Smooth transitions

When Marika Van Vessem turned her curator's eye to Hatch Street Studios, she faced a challenge from the very start. Selecting art from the workspaces of 40+ artists, widely diverse in style and materials, was daunting enough. But then she had to assemble all of her selections into a cohesive exhibition throughout the two uniquely shaped rooms of her Tiverton gallery.

One of the most impressive aspects of the resulting exhibit, titled "Light Off the Water," has been the flow from one work of art to another. Through astute placement of color, shape, material, texture, mood, and subject matter, Marika deftly directs the viewer around the space. 

Here's a tour of the exhibition, including many of the works on display, starting from the righthand wall just inside the entrance door and winding throughout the gallery. See for yourself how artfully these pieces have been arranged.

View 1, united by the use of primary colors and silver: Painting on board by Diana Arvanites on the far left, below that John Middleton's found wood assemblage, Michelle LaPointe's stained glass, Christine Boucher's metal rocking chair, Patrick Moore's portrait paintings, David Rocha's work above Diana Carns's abstract diptych, and Marita Torbick's metal sculpture.

View 2, left to right, Catherine Carter's acrylic paintings, Erik Durant's figure sculpture, Craig Coggeshall's oil painting, Scott Currier's lacquered wood table, and Diana Arvanites painting against the window pane.

View 3, a wall of portraits: three self-portraits by Michael Hecht, two canvases by Joseph Alexander (whose work is represented at Hatch Street by Richard Connor), a sculpted portrait by Erik Durant, and another portrait by Patrick Moore.

View 4, united by the artists' choice of black, sepia, and orange, with a precise touch: Pat Daughton's print, Tom Crotty's paintings, and Adrian Tio's woodcuts (including a display of his tools and carved blocks).

View 5, united by active abstract shapes and black/gray punctuated with primaries: two paintings by Jacob Ginga on either side of Christine Boucher's sculpture on a pedestal, along with Pam Hoss's large work on paper. 

View 6, landscape-related paintings including Kim Barry's large painting on left, and smaller works by Christine Bertram, Joseph Moniz, and Miriam Toule-Lopes.

View 7, the edge of Michael Pietragalla's table, below Joseph Moniz's figure painting, Martha Moffit's ceramic cups on pedestal, Elin Noble's small textile piece on the wall, Pat Kellogg's large-scale woodcut, Christine Boucher's assemblage sculpture, and Jane McNeil McKeag's weaving.

Brava to Marika for assembling this comprehensive representation of Hatch Street artists with such care and sensitivity.

There is still time to see the show in person; the final day is this Saturday, August 5. The Van Vessem Gallery is located at 63 Muse Way in Tiverton, and is open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.