The Studio at Gulf and Pine, in Anna Maria, is presenting “Offshore,” the latest paintings of Holmes Beach artist Maro Lorimer, from January 14 through February 3, 2011. Having previously painted intimate beach paths and expansive beaches, Lorimer now has moved her imaginary observation point out to sea for these acrylic paintings on canvas. Her abstract suggestions of unspoiled shorelines and marine wildlife are inspired by the beauty of the Gulf as well as by memories from many years of windsurfing and boating in places ranging from the Outer Banks to New Zealand.
Lorimer already had finished several of these paintings, and given them the name, “Offshore,” when the BP oil well exploded. “It was eerie to me that I had been painting pristine beaches right before our beaches were so threatened by the spreading oil,” Lorimer explains. “I continued painting, with increased appreciation of unspoiled places, which we might have taken more for granted in the past. Every time I saw a sea bird or dolphin last summer, I worried about it, afraid we might lose it if the oil came this far.”
Many of Maro Lorimer’s paintings can be seen in more than one way, and it’s not unusual for the titles to have multiple meanings. She points out that the title of the four-foot-long horizontal painting “The Last Bird” has at least three meanings. In the first sense, the painting comes from the experience of watching large numbers of birds fly north at the end of the day, off the shore of Anna Maria Island. After a flock has passed by, Lorimer says sometimes there is a single straggler, the last bird, flying alone, trying to catch up.
A second, more personal, meaning of the title relates to Lorimer’s painting process in arriving at the final image. This particular canvas originally was filled with white birds, but she eventually decided to eliminate all but one.
The third meaning gets back to Lorimer’s concerns while the BP oil was still uncontrolled. In this regard, “The Last Bird” touches on the haunting possibility of the extinction of species through such disasters.
The 4th annual ArtsHOP Tour 2010 of art and theater on Anna Maria Island is being held Friday, Saturday and Sunday November 12 –14. The ArtsHOP event features a festival of local artists on a tour of locations presenting artworks and productions.
Similar to the very popular annual Island Tour of Homes, the ArtsHOP Tour comprises exhibits and demonstrations at featured participating art and cultural venues.
By picking up a ‘Passport’, visitors getting 6 or more venue stamps can get 20% off at Sandbar, BeacHhouse, or Mar Vista restaurants, and by turning in the passport at AMI Art League or The Studio by 8:45pm Friday be in a drawing for $150 of art supplies from Keeton’s of Bradenton.
Numbered from the north end these are the locations of events:
The Studio at Gulf and Pine, 10101 Gulf Drive
Island Historical Museum, 402 Pine Ave
Island Playhouse, 10009 Gulf Drive
Ginny’s and Jane E’s, 9807 Gulf Drive
Three Island Monkeys, 9801 Gulf Drive
Crosspointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive
Anna Maria Island Butterfly Park, 5801 Marina Drive
Special events are scheduled for the 3-day festival.
Friday: 5 – 9pm Gallery Walk, complimentary refreshments, live music, art demonstrations, prizes. Silent auction at the Studio on Gulf and Pine of “Calling All Artists” turtle-themed art exhibit. Demonstration at Artists Guild Gallery of polymer clay jewelry process. Demonstrations at Anna Maria Island Art League of floor cloth painting and wire sculpture. Vignettes and sketches at Island Playhouse 8pm ($15).
Saturday: book-signing by Carolynne Norwood’s “Anna Maria Island 1940 to 1970” 10am – noon & 2 – 4pm Island Historical Museum. Silent auction at the Studio on Gulf and Pine of “Calling All Artists” turtle-themed art exhibit. Vignettes and sketches at Island Playhouse 8pm.
Sunday: Arts and craft fare 10am – 4pm AMI Butterfly Garden. Concert by Anna Maria Island Concert Orchestra and Chorus 2pm ($20). Drum Circle at Manatee County Public Beach 5:30pm – sunset.
The ArtsHOP 2010 weekend is sponsored by local businesses and organized by Cultural Connections representing Anna Maria Island arts and cultural groups.
The arts are alive and well and Anna Maria Island. In addition to the frequent arts and crafts fairs, there are wonderful exhibits at the Anna Maria Island Art League in Holmes Beach. Island Gallery West and the Artist’s Guild also have galleries in Holmes Beach. In addition to this, a very fine new gallery has been operating in Anna Maria for a couple of years. Formerly the Bistro at Island’s End, the building has been transformed into The Studio at Gulf and Pine. Owned by Rhea Chiles, the former first lady of Florida, this exquisite center for arts and intellectual pursuits presents art exhibits as well as classes in everything ranging from the game of bridge to lectures about science and philosophy.
One exhibit at the Studio that has received tremendous press coverage is “Beach Paths and Other Paintings by Maro Lorimer.” The opening reception was last Sunday afternoon, on January 17. After several days of cold rain, the sun came out and many people came out that afternoon, as well, to enjoy the serene setting of the Studio and the beautiful art it holds.
One wing of the main gallery contained eight original collages, each inspired by a particular beach path on Anna Maria Island. In addition to the originals, limited edition signed giclées were available. The artist’s statement explained that the art was a tribute to the wildness of the beach paths that connect the neighborhoods of the island to the beach. The fact that these paths are not manicured is what makes them so appealing.
Doors, entrances, portals and passages are the theme of the Anna Maria Island Art League’s first show of the 2009-2010 cultural season. It opens on November 13, as part of the island-wide ArtsHOP, a weekend full of art, theater and music. Hosted by the Anna Maria Island Art League, Island Gallery West, The Artists’ Guild Gallery, and The Studio at Gulf and Pine, ArtsHOP includes a Friday evening gallery walk through all these fine galleries, and more.
An ArtsHOP Passport listing all the participating galleries can be picked up at any of the participating locations. Those who get their Passports stamped at six of the locations will be offered a 20 percent discount on dinner, afterward, at any of three of the Island’s favorite waterfront restaurants: The Sand Bar, The Beach House, and Mar Vista, on Longboat Key. A stamped Passport turned into the Art Leagues of Anna Maria Island before 8:45 Friday night will also serve as a raffle ticket for a huge basket of art-related gifts from Keeton’s Office and Art Supply of Bradenton.
Also on Friday and Saturday night will be performances by the Island Players of “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,” a show originally performed by Lily Tomlin. On Saturday and Sunday during the day there will be an arts and crafts fair at the Holmes Beach City Hall Field. A Sock Hop on Saturday night will be held at the Anna Maria Island Historical Society Jail and Museum Complex. It is appropriately called “The Jailhouse Rock Sock Hop.” Suggested attire is poodle skirts and greaser outfits. Music of a very different kind will be featured on Sunday afternoon at 2 in the season’s first performance of the Anna Maria Island Orchestra and Chorus at the Cross Point Church.
A special part of this year’s ArtsHOP is an art happening in which local artists painted doors that were displayed all around the island in the weeks leading up to ArtsHOP. On Sunday afternoon, November 15, the doors will be auctioned under the banyan tree at the Anna Maria Island Art League, with proceeds going to the Cultural Connections. The mission of this organization, founded in 2008, is to promote Anna Maria Island as a cultural destination.
Many of Maro Lorimer’s paintings can be seen in more than one way, and it’s not unusual for the titles to have multiple meanings. She points out that the title of the four-foot-long horizontal painting “The Last Bird” has at least three meanings. In the first sense, the painting comes from the experience of watching large numbers of birds fly north at the end of the day, off the shore of Anna Maria Island. After a flock has passed by, Lorimer says sometimes there is a single straggler, the last bird, flying alone, trying to catch up.
