Made in Lawrence: In the past, only the textiles made in the mills dotting the Immigrant City's waterways sported this label. But today it's attached to something else coming out of the city's factories: art.
"Things are coming back to life again, with the artists," said Lawrence Cultural Alliance President Connie Grasso, a Lawrence native who now lives in Salisbury. "Things of quality are still being made in Lawrence. It's not like it was when my parents were working in the mills, (but) there is a rebirth of the mills because of culture."
Grasso is among the artists exhibiting work in "Made in Lawrence, U.S.A.," the latest show at Gallery 181 in Lawrence. Grasso contributed several landscape photos to the exhibit, which encompasses paintings, sculptures and multimedia works.
The show's concept sprang from a collaboration between Mark Schorr, Andover artist and Robert Frost Foundation director, and Gallery 181 Director Marjorie Kaye of Salem, Mass.
"'Made in Lawrence' is a phrase that has many different meanings because of Majorie's energy," said Schorr, who's got three abstract expressionist paintings of Lawrence landmarks in the show.
"Things are coming back to life again, with the artists," said Lawrence Cultural Alliance President Connie Grasso, a Lawrence native who now lives in Salisbury. "Things of quality are still being made in Lawrence. It's not like it was when my parents were working in the mills, (but) there is a rebirth of the mills because of culture."
Grasso is among the artists exhibiting work in "Made in Lawrence, U.S.A.," the latest show at Gallery 181 in Lawrence. Grasso contributed several landscape photos to the exhibit, which encompasses paintings, sculptures and multimedia works.
The show's concept sprang from a collaboration between Mark Schorr, Andover artist and Robert Frost Foundation director, and Gallery 181 Director Marjorie Kaye of Salem, Mass.
"'Made in Lawrence' is a phrase that has many different meanings because of Majorie's energy," said Schorr, who's got three abstract expressionist paintings of Lawrence landmarks in the show.
While Schorr came up with the concept "Made in Lawrence," Kaye's contribution was to put together a down-to-earth exhibit showing the diversity of artists working in the city.
"That's what it is all about - it's about the love of work, and that's what you find in Lawrence," said Kaye.
The show features amateur and professional artists. Grasso, an amateur photographer, simply snaps what she likes. She said Kaye saw her work and sought her out for the show, which will be Grasso's first.
"(Kaye) said, 'These need to be in the exhibit,'" Grasso remembers.
Lawrence native and veteran artist Don Whittemore, now of Windham, N.H., found out about "Made in Lawrence, U.S.A." by chance on a rainy Saturday afternoon when he visited the gallery. He jumped at the chance to be part of the exhibit in his former hometown.
"There is a lot of art, a lot of talent in Lawrence that people are unaware of," said Whittemore, who frequents Lawrence landmarks like the Cedar Crest Restaurant and Fisichelli's Pastry Shop. "Lawrence has gotten a bad rap in recent years, and that's unfortunate. It's 99 percent good people."
Schorr approached Tamara Krendel of Andover, who teaches art at the Essex Art Center and Cambridge College in Lawrence. Krendel submitted some greenhouse prints that were made in Lawrence as well as some studies of Lawrence landscapes that she painted as part of her work for the Essex Art Center's New Paint fundraiser. During New Paint dozens of artists go out into the city for a day to paint outdoors, and the art center auctions their work that evening to raise money for its programs.
"These are the light and composition studies I do every year," said Krendel, who picks a spot and then paints what she sees in different ways and in different lights to come up with an approach for the "live" painting and auction. "I do a number of studies to get ready for the event. I thought this would be a great venue for them."
One of Krendel's favorite subjects is Lawrence's dramatic sky.
"When I was studying (art) in Belgium, I loved the low horizon there. They have these big dramatic skies - and you have a similar sky in Lawrence," she said, who enjoyed doing the various sketches and paintings in preparation for New Paint that are being featured in this show. "I get excited by the sky, it changes so often."
In her work, Krendel tries to capture what she calls "quintessential Lawrence."
"It's the old and the new, the old factories, the rivers and bridges," Krendel said. "There is something beautiful in those old New England factory buildings. The detail and the brickwork - they took a little extra time on the arches and the details around the windows. It really is beautiful. That, to me, is quintessential Lawrence."
If you go
What: Made in Lawrence, U.S.A.
When: Now through Feb. 28. Artist reception is tomorrow from 5 to 8:30 p.m. along with the James Krendel-Clark Jazz
Where: Gallery 181, 181 Canal St., Lawrence
How: Free admission. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.
Artists featured in the show
Thomas Beales of Lowell: Photography of Lawrence, done in black and white, reflecting the timelessness of the city and its unique steel structures.
Sharon Chew of Westford: Painter with a studio in one of Lawrence's converted mills. Chew's work is large and voluminous.
Robert Cory III of Lawrence: Well-known glass artist with a studio in Lawrence.
Jairo Cruz of Lawrence: A young artist who challenges the apparent division between "art" photography and "fashion" photography, bringing the personality of his models into atmospheric environments.
Connie Grasso of Salisbury: Vice president of the Lawrence Cultural Alliance and Lawrence born and bred. Grasso turned her perceptive eye outward, seeing the city anew through photography.
Sandy Grasso of Andover: The photographer is the sister of Connie Grasso and also a Lawrence native.
Nancy Grice of Andover: With a studio in a converted mill, Grice creates large canvases, combining physical reality with sacred geometry. She imposes the mandala form on the landscape, thus reflecting the perfect structure within the known world.
Joseph Harb of Salem, N.H.: Well-known for his spacious, textural paintings, the former Lawrencian relates a very personal atmosphere, injecting it into nebulous, dreamy shapes and colors.
Marjorie Kaye of Salem, Mass.: Director of Gallery 181 in Lawrence, is best known for her colorful, detailed mandala drawings.
Jim Knowles of Andover: Engineer, poet and artist, Knowles is very active in Lawrence, a regular contributor to the various "Poetry Hoots" put on by Lawrence's Robert Frost Foundation.
Tamara Krendel of Andover: Krendel teaches at the Essex Art Center and Cambridge College on Island Street in Lawrence, and is a well known painter herself. She uses her perceptive eye to depict the natural world as well as man-made structure.
Angel Nazario of Lawrence: Nazario works with residents of Puerto Rico and Lawrence, using multimedia displays to relay information about the Taino Indians of Puerto Rico.
Jim Primmer of Andover: Using an infrared camera, Primmer has created a portfolio of photographs of Lawrence that bathes the city in an eerie and unusual light.
Pam Pritzker of Malden: Pritzker's work studies the reality of emptiness through the understanding of barren places and surprising placements.
Allan Ramey of Lawrence: A Lawrence native and well-known photographer, Ramey has recently begun to explore painting, resulting in works of uncommon color and vibrancy.
Mark Schorr of Andover: The director of Lawrence's Robert Frost Foundation paints with an abstract, expressive approach to the world around him, showing the city's buildings and atmospheres with a fresh, awakened eye.
Kurt Wahlstrom of Malden: A promising young video artist and photographer, his work focuses on the humorous aspects of family life.
Greg Welch of Andover: Welch has a printing studio on Island Street and in his artwork, transforms prints into textural and spatial wonders.
Don Whittemore of Windham, N.H.: Paintings that could be mistaken for reality are the hallmark of this artist. The Lawrence native has a way of honing in on the minutiae, as well as touching upon the expansive in his works.
