Local artwork on display on Satrurday

By NATHAN LAMB | Milton Independent Staff Writer
miltonreporter@yahoo.com

Local artist Lorraine Manley usually paints with a brush, but she dropped that in favor of a paint roller in late summer to benefit the Milton Artist’s Guild.

Manley and the guild, along with a number of volunteers, spent three weeks in August putting a fresh coat of paint on the Grange Hall interior. The project wasn’t for lack of artistic inspiration, but instead an in-kind trade so the guild could hold its third annual Holiday Art Show at the hall on Saturday, Nov. 17.

Overall, Manley said there wasn’t a huge difference between the two types of painting.

“It’s still creative and you still…have a finished product in mind,” she said. “The end product was still satisfying.”

For the Grange, that end result was replacing the old baby blue and maroon tones with a more neutral yellow and gold color scheme, which should enhance its attractiveness for both private and community events, said Manley.

For guild members, the end result was exhibit space in a prime location for 12 local artists and artisans, who will look to both display and sell their work at the show.

The event is billed as providing local and affordable fine art, and Manley said the showroom will include paintings, drawings, and even a jeweler. Manley herself is planning to bring 20 pieces of her own work, and said there will be a wide range of price and product to choose from. The show was launched in part to take advantage of the holiday shopping season and provide access to unique gifts, but it’s also to highlight local creativity, said Manley.

“I think it’s a great way to expose people to local artists,” she said. “It’d be wonderful to sell, but it’s also to display our work.”

The guild is a group of local artists who share their work and plan periodic events.

The group’s art show came to the Grange Hall last year, when guild members painted the building exterior in exchange for use of the space.

Manley said the show has been well supported by the community thus far and has encouraged the artists to return each holiday season.

With both inside and outside of the Grange Hall now taken care of, the guild may need to get creative if it plans to hold another show there next year, but Manley indicated they’d cross that bridge when it comes.

“We haven’t gotten that far yet,” he said.

The art show will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 17. Admittance is free, and there will be art raffles, a children’s holiday craft table, and refreshments, said Manley. People are also invited to just drop by and see the new coat of paint on the Grange Hall, she added.

Questions can be directed to Manley at 893-7680.