Prints and paintings in the Art Vibes exhibit at Cooper’s Commons in Agawam.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
AGAWAM — The arts come to Agawam this August. The nonprofit Agawam Artists and Artisans have staged an exhibit titled “Art Vibes” at Cooper’s Commons. The organization will also unveil the New England Mosaic, an annual community-sourced art piece that funds scholarships.
The Art Vibes exhibit lines the walls of two hallways on the first floor on Cooper’s Commons and two rooms on the second floor. The throughline of the exhibit is the variety throughout it. Members use mediums ranging from acrylics and pencils to mixed mediums and items applied to canvas to give them a three-dimensional effect. The pieces offer a wide array of subjects, too. Wildlife, landscapes, portraiture — all portrayed in diverse styles.
Even the artists run the gamut. “For some of it’s a hobby, but most of the people you’ll see here, they’re serious people,” said Agawam Artists and Artisans President Ceil Rossi. Rossi said she is proud that the works in the exhibit are for sale by the artists at “affordable” prices, with some pieces going for $150, while others are ticketed at $350.
If people do not find what they are looking for at the exhibit, they may want to take in the New England Mosaic, a 24-foot array of 240 6-inch-square paintings. In March, volunteers sent blank canvases to libraries in several towns throughout Western Massachusetts for patrons to paint. The art was returned to the organization in May, and volunteers have been arranging the canvases for display. Each of them will be installed on large panels with hook-and-loop fasteners.
The mosaic will be unveiled at the Agawam Golf Course on Aug. 5, It will also be on display at the Pioneer Valley Arts Festival at the Polish American Club of Agawam on Aug. 20 and 21.
Rossi said more and more people in the area are interested in creating art. “We’re the largest art organization in the valley,” Rossi said of Agawam Artists and Artisans. Years ago, when Rossi joined the organization, she said there were only about 30 members. As of this year, there are 107 members from Greenfield to Springfield.
To learn more about the art collective, visit agawamarts.com.
