​From Deana Greenberg of Six Gables Originals: I admire the artist Kat O'Sullivan.  She lives her life with kindness and creativity and color, just plugging along at what she loves.  She designs beautiful upcycled garments and has a wide following.  But she has no interest in a commercial brand, she just makes as much as she's able, sells them to her loving fans, and makes enough to live her simple, colorful life.
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From Lisa Scarbath of Pieceful Designs Mosaics:  I admire, my mother, Pat Lang who is an oil painter. As a self-taught artist, she has learned to succeed in a world that has traditionally valued formal education and qualifications. She has spent a lifetime of learning, challenging herself and improving to rise above mainstream ideals and adapt to a virtually social world.
From Chelsea:  My favorite living artist is Kecia Deveney. She puts so much of her soul into her creations. No matter what type medium she uses : painting, fabric surface design, jewelry or her mixed media pieces, you know it’s her style and soul. 
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​SHOP @ Art Collective

2/5/2021

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​SHOP @ Art Collective

We’ve gotten creative in coming up with ways for you to shop Art Collective!  

--Visit in person Thursday-Sunday 12-5 pm (masks and hand sanitizer required, 8 person maximum in the shop).

--Schedule a private shopping appointment in the shop (details here)
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--Schedule a virtual appointment to shop from the comfort of your own home (details here)
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February is Love Local month for Downtown Frederick!

2/5/2021

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February is Love Local month for Downtown Frederick!

With Valentine's Day coming up, it's a great time to show your love for small businesses like Art Collective who put their hearts into every item they sell, from handmade goods to one of a kind pieces.

While you're strolling through Downtown Frederick this month, keep an eye out for heart-shaped love letters. You can stop by our Love Letter station in the shop to decorate your own love letter and submit it to the Downtown Frederick Partnership's "Love Letters for Local" campaign through February 28th at 5 p.m. Drop your letters off in one of their special mailboxes at 30 N Market St or 12 N East St and you'll be entered to win a $250 gift card to your favorite downtown shop! You can find more details here. 

We can't wait to see the creative, unique, and sparkly love letters you design while in our shop! We'll provide the inspiration!
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2021 The Year of RE...

2/5/2021

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​Going into 2020, it seemed like a great time to declare a REnaissance Year.  But it didn’t take long to see that any plans we made for that year would need to be REassessed.  It was a tough year for all of us and we are very grateful that your support kept Art Collective open to face yet another New Year.

So, keeping in mind that we’ve all learned a little about being flexible (hey, this was supposed to be a January newsletter, but here we are!), let's make 2021 the Year of RE.  We will be:

REfreshing our hearts
REarranging the shop
REstocking with new work
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Come on by Thursday-Sunday, 12-5pm and see what’s new and REally beautiful.
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Get to know Bette A. Brody, Artner & Manager

12/9/2020

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Bette Brody has been a part of Art Collective since November 2018 and is affectionately known as the shop’s “Artner” and Manager. A self-taught mixed media artist, she became involved with Art Collective after meeting owner Chelsea *Sparks* at Artomatic Frederick, an annual event for artists.

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Bette specializes in handcrafted journals and books, paper design, mixed media, and unique jewelry. She did not become a full time artist, however, until she retired from the corporate world.

“A lot of people will say that they have done art their whole lives, but that wasn’t me. I started late and it was all because I wanted to make a book and the paper to go in it, and then one thing led to another...”
Bette spent over 30 years working in IT at IBM and it was in corporate meetings where she found her initial inspiration to become an artist later in life. 

“When I was working in the professional world and was in conferences or meetings, I would be doodling and designing and think, ‘This would make a cool book cover or jewelry.’

After retiring, Bette found her passion for art. She learned and honed her skills through attending various workshops and art retreats and from getting to know other artists. One of the artists she met had a deep passion for books and book making and eventually became one of her best friends. Since then, Bette’s favorite material to work with has been paper, used to make her handcrafted journals.
“If I had to only do one thing, I would probably just do that, though I can’t do just one thing. If I get stuck or am in a stump of what to do, I’ll always fall back and make a journal.”

Bette is open to many different art forms and often mixes different materials together. Combining found objects, antiques, paper, and metal in her artwork gives it a unique appeal. Her art is one of a kind. 
In addition to her journals, Bette enjoys painting, metalsmithing, resin, jewelry making and more. She loves to find new ways to create art, and has a special fondness for all things rusty and vintage.

With a variety of mediums comes a variety of tools, and Bette has a lot of them, each with their own special purpose and contribution to her work.

 “I couldn’t live without my tools, whether they be jewelry making tools, paintbrushes, drills, sanders, or any number of things,” she said, “I even have a t-shirt I bought one time with art friends that says ‘tool whore’ on it.”

In this season of thanksgiving, Bette is grateful for the tools that allow her to create her art and the support and encouragement that she receives from her art friends. From drawing inspiration from them, to collaborating with them, it’s clear that these friendships have made an impact on her art career, though she wouldn’t consider it a job.

“I knew I was never going to make money to support myself being an artist, so I do it for the joy of doing it. If it started to become a job, I would probably quit, all of it,” she said. “As for Art Collective, just being able to have your art on display and being able to sell it and have people appreciate what you have there, that’s always rewarding. It’s rewarding when people come in and even just admire your artwork. It’s rewarding in the sense that people look at it like in an art gallery.”
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​Stop into the shop or set up a virtual shopping appointment to see Bette’s work. You can also find her at www.bettescreations.com or www.instagram.com/bettescreations/.
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Visit Calendar Page for any special hours
​

                     STANDARD HOURS
           Thursday               12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
           Friday
                    12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
           Saturday                11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
           Sunday                 
 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
           M, Tu & Wed                  closed        

Address

141 A N. Market St.
Frederick, MD 21701

Telephone

240.739.9023

Email

info @ ArtCollectiveFrederick [dot] com
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