WESTFIELD - What do ice wines, quilted wall hangings and plein air winter scene paintings have in common?
All three will all be featured at 2 p.m. Saturday during Mayville's Ice Winter Festival Weekend at Portage Hill Gallery located on Route 394 midway between Westfield and Mayville, three miles north of Mayville.
Long known for a tradition of featuring regional art and regional products, Portage Hill Gallery is pleased to host an ice wine tasting of Johnson Estate Winery's "Ice Wine of Vidal Blanc" and "Ice Wine of Chambourcin" starting promptly at 2 p.m. During this tasting gallery visitors will be able to enjoy new work by members of the Piece 'n Harmony Quilting group and new winter plein air scenes painted by Tom Annear.
Piece 'n Harmony is a group of 35 beginning to advanced quilters who have existed for approximately five years in the Blockville area of the county. They meet once a month for fellowship, charm square quilting and speakers. According to founder Rene Yates, one of the most significant quilting projects they are doing is making quilts for children who have to testify in court in Chautauqua County. They will also be making quilts for foster children who live in our county. The cost per meeting is $1 and interested quilters may call Yates for more information at 969-5533. Portage Hill Gallery will be hanging 10 small wall hanging pieces for sale opening on this weekend and hanging until mid March.
Tom Annear is well known as a local plein air painter. In the summer, plein air painting is a delightful process of painting out in the beautiful summer air. But in the winter, the plein air process is a bit more challenging. The choices tighten down into painting scenes out of windows or hoping for the January thaw or balmy winter day. For the three new recent paintings Annear will have in this show, he has searched out places with beautiful views that he can see out of local windows for his inspiration while staying warm and painting inside. He has painted a winter vineyard scene, a winter field at sunset and a view from Maytum Hall at SUNY Fredonia in the winter.
Along with these three featured events, Portage Hill Gallery will offer visitors to the Mayville Ice Festival a place to view and support the work of many the local artists featured in Portage Hill Gallery's extensive collection. Portage Hill Gallery is also the home studio of painter and clay artist Audrey Kay Dowling and co-owner Donald Dowling who specializes in picture framing.
As an added art service, Audra Kay Dowling is now teaching private art lessons and will also be setting up small group multi media art lessons of three or less students. The next six-week session will meet one hour a week and will be starting during the week of Feb. 15. Interested persons are asked to contact Dowling at 326-4478 for more details.
