Mt. Greylock Grad Featured at New Williamstown Gallery
 |
It opens its new Upstairs Gallery on Saturday, Jan. 3, from 6 to 9 featuring works by Williamstown resident Alexis Rosasco.
Kim Burnham of Williamstown Realty said a conversation with a friend sparked the idea. The group already had the perfect location — a small finished loft space that wasn't being used.
"We're trying to focus on young emerging artists by giving them someplace to exhibit," said Burnham recently, standing in the space with Alexis Rosasco and her mother, Pam Rosasco. "We didn't need the space and that makes this doable ... It's better utilized as a gallery."
The mission of the gallery is to support up-and-coming artists in Williamstown by giving them a place to exhibit their work and cultivate an audience.
That means budding artists like Rosasco, a junior at School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Tufts University, have an opportunity to show their efforts to the wider community.
This will be 2006 Mount Greylock Regional High School graduate's first exhibit outside of school. Her featured works include photography, drawings and mixed media, but it's obvious that her inclination is toward charcoal and pencil works of animals.
.JPG) Some of Alexis Rosasco's photographs at the Upstairs Gallery. Top, Rosasco poses with Boo |
While Rosasco helped Boo, he helped her break through a difficult drawing block, providing her with inspiration that can be seen in her charcoal drawings "Play with Me" and "Fallen Angel."
"I really like working in charcoal, there's something really intimate about it," she said.
Rosasco works in still lifes, too, but animals appear most frequently in her drawings, reflective of her work as a wildlife rescuer and animal activist.
Her interest in drawing began in childhood ("I started at Friendly's with crayons and I refused to stay inside the lines") and she's planning a career in art, possibly in teaching or as a full-time artist. She's already sold some works.
While the reason for the gallery is to give young creative residents like Rosasco a leg up on reaching a wide audience, it's also a way to keep a prime location energized and complement Mezze Restaurant and The Browns next door. Not to mention draw people into the realty group's offices.
"One hand helps the other," said Burnham.
The gallery will be open weekdays from 10 to 4 during business hours; residents are invited to drop in. The group expects to feature on artist a month. Young Williamstown artists interested in exhibiting in the space should contact the realty group, which hopes to feature an artist each month.
The community is invited to attend the opening reception for Rosasco on Saturday.
"It's a way to celebrate artistry and gather people together," said Burnham.
.JPG) |
.JPG) |
.JPG) |
