FeldmanFamilyArtspace

Featherstone is pleased to collaborate with the MV Film Society in managing the Feldman Family Artspace
at the MV Film Center in Vineyard Haven. A juried selection, Featherstone reviews submissions
and selects artists to display work at the Film Center, subsequently working with each artist to coordinate their shows. Further information on the Feldman Family Artspace: MV Film Center

Billy Hoff
September 9 - October 6

2024 Feldman Family Artspace Artists

March 11 - April 7: ArtByPhree
April 8 - 28: Tachina Rudman-Young
April 29 - May 19: David Joseph
May 23 - June 9: Vineyard Conservation Society
June 10 - July 7: Harriet Bernstein
July 8 - August 4: The Gretchen V. Feldman Collection
August 5 - September 8: Jerry Prettyman
September 9 - October 6: Billy Hoff
October 7 - November 3: Kristen Park
November 4 - December 1: Alex Elvin
December 2 - January 5: Julien Jarreau

September 9 - October 6: Billy Hoff
I like short story fiction. If it is done well it can capture a brief moment in time. Something distinct: a smell, a light, or a feeling. A good writer can quickly sketch out a relationship that depicts a universal truth. It reminds us that we are all on the same ride and are really not that different from one another. Robert Stone, Joy Williams, Amy Hempel: These are some of my favorites that accomplish this. I like to think of my paintings as stories. There is implied narrative. There are people, places, and things. If pressed I can explain and elaborate. It all makes perfect sense to me. Often the themes are grand: Love and loss, birth and death. And often they are not. But the imagery has been filtered through my own experiences and shaped by my exposure to literature, film and art. I paint from my imagination. Its not practical. Things have to be revealed or discovered to feel ‘right’. Conscious invention runs the risk of feeling contrived or forced. Things go best when I get out of my own way.

October 7 - November 3: Kristen Park
Our lives are a culmination of the interactions we experience, whether it be with the people we encounter or in the spaces we inhabit. These moments intricately shape the mosaic of our identity. I often find myself reflecting on instances where a person or a place has left an imprint on my sense of self, even in the absence of future connections. While I think it can be easy to become swept up in the whirlwind of our daily lives, it is imperative to remain present and engaged with the world beyond our own as it is our relationships and ability to connect with that around us that makes life meaningful. Through photography, I attempt to share the moments that have struck me in such a way that I felt compelled to create these suspensions in time. My aspiration for those who view my work is that they not only consider the emotions they feel, but also contemplate the myriad perspectives through which others perceive and interpret the world that surrounds us.

November 4 - December 1: Alex Elvin
Alex Elvin grew up in the Berkshires and currently lives in West Tisbury. He approaches painting as a practice in attention and as a way of more deeply appreciating the natural world. He paints mostly alla prima and from life, favoring everyday subjects. He is inspired by many artists from around the world, but especially the Impressionists. He often attends the open studios at Featherstone Center for the Arts, and recently studied figure painting at the Art Students League in New York. Alex is drawn to the changing light and moving subjects inherent to outdoor painting, which require the artist to improvise and try new things. He finds that most people also share an interest in art, and will offer an encouraging word along the way. Each painting is an adventure.

December 2 - January 5: Julien Jarreau
“Art Muse” is often used to describe the artists inspiration—the driving force behind the creative energy. Gratification comes to us through the subtle body (the mind) and does not discriminate its content. The Creative Explorer is always on the hunt for that particular image or scene that captures the essence of our lived experience. What inspires me is how we can’t really know or understand light without the darkness; the opposite is also true. Being able to capture this contrast on a blank canvas is what motivates my creative vitality.

Previous 2024 Artists

August 5 - September 8: Jerry Prettyman
Artist Reception: Thursday, August 8th, 4-6PM
The series “Blues Invasion” captures the emergence of the blues as a musical art form at the dawn of the 20th century, created by multicultural enslaved people of African descent in the American South. The term “invasion” suggests a powerful and pervasive presence, indicative of the profound impact of the blues on American music and culture. The paintings encapsulate the essence of the musical genre, showcasing musicians playing traditional instruments such as the guitar, harmonica or slide guitar. The works also feature representations of the landscapes and environments where the blues originated, such as rural fields, juke joints or bustling urban streets.
These works convey the emotional depth and raw intensity characteristic of the blues through the use of color, texture and composition. Dark, moody tones evoke the melancholy and sorrow often expressed in blues lyrics, while dynamic brushwork or abstract forms capture the genre's improvisational spirit and rhythmic energy. Jazz, the global musical and cultural idiom that evolved from blues traditions, is my ultimate artistic muse. I seriously began listening to, collecting and studying the music and the musicians who developed the art form’s groundbreaking archive around the age of 30. These great African American jazz artists—Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, McCoy Tyner, Gary Bartz, Charles Mingus, Rashaan Roland Kirk, Joe Henderson, Sonny Rollins, Eric Dolphy, Max Roach, Wayne Shorter and many others—all represented the “tipping point” for me, inspiring me to elevate my art to another level. My portraits of these music legends represent “The Tipping Point” series. These works, rendered in acrylics, oils and watercolors, express the tone and tenor of the social and political events that shaped jazz music and culture. They incorporate vibrant color, dynamic shapes and evocative imagery that exemplifies the dynamism and revolutionary spirit of jazz. “Blues Invasion” pays homage to the rich cultural heritage and enduring legacy of blues music, history and iconography, celebrating its contributions to modern music and its resonance with audiences across generations and backgrounds. “The Tipping Point” encompasses the vitality and creative expression of the legends of the jazz genre. Through these series, I explore themes of spirituality, resilience and hope, creating a visual tribute to enduring musical forms and inviting viewers to immerse themselves in a rich cultural tapestry of artistic storytelling.

July 8 - August 4: The Gretchen V. Feldman Collection
Gretchen Feldman, a former textile conservator, was born in 1934 in Philadelphia, PA. She lived and worked on Martha’s Vineyard, MA, from 1985 until her death from lung cancer in 2008. Her work was strongly influenced by the seasonal moods of The Vineyard, as well as the changes in her garden and the landscape surrounding her studio. A lifelong fascination with the rich textures and colors of textiles, particularly quilts, can be seen in her brilliantly hued semi-abstract works on paper. These paintings, with her signature balance of shape, form and powerful color, combine layers of transparent and iridescent watercolor with thickly applied, opaque layers of crayon, colored pencil and pastel. Her work has been shown extensively in the United States.

June 10 - July 7: Harriet Bernstein
In the 1980’s, I lived in SoHo, NY. It was the big art boom that launched David Salle, Julian Schnabel and others into fame and fortune. It was a heady time and though I had moved to New York for improvisational dance, I saturated my eyes with art. Somewhere around then, my artist boyfriend took me to see Agnes Martin’s large, meditative canvases in subdued pastels. Those canvases stole my heart with their soft, feminine expression like the ocean itself. And with that, a seed was planted to someday paint. It was The Vineyard, with some help from a pandemic, that got me painting. I sat down to paint my homages to Agnes Martin, but these wild colorful works came out instead. What started on a dining room table now takes over my living room. As my work continues to grow, I am in search of studio space where I can make larger, more meditative work still inspired by Agnes Martin, who said the attractiveness of art work is that it is “adventurous, strenuous and joyful”. I concur.

May 23 - June 9: Vineyard Conservation Society's "The Art of Conservation"
This annual exhibit features artwork by local high school students - winners of "The Art of Conservation" contest hosted by VCS. "The Art of Conservation" is a creative space for students to contemplate and respond to environmental issues and inspirations. In doing so, they explore a meeting ground of critical thinking and art, and gain insight into the power of imagery to express their ideas or even catalyze social change. The contest is also an opportunity for VCS to encourage a deepening of our students’ sense of place, vital to their future efforts to protect what today’s art is celebrating. An image is worth a thousand words, but the process of creation could be worth even more: the inspiration, reflection, discussion, and above all, dedication shared by a generation who will inherit these natural wonders and the existential challenges they face.

April 30 - May 19: David Joseph
As an artist, David’s media are found object art, photography, and suminagashi. As an inventor, he found a very satisfying path to combine his scientific skills and his creativity to create new innovations in medicine and healthcare. An avid international traveler, he has visited over 120 countries on all seven continents, all 50 states, and over 250 UNESCO world heritage sites, each destination an opportunity to photograph nature, wildlife, and portraits. Unable to travel during Covid, David saw the potential to create art from the mundanity around him. He began to create found object sculptures made of old or used common household items, toys, and sports equipment. Each whimsical, thought-provoking piece displays the balanced composition of a trained artist and the skilled construction of an engineer. Accepted through a juried process as a member of the Martha’s Vineyard Art Association, he exhibits in numerous galleries, including The Featherstone Center for the Arts, The Old Sculpin Gallery, The Galaxy Gallery, and The Belmont Gallery of Art. His works are displayed in the homes of collectors in Boston, NYC, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington DC as well as Naples and Martha’s Vineyard.

April 8 - 28: Tachina Rudman-Young "Twilight Haze"
I’m in a constant state of amazement at the world around me: Nature’s beauty, saturated color, wind, water, and movement in general, all inspire me to create.
I choose to paint abstract because I love the way it suggests, and implies something, but does not state it definitively. Trying to suggest, without “over-telling”, both challenges and engages me as an artist. I also love the possibility, openness and freedom it allows both me, and my viewers to interpret my paintings.
In the studio, I work intuitively, focusing on the joyful, passionate and celebratory aspects of color. Using my breath and large motions, I focus on letting go, being present, and infusing the work with spontaneity. As I experiment, I allow the paint, gravity and chance to do most of the work. This combination of body, breath, movement, and music, helps me reach a state of total immersion in the creative process. It’s a gift to take a break from the constant chatter of my “monkey mind”, (as some mediation teachers refer to our busy minds). I’m “blessed” by a combination of a highly active, creative mind, endless creativity, and unending restlessness. When I don’t create, I implode, or explode. Creating, is my mediation, and my constant healing. Read more about the current show in the Martha's Vineyard Times article ‘Twilight Haze’: Vineyard-inspired visions.

March 11 - April 7: ArtByPhree
Each Fluid, Acrylic canvas signifies a releasing or shedding of sorts but often when viewed by others, they mimic peace, serenity, a calming... a meditative, spiritually relaxing energy. What makes them unique? Not one of my pieces are the same and can not be duplicated by the nature of how the pieces are designed. There are several techniques that can be used to move or manipulate the paint that is poured directly onto the canvas. This work is brushless and therefore removes the boundary around art and subconsciously has the energy to heal the body, mind and soul. Learning to adapt and be fluid in this life has been a challenge for me, but paint pouring allows me to explore the flexibility of no expectations. They say, we plan and God laughs. I agree. My pieces explore the extensive connection we all have to emotion, vulnerability, healing and art. It examines perspective differences and encourages open dialogue around feelings and view points. I like to think of my visual arts pieces like poetry. Like, if poems had color… like, if we could paint our words on a canvas. That would be ArtByPhree.
Read about the exhibit in the MV Times article Phree Flowing at the Feldman Family Artspace.

2023 Feldman Family Artspace Artists:

December 4 - January 28: Hillary Noyes-Keene
"In this life of mine I’ve worn many hats - educator, landscape architect, Mom, adventurer. I tend to view the world through its visual and emotional connections. There’s so much beauty in those connections. The details become paintings, and take on another level of meaning, of depth. Compositionally, they become whole within themselves. Elements of texture, edges or color create abstractions that can stop me in my tracks with their beauty. Such basic elements evoke their own visual order and sense, distinct and separate from the context of a larger scene. For me, it’s about slowing down, taking in what’s around me, and reframing it; seeing the dance between the elements so easily missed. Some people complain that Vineyard winters are too gray, too dull. But I see subtleties within the grays - they almost turn purple, green, or blue. Bringing another level of attention to details that aren’t readily seen, appreciating the complexities of our world – I yearn for that depth. My favorite day is one when I’m able to wander aimlessly, lose myself in the nooks and crannies of my surroundings. Worn buildings, having lived well, allowing Mother Nature to slowly claim her space again. Beaches, woodlands, and grasslands sharing their quiet abstract art. It’s common for me to suddenly stop at the sight of a wall, a sidewalk, a subtle shift of sand and rocks. It drives my family crazy, but they’ve learned to walk around me and keep on going. Eventually I’ll catch up."
Read more in the MVTimes article Making 'Connections' at the Feldman Family Artspace

November 6 - December 3: Katy Upson and Judith Drew Schubert
Artist Reception: Sunday, November 19, 1-3PM
Katy Upson: "Since joining the Featherstone group I have shown my work at Featherstone, and locally at West Tisbury Library, the Galaxy Gallery, West Tisbury Garden Club, Polly Hill Arboretum and at the Agricultural barn in West Tisbury. While participating in several classes offered by Featherstone, I’ve particularly enjoyed Liz Taft, Douglas David, and the open studios. While I’ve lived on island for twenty some odd years, I am been greatly influenced with that time. I have continued my teaching career at the Dukes County House of Corrections, and study of painting. Before moving on island, I lived outside Boston teaching special needs children, and in Toronto Canada where I attended York University and University of Toronto. studying Art History and teaching. People often tell me that my paintings make them feel they have experienced a moment, a place in time and that it brings them joy. Whether these subjects come from a walk on the beach, or through the woods, or past a great pond, I am closely drawn to my love of seasons, the vistas, and the experience the island provides. If people can relate to that, I know I’ve done my job. Painting is a process, of interior thought and exterior expression. Whether still life or landscapes, applying paint and adjusting composition to tell a story, is a high for me and I think that’s the inner drive that enables me to find the image and complete the painting."
Judith Drew Schubert: Judith is a professional fine art painter living and working on Martha’s Vineyard. Her preferred medium is oils but she is no stranger to gold foil accompanied by acrylics. Painting en plein air is the start (if not the finish) to most of Judith’s warm season landscape or seascape compositions. However with New England weather, Judith’s thin skin and her love for painting birds, studio painting is the lion’s share of her time with the brush. “I like to be precise when painting animals, waves and the quickly changing clouds of sunset. That is the Virgo in me. Whether I am starting a panel en plein air or spending time in an environment gathering input by simply experiencing the changing light and adding reminders with photography, my goal is to bring that mood, experience and character of my subject into my paintings. More often than not, birds, waves and clouds move too fast for me to render them accurately so my studio is my haven to get lost again in my time spent out in nature.” Judith received a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree from Syracuse University and worked for Waverly Fabrics as a surface pattern designer and colorist in NYC. Shortly after moving to the Vineyard in 1986 she started her own blocked clothing business and has since studied fine art with artists Ellen McClusky, Rez Williams, Margery Mason, Liz Taft, John Traynor, Yves M. Larocque Ph.D, and most recently on line bird painting with The Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

October 10 - November 5: Adriana Eftimie
Artist Reception: Friday, October 13, 1-3PM
(Women in Film: October 13-15)
Adriana Eftimie is an oil painter residing on Martha’s Vineyard, MA. Born and raised in Romania, Adriana grew up in a family of creators, with a dressmaker mother and tailor grandfather, Adriana's artistic inclination emerged at an early age, particularly in drawing. In high school, she joined the theatrical troupe "Catharsis," which further fueled her passion for expression through the arts. After studying Management in college, Adriana's interests continued to expand. She became involved in various projects, including organizing summer schools in rural areas through non-formal education and contributing to the organization of theater festivals in Bucharest. Despite her growing involvement in these areas, Adriana never lost her passion for drawing. In 2016, she moved to Martha's Vineyard which coincided with her discovery of oil painting. Balancing her art with work as a server in local restaurants, Adriana was constantly seeking to enrich her knowledge and skills through mediums like oil, but also acrylic, gouache, ink, watercolor, and pencil. Her artistic journey reached a new milestone in 2021 when she became a full-time artist and was mentored by the renowned oil portrait painter Elizabeth Whelan. Together, they're currently working on an exciting art project that will be unveiled soon. In 2022, Adriana had her first show, "Found Again," with Elizabeth Whelan at the Vineyard Haven Public Library and illustrated her first children's book, "Men of Snow” written by Michael Grant. When she's not working on commissioned pieces from her studio in Vineyard Haven, Adriana creates original paintings that capture the beauty and essence of the world around her. "I am an artist who thrives on curiosity, open-mindedness, and the pursuit of exploring new ideas. I primarily work with oil paint, using my photographs as references to create realistic paintings that aim to bring joy and serenity to the viewer. My compositions are crafted to capture a distinct viewpoint, with a highlight on details and a vivid use of color that maintains realism. My subject matter is diverse, ranging from landscapes to florals to animal portraits. My goal as an artist is to create pieces that evoke positive emotions and inspire viewers to see the world in a fresh and captivating light."

September 11 - October 8: Patricia Williams
Patricia J. Williams is University Distinguished Professor of Law and Humanities at Northeastern University, and Director of Law, Technology and Ethics Initiatives. She is also Professor Emerita at Columbia University School of Law. She is a prolific author whose columns have appeared in The Nation Magazine for more than two decades. Painting is both hobby and happiness for her; with no formal training in fine arts, she learns from and loves the classes offered at Featherstone. "I am fascinated by faces; almost all my subjects are portraits." The collection of works in this exhibition is entitled “Colleagues and Other Strangers.”

August 14 - September 10: The Gretchen V. Feldman Collection
(MV International Film Festival: September 5-10)
Gretchen Feldman, a former textile conservator, was born in 1934 in Philadelphia, PA. She lived and worked on Martha’s Vineyard, MA, from 1985 until her death from lung cancer in 2008. Her work was strongly influenced by the seasonal moods of The Vineyard, as well as the changes in her garden and the landscape surrounding her studio. A lifelong fascination with the rich textures and colors of textiles, particularly quilts, can be seen in her brilliantly hued semi-abstract works on paper. These paintings, with her signature balance of shape, form and powerful color, combine layers of transparent and iridescent watercolor with thickly applied, opaque layers of crayon, colored pencil and pastel. Her work has been shown extensively in the United States.

July 17 - August 13: Leo Frame
(Doc Week: July 31 - August 4)
My photographic beginnings started (1967) as a student at Fisk University in a course taught by distinguished photographer Robert “Bobby” Sengstacke. I adopted a photojournalistic style employing only available light and capturing subjects in natural settings. I have focused on photographing people rather than capturing landscape or nature photos. I am politically, artistically and musically inclined. These themes have dominated my photographic work. Having amassed over 10,000 or more negatives, I have created a body of my work over the years which I hope to share. My work has been shot in 35mm black and white, with occasional color slides or prints. As a black photographer I have reflected my environment and love for my community in these images. This work has been created for my community who have shared this journey with me and might serve as a legacy for my children. Inspiration has come from Roy DeCarava, Gordon Parks, James Vanderzee, Bobby Sengstacke, Moneta Sleet, Johnny Simmons and so many others who have taken up the challenge to portray Black America as poignant and beautiful. Seeing a powerful photograph can impact a persons awareness, philosophy and opinions. It opens doors releasing the spirit which can lay dormant until seen with the minds eye.

June 20 - July 16: Brooke Bartletta
Artist Reception: Sunday, June 25th, 1-3PM
(FilMusic: June 22-25)
Born in the United States and raised in New Zealand and Australia, my upbringing and young adulthood were nomadic. I had an uneasy feeling that I never quite belonged to one place. Whenever I thought about “home,” my internal compass swirled in different directions. That all changed when I discovered Martha’s Vineyard. I have now lived in coastal New England for 21 years and my roots have grown steadily deeper with each passing year. My approach is similar to a street photographer’s, always looking for things that are authentic, a little different, sometimes quirky or nostalgic. I’m on the move – not waiting, but always looking for the shot, going on intuition. I know it when I see it. My images are honest moments, aiming to illustrate the charm, grit, and character of New England. They are an homage to my home and a reflection of who I am.

May 25 - June 19: Vineyard Conservation Society's "The Art of Conservation" (Environmental Film Festival: May 25-28)
This annual exhibit features artwork by local high school students - winners of "The Art of Conservation" contest hosted by VCS. "The Art of Conservation" is a creative space for students to contemplate and respond to environmental issues and inspirations. In doing so, they explore a meeting ground of critical thinking and art, and gain insight into the power of imagery to express their ideas or even catalyze social change. The contest is also an opportunity for VCS to encourage a deepening of our students’ sense of place, vital to their future efforts to protect what today’s art is celebrating. An image is worth a thousand words, but the process of creation could be worth even more: the inspiration, reflection, discussion, and above all, dedication shared by a generation who will inherit these natural wonders and the existential challenges they face. 2023's theme: "Hope & Climate Action."

April 24 - May 21: Erica Brody Artist Reception: Saturday, May 6, 1-3PM
Erica Brody is a contemporary impressionist painter and civil litigator based in Boston and Martha’s Vineyard. Erica’s colorful painting style seeks to evoke a joyful view of the world, translating the quiet beauty of her favorite places into a vibrant expression that she can share with the viewer. Erica graduated from Tufts University, and learned painting fundamentals at the Museum School of Fine Arts. She received her law degree from Boston College Law School. "As an attorney, painting provides me a meditative escape from the regimentation and rigidity of the practice of law. I typically paint from reference photographs I have taken of Martha’s Vineyard and France, places where I can readily elaborate on the vibrancy of the landscape, the saturation of the color, the brightness of the mood. I am inspired by Monet and the impressionists who gave the viewer permission to use their imagination to fill in the blanks. I work quickly, and through expressive and bold brushwork, I strive to capture the dreaminess that comes with nostalgia."
Read more about the show in the recent MV Times feature Lose yourself in Erica Brody's shimmering works of art.

March 29 - April 23: Marnie Gelfman is an artist and educator based in New York and often on Martha’s Vineyard. Her work is about intimacy, exposing deep connections to people and places. She incorporates an energetic and loaded brushstroke to reimagine and heighten an experience, a relationship or a landscape. Color plays an important role in her work, reinforcing the potency and strength of a moment. She strives to reveal the tenderness and grandness of life’s small, universal moments and the chords that connect us. Marnie received her MFA and post-bacccalureate from Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and BFA from Cornell University. She has taught art for 20 years in New York.

2022 Feldman Family Artspace Artists:

December 5 - January 29: Gloria Burkin
I am a landscape artist on Martha’s Vineyard. As an artist, I am a late bloomer because I began painting seriously at age 59, after raising a family and having a career in social work. I find my inspiration from the natural and sensual beauty on the Island. I enjoy painting the changing seasons, as the delicate spring palate deepens into the lush greens and yellows of summer then ripens into the earthy reds of fall. I love to use oils, both thick and thin, over a golden under-painting, in order to reflect the exquisite light on the Island. Painting is hard work for me, and uses lots of physical stamina and energy. I roam the Island looking for places to paint, and take many photos before I start a painting. I work on several paintings at the same time and move from one to the other in order to continue working, as the light changes. I like working in oils because they are very forgiving and take a long time to dry. Often I come back to a painting and add layers, perhaps a golden wash, in order to give the paintings a luminous quality. Recently, I have become more interested in how light forms beautiful shapes when it hits the side of a boat or a building or makes different patterns on the water. I struggle to capture the wind on the beach and the reflections of light on the land. The early morning light is a particularly good time for me to paint. I also prefer the golden late afternoon light in the summer. It is a very exciting process for me, and I enjoy mixing the paints and working quickly to capture the moment. My goal is to continue painting and exploring the Island for many years. I hope to continue to capture the natural beauty of the land and sea as well as the luminous quality that comes from the reflection of being surrounded by water. Read more about the show in the MV Times: 'Coming Back into the Light' with artist Gloria Burkin

November 7 - December 4: Rosalie Ripaldi Shane
Rosalie Ripaldi Shane was born in Boston and studied art at Massachusetts College of Art, the DeCordova Museum School and Brandeis University. She is a member of the Copley Society, the Cambridge Art Association, and the Martha’s Vineyard Art Association, where she has served on the board since 1992. Ms. Shane paints in oil with highly saturated color and thick impasto. Color and texture are her passion, and never so much as in her inimitable and iconic cupcake paintings. The ‘frosting' of these pieces is thickly applied with a palette knife using colors reminiscent of candy and french pastries. They look good enough to eat. (Indeed, she serves real cupcakes, which she bakes herself, at all her openings.) As for her flower studies, one can almost smell their fragrance, with each petal defined by its sculptural shape. Landscapes flow with lush colors and an expansive line; seascapes have windswept waves, exquisitely painted water and clouded horizons. Other subjects include soaring seagulls, great waving American flags, and, occasionally, surrealistic paintings with hidden meanings one must discover themselves. She hopes the viewer will ‘dive into’ her vibrant, colorful world and experience its vitality.
The artist has exhibited for forty years in the Boston area and New England, including shows at the Copley Society, the Cambridge Art Association, the Concord Art Association, the DeCordova Museum School, the Danforth Museum, and the Brattleboro Museum in Vermont. She has shown her work since 1983 at the Old Sculpin Gallery in Edgartown and at other venues on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Ms. Shane lives in Boston in the winter months and has been a summer resident of Edgartown, Massachusetts since 1979. Her work is owned by patrons throughout the United States and Europe

October 11 - November 6: Edwina Rissland HULL STUDIES
Artist Reception: Wednesday, Oct. 12, 5:00-6:30PM
As a photographer, Edwina L. Rissland focuses tightly on form, texture, and color. Known for her painterly, color-intense images, her favorite subjects are boats of all kinds, bustling markets, and places near the sea. She delights at being up and about at first light, and many of her photos were taken while out exploring at sunup. She has been coming to Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard her entire life. She often finds subjects for her painterly abstracts – especially for the ongoing Hull Studies project – in boatyards that build and overhaul wooden boats like Gannon & Benjamin in Vineyard Haven. Even a hull whose paint is being scraped and refreshed can present a universe of its own to explore with the eyes and lens. She loves the dynamic bustle of working markets: Tsukiji, the old wholesale fish market in Tokyo, LaBoqueria in Barcelona, the Mercado in Lisbon, and Pike Place Market in Seattle. Engaging in a sort of guerrilla photography, she captures the energy of the market without getting in the way of vendors and shoppers. Visits to vibrant cities like Lisbon and Tokyo and to quieter places like the Irish countryside and the colleges at Oxford – sometimes in conjunction with professional travel – have allowed her to explore varied environments and cultures. Her book Morning Shore: A Turn of the Year on Chappaquiddick contains her images paired with prose, lyrics, and text to capture the landscapes and moods of Chappy over the course of entire year. In January 2021 she co-curated and exhibited in Attention to Detail at the Cambridge Art Association, a four-person show of Massachusetts artists who in their photos, prints and sculptures delved deeply into rich visual details of their subjects.

September 12 - October 9: Eleanor Hubbard
Eleanor Hubbard was born in Middlebury, Connecticut. She received an AAS from Bennett College in Millbrook, New York, a BA, and an MFA from the University of Pennsylvania. Hubbard also studied at the University of Oslo and did graduate work toward a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies at Cornell University. In addition to being Artist in Residence at the American Academy in Rome (2012 and 2018), Hubbard has been a recipient of several honors and awards from such agencies as The National Endowment for the Arts, The Ford Foundation, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The Mabel Pew Myrin Trust, The Dietrich Foundation, The City of Philadelphia, and the Lee Foundation. While a student at the University of Pennsylvania, Hubbard founded Institute Voleu, a platform for creative and humanitarian initiatives.

August 15 - September 11: Alejandro Carreño
Alejandro Carreño was born in 1962 in Havana. At the age of 16, he won first prize in the Annual Art Contest of the Federación Estudiantil de Ensenaza Media (FEEM) in Cuba. He studied Graphic Design at the Escuela de Diseño Gráfico e Industrial in Havana and received a scholarship to study Product Design in Germany at the Kunsthochschule Burg Giebichenstein from where he graduated as Diplomdesigner. After the fall of the wall, he moved to Berlin where he started working as a Graphic Designer and also began to work on his first exhibit. In June of 1994 Alejandro's exhibit, "Raices," a theme based on the Afro-Cuban culture, inspired the deceased Cuban writer, Jesus Diaz, who also lived in Berlin at the time, to write of Alejandro's work: "And just towards the obviously Cuban, Carreño turns his eye from his nostalgically distant Berlin viewpoint. He draws in black and white, the first and major external difference of the habitants of the island, and delivers us above all images of black Cubans, a skin-color less common in Berlin. His Cubans are above all musicians, representatives of the biggest and deepest cultural Cuban dimension, wisely re-created by the hand of Carreño in all its lightness, that national dimension that Cintio Vitier described as a constant in our poetry." In 1995 Alejandro moved to the Dominican Republic where he records his impressions of Caribbean life in bright acrylic colors. His exhibit "The Flight of the Dreamfish" in June of 2001 in Santo Domingo, employed a new painting technique using the palette knife as a painting tool. Alejandros subjects surround us with beautiful metaphors in which the most imperative desires of the human being unite. The life around him makes his brushes and palette knifes move. His paintings deliver impressions of the people, the ocean, and the life under water with refined lines and strong contrasts that create the mystique of Carreño’s art. Since 2009 Alejandro lives and works in Martha’ Vineyard, USA. And avid diver and fisherman, Alejandro currently depicts underwater scenes in his paintings. His works are in private collections and have been shown in many one-person and group exhibitions in Europe, the Dominican Republic, and the USA.

July 18 - August 14: The Gretchen V. Feldman Collection
Gretchen Feldman, a former textile conservator, was born in 1934 in Philadelphia, PA. She lived and worked on Martha’s Vineyard, MA, from 1985 until her death from lung cancer in 2008. Her work was strongly influenced by the seasonal moods of The Vineyard, as well as the changes in her garden and the landscape surrounding her studio. A lifelong fascination with the rich textures and colors of textiles, particularly quilts, can be seen in her brilliantly hued semi-abstract works on paper. These paintings, with her signature balance of shape, form and powerful color, combine layers of transparent and iridescent watercolor with thickly applied, opaque layers of crayon, colored pencil and pastel. Her work has been shown extensively in the United States.

June 20 - July 17: Kate Feiffer
Artist Reception: Sunday, July 10th, 4-6PM
Kate Feiffer’s cartoons and illustrations have been published on the Vineyard and beyond. She is currently working on illustrations for David R. Ewbank's book of poems, The Lamb Cycle, to be published in 2023. Kate is the author of eleven popular children’s books, including Henry the Dog with No Tail (illustrated by her father Jules Feiffer), and My Mom is Trying to Ruin My Life (illustrated by Diane Goode). My Mom is Trying to Ruin My Life was adapted into a musical that was workshopped at the Martha's Vineyard Playhouse and at Workshop Theater in New York City. Kate started showing her drawings and doodles ten years ago and has had several Vineyard-based shows. Her work is also at the R. Michelson Galleries in Northampton, MA. Since 2014, she has been the event producer for the MV Times sponsored writers’ festival Islanders Write, which will take place on July 31 and August 1, at Featherstone Center for the Arts.
Read more about Kate's work in this MV Times article.

May 26 - June 19: Vineyard Conservation Society's "The Art of Conservation"
This annual exhibit features artwork by local high school students - winners of "The Art of Conservation" contest hosted by VCS. "The Art of Conservation" is a creative space for students to contemplate and respond to environmental issues and inspirations. In doing so, they explore a meeting ground of critical thinking and art, and gain insight into the power of imagery to express their ideas or even catalyze social change. The contest is also an opportunity for VCS to encourage a deepening of our students’ sense of place, vital to their future efforts to protect what today’s art is celebrating. An image is worth a thousand words, but the process of creation could be worth even more: the inspiration, reflection, discussion, and above all, dedication shared by a generation who will inherit these natural wonders and the existential challenges they face.
Vineyard Conservation Society’s 8th Annual Art & Writing Contest "Climate."
For this year’s competition, VCS asked student artists and writers to reflect on climate change. It can be difficult to ‘see’ climate change. It is happening all around us all the time, and yet, day to day, it can feel like it’s not happening at all. Enabling the public to see the existence, and feel the urgency, of climate change has been one of the great challenges of the modern environmental movement. Scientifically crisp and politically astute attempts have not met with wide success. Art presents a different and unique path by providing the emotional spark that often enables people to ‘see’. Art has the powerful ability to inspire action and spur innovation. With this in mind, the Vineyard Conservation Society challenged high school students to help make the issue of climate change visible through their writing or artwork.

March 28 - April 24: Michael David Rottman
Michael was born in Antigo, Wisconsin and grew up in Canandaigua, NY, and Washington, CT. While in Washington, Michael was mentored by American Impressionist Herman Margulies, a Polish Holocaust survivor and inductee of the Pastel Society of America’s Hall of Fame. His wisdom and impressionistic landscapes still inspire Michael today. While studying Finance and Fine Arts at Stonehill College, Michael began to concentrate on color theory and abstract expressionism. His younger paintings were influenced by Gorky, Basquiat, Miro, and Picasso. He focused on the human face, emotions, kinetic energy, and the idea of the soul. Upon moving to Martha’s Vineyard in 2007, Michael began to focus on landscapes, seascapes, and nautical themes. Herman’s influence reappearing many years later is evident in his brush strokes and color selections. The work is colorful, vibrant, and passionate. Michael has two sons and lives year round in West Tisbury. Read the March 28, 2022 MV Times story "Colorful Connections" here.

April 25 - May 22: Whitney Cleary
Whitney Cleary is a self taught artist from Western Massachusetts. She moved to the island of Martha’s Vineyard in the spring of 2012 to pursue new challenges and creative endeavors. This led to a career in the craft of bread baking at Morning Glory Farm. The seasonal nature of the job left long stretches of time to pursue other art forms. Painting began as a way to pass the time. Soon it became more of an obsession to capture a certain feeling through atmospheric landscapes and complicated skies. Her work has been shown at the Chilmark Library, Pathways Arts, A Gallery Contemporary and Francine Kelly Gallery.

2021 Feldman Family Artspace Artists:

November 8 - January 2: Julia Russell
After graduating from the University of Pennslyvania with a BA in English and then from Boston University with an MA in Creative Writing, I have been teaching English in Boston area independent schools and colleges for over 30 years, finding a long-standing position at Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, MA where I have been for the past 20 years. Moving away from my primary training and interest in writing, I began painting twelve years ago, taking classes at the Fine Arts Center in Provincetown and at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. In addition to Vineyard shows, I have also shown and sold my work at the Zullo Gallery in Medfield, MA and at the Motherbrook Arts and Community Center Open Studios in Dedham, MA. I live in West Roxbury, MA with my supportive wife, Karen, our wonderful daughter, Ella, and our two dogs, Carter and Leroy.

October 12 - November 7: Kate Patterson (Women in Film Festival 10/15-10/17)
Kate Patterson is a Washington, DC and Martha’s Vineyard-based photojournalist and photo editor who works with companies and individuals to tell their stories. For the last decade Kate Patterson has been working at USA Today as the lead photo editor in news, Director of Photography and Managing Editor for Visual Storytelling. As a top editor Patterson coached photo editors and photojournalists creating powerful visual stories while championing the transition to multimedia and web content. Kate is a past president of the Associated Press Photo Managers, a long-standing member of the National Press Photographer’s association a credentialed member of the Standing Committee of Press photographers and a frequent judge of the APPM monthly photo contest. Over the last decade Kate has lead the planning and implementation of the national political conventions and election coverage. She has been a member of the team coverage at the Olympics in Athens, Greece and multiple Super Bowls and a leading member of the team directing and editing war coverage in Iraq and Afghanistan. Before joining USA Today in 2000 she was the Director of Photography at the Army Times Publishing Company overseeing a staff of 5 visual journalists who covered conflict and military personnel quality of life issues. Her experience with the military created a foundation for directing USA Today’s war coverage. Patterson holds a degree from Hollins University in Roanoke, Va. and has completed various management courses including Gannett Leadership training in 2012, Poynter Institute “Leading the Visual Revolution” and FinalCut Pro training.

September 13 - October 11: Annette Sandrock
Annette I. Sandrock, resident of Marthas’a Vineyard for over 30 years, published her first book of poetry, LABYRINTH (2019) in Portugal and is honored to be registered in the National Library of Portugal. Her book, exclusively containing her poetry and images of pruned treetops of Crete, is carried in several book stores in Portugal as well as on Martha’s Vineyard. The images from LABYRINTH have taken on a life of their own, having been shown at island libraries and virtually by PathwaysArts of Martha’s Vineyard as “an instrument to raise awareness of the personality and special sentience of trees, our companions and providers”. Through manipulation of her photographs, Sandrock uniquely captures trees as embodying spirits and personality traits of humanity and animals. Unfortunately, scheduled shows at the Grand Arsenal in Chania, the MV Film Center, and MVTV art space were postponed due to Covid last Spring. Her writing and poetry have appeared in several island anthologies as well as several Martha’s Vineyard publications.

August 16 - September 12: Jeanna Shepard
Photography was a part of my life before I knew it. As publisher of Good Housekeeping and Executive VP of Hearst Publications, my father introduced my 8 siblings and me to the magazine world. I was around advertisers, photographers and editors often. Always the one with the camera myself, I became an avid chronicler of my life around me. My first job was at Vanity Fair where I was surrounded by graphics and creative minds. During my hiatus from work to have a family, I became one of the public school photographers and publicity chair. As a result of my many weekly newspaper submissions, I was offered a photography job at one of the papers. That changed my life. Since that day in 2006, I have worked for many publications, and won many awards in the process. I did all my learning on the job, where you have to react quickly and either be in or get in the right position. I currently shoot for all the Vineyard Gazette publications (newspaper, magazine, MVOL and the Vine), and have a portraiture and fine art photography business. I also have an ongoing portrait project entitled "Life Within the Journey" with Circle of Care for Families of Children with Cancer, where I photograph pediatric patients on their day of treatment, and travel with a gallery throughout Connecticut for childhood cancer awareness.

July 19 - August 15: The Gretchen V. Feldman Collection (DOC WEEK 8/2-6)
Gretchen Feldman, a former textile conservator, was born in 1934 in Philadelphia, PA. She lived and worked on Martha’s Vineyard, MA, from 1985 until her death from lung cancer in 2008. Her work was strongly influenced by the seasonal moods of The Vineyard, as well as the changes in her garden and the landscape surrounding her studio. A lifelong fascination with the rich textures and colors of textiles, particularly quilts, can be seen in her brilliantly hued semi-abstract works on paper. These paintings, with her signature balance of shape, form and powerful color, combine layers of transparent and iridescent watercolor with thickly applied, opaque layers of crayon, colored pencil and pastel. Her work has been shown extensively in the United States.

May 24 - June 20: Lily Keller
(MV Environmental Film Festival 5/27-5/30)
Lily is a painter living on Martha’s Vineyard, a magical island in the Atlantic off the coast of New England. She works in oil and natural pigment, drawing seasonal inspiration from the Island’s natural beauty, beaches, forests, and its quintessential New England towns and cottages. She enjoys infusing the staid, salt-scrubbed New England seascape with the warmth of bright colors, beginning with a bright orange underpainting. Every painting is considered a missile of good vibes and island energy, sent with love from a New England island to your home. Lily was born in Miami, Florida, and made her way to New England to attend Bowdoin College, where she studied under renowned sculptor John Bisbee. When not painting she can generally be found on or in the water, adventuring with her three boys.

April 26 - May 23: Marianne Neill
(Spectrum Film Festival 5/7-5/9)
I paint for the pleasure of seeing if I can paint an image that pleases me, makes me smile. My subjects are chosen from everyday life; a vase of garden flowers on the table where friends are gathered having coffee and chatting while painting, a corner of the living room with the favorite overstuffed chair, the deck in summer filled with plants and plastic chairs, a close-up of just the flowers we are painting. My current work is drawing in pen and then painting with watercolor on grey paper. These materials enable me to work rather quickly to capture the first impression of a still-life and the surrounding environment. I work in several sizes depending on the subject I’m painting from 5x8, to 8x10 and 9x12. I use medium weight grey toned paper.The finished work is presented in a glassed box frame, that floats the painting slightly above the background.

June 21 - July 18: Frances McGuire (FILMUSIC 6/24-6/27)
"Visits to the Island fed her spirit during her time as a student at the prestigious High School of Art and Design in Manhattan, and then Queens College, where she was taught largely by working artists responding to the grit and chaos of a 1970s-early 1980s New York City. 'I never considered a career in fine art, but after college, when I worked as the assistant director of the New York City’s Art Commission, I was constantly drawing in board meetings and painting by night, which brought me a lot of positive feedback from my colleagues. Working there was the equivalent to getting a Master’s...we had everyone coming in: I.M. Pei, Philip Johnson, Robert Ryman, Wolf Kahn. Every little aspect of a project was reviewed, whether it was signage, or a park design, or a new sculpture, or even the color of a bridge.' McGuire’s oil paintings, ranging in size from 8 x 8 to 40 x 46 inches, share a strong horizontality...One feels the invisible grid beneath the surface onto which she layers color and shape and light to create feeling. Each painting is a palimpsest of emotion – but not necessarily narrative – expressed without judgment or expectation. The visual equivalent of, “I’m just saying.” The formality, or construction, of her compositions and the more traditional use of materials loosen to shards of fractured light and color for punctuation. What McGuire paints is all there is; what was is unseen, but not hidden because there’s nothing to hide." - Libby Ellis for Martha's Vineyard Magazine
Click here to read a review of her show at the MV Film Center!

Shavanae Anderson
"Shavanáe Anderson's work exhibits maturity as an artist and the talent and skill of a professional, even though she has only recently dedicated herself to creating art. Born in Jamaica and raised between that Island and Martha’s Vineyard, Anderson has already accomplished a great deal for someone her age. At 16 she won the Stone Soup Leadership Institute’s Walter Cronkite Award for journalism. Upon graduation from MVRHS, Anderson went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in film studies and communications from Suffolk University, and pursued a career in broadcast journalism. During the summer months, the teenager worked on the Island for the African American Film Festival and for MVTV, an organization that she still contributes to as a freelance videographer. Anderson creates with a combination of pencils, markers, and paints to create vivid portraits that benefit from both exacting detail and a very effective, expressionist quality". - via Gwyn McAllister for the MV Times

2020 Feldman Family Artspace Artists:

February 10 – 23: Beth Smith
February 24 – March 22: Tiffiney Shoquist
March 23 – April 19: Annette Sandrock - postponed due to COVID-19
April 20 – May 17: Marianne Neill - postponed due to COVID-19
May 21 – June 21: Vineyard Conservation Society and Martha's Vineyard Regional High School - postponed due to COVID-19
June 22 – July 19: Frances McGuire - postponed due to COVID-19
July 20 – August 16: The Gretchen V. Feldman Collection
August 17 – September 13: Martha Mae Jones
September 14 – October 11: Steve Lohman
October 13 – November 15: Paul Karasik
November 16 – December 13: Susan Johnson

CALL FOR ARTISTS

Featherstone Center for the Arts reviews the artwork of dozens of Island artists to show at The Martha’s Vineyard Film Center. Every effort is made to achieve a balance of different media.

There are 12 show slots, plus the annual VCS/MVRHS student art contest and the Gretchen V. Feldman permanent collection. Selections were based on technical, graphic and aesthetic criteria, as well as a balance of media and styles suitable for The Film Center Art space.

Call for Artists!
At the end of each year, Featherstone posts an application form on this page with instructions on how to apply for the Feldman Art Space for the upcoming year.