506 ASH - ART GALLERY

This past weekend, Sweetie and I drove over to Elsmere to see the art show at 506 Ash Gallery.  I had never heard of this venue for art, but received a postcard invitation in the mail from one of the artists.  It was hot, steamy day, but the gallery is in an old garage which has been beautifully updated, and the front and back doors were open.  The back opened to a lovely garden full of flowers and statuary by one of the artists.  It was a catered affair and Sweetie was enthralled with the bourbon candied bacon slices (2 in a tall shot glass) = interesting to see but not for me so he had his portion and mine! ha ha

The woman who started this art venue/gallery began it because she wanted to do something with artists and she is a collector.  They have shows only in the summer, about 3-4 a year, and it was a new experience for me.  

Although a small building, there were 6 different artists showing their work.  One artist, Sam Hollingsworth, is a local artist and teacher (and used to be a member of the Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society), who is painting creation myths and other stories and myths from his reading and what that reading sparks in his imagination.  He is adding some ravens to his paintings and, of course, those were my favorites because ravens are so close to crows :)

The painting on the front was an example of Rick Mallette's fun and lively colored works, which you could not look at and now feel a smile spreading across your face.

Another favorite was Karen Heyl's sculptural work.  Karen is a Cincinnati artist who has  a studio at The Pendleton in Over-the-Rhine, where she does bas relief in Indiana sandstone and does some small ceramic pieces that are clever, colorful, and fun - a stone-like base holds a ceramic teapot or vase that has twists and turns and curves and you look twice and see a bird sitting on the stone with a snake on its back.  Clever and fun - and reasonably priced for anyone to take home and make it a centerpiece on a shelf or counter.  Many of her larger works were scattered around the garden.  

The only drawback to the show is it is just one long day...then open again for the closing day when artists will be taking the work down.  But if you hear of a show next month, go and enjoy and experience something a little different from the usual shows around Cincinnati - and try the bourbon candied bacon and the key lime pie slices topped with toasted coconut by The Delish Dish, based in Covington, KY.