Queen Anne’s County Arts Council’s Centre for the Arts and Queen Anne’s County Department of Economic Development and Tourism invites the public to an exhibit featuring photographers Diane Blake, Ed Blake and George Drake, wood scroll artist Mary Drake and visual artist Glenn Shiring. There will be a public reception on Friday, April 5th from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the Heritage and Tourism Center in Chester, Maryland.
Although native to the Eastern Shore, Diane Blake has traveled all over the world to capture her images. She considers herself a “light-chaser” and enjoys exploring light and shadows in her work. Blake has also been trained in oil and watercolor painting, which has helped her to develop an appreciation for color and composition. Blake has been an artist and photographer for over 30 years and has exhibited her work throughout Maryland and New Hampshire. She shares her love of photography and home studio with her husband Ed Blake.
Ed Blake has been a photographer for over 40 years and a traditional black and white darkroom printer for over 35 years. Blake has a versatile subject matter including landscapes, seascapes, castles, cathedrals and tombs. He enjoys using his technical skills and artistic eye to interpret what he sees and decide how to present that view in black and white. Blake has exhibited his work at the Currier Museum of Art, Manchester Airport, New England Camera Club Council, Maison de l’Art Gallery and Queen Anne’s County Arts Council.
George Drake has always been fascinated by the art of photography. When he first started out, his photographs mainly centered around his children but more recently he has developed a talent for photographing the many varieties of birds that he views outside of his home in Centreville. He has exhibited his work at the Queen Anne’s County Arts Council, Chestertown RiverArts Gallery and Talbot County Visual Arts Center. He is also an active member and volunteer at the Queen Anne’s County Arts Council.
Mary Drake is a primarily self-taught artist who specializes in scroll saw art. Scroll art is a wood working technique which involves using an image to create a scroll saw pattern and carving out the design with a saw spiral type scroll saw blade. Her passion for this technique began several years ago when she attended a scroll wood art workshop. She enjoys designing and carving various subjects including fretwork landscapes, pet portraits and puzzles. Her designs have been featured in shows at the Chestertown RiverArts Gallery and the Queen Anne’s County Arts Council.
Self-taught artist Glenn Shiring is a native of the Chesapeake Bay area. His work includes a variety of subjects including wildlife, landscapes, still life and life under the sea. All of his work is created entirely out of recycled materials. Comic books, game boards, sheet music, CDs, driftwood and playing cards are just some of materials incorporated into his art. He teaches at the Kent Island Federation of Arts, Stevensville Middle School, Centreville Middle School and the Kent Island Library where he offers free art classes every Saturday.
The “Members’ Best” exhibits range from emerging to established professionals with a wide range of styles and mediums. These rotating exhibits offer artists and audience members an excellent opportunity to participate in a show that reflects the diversity of regional artwork. The Heritage and Tourism Center is located at 425 Piney Narrows Road in Chester, Maryland. The exhibition begins April 6th and will run through July 1st. The Queen Anne’s County Centre for the Arts is located at 206 S. Commerce St., Centreville, MD. 410.758.2520 or exhibit@arts4u.info. The Arts Council is supported in part by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.
The Queen Anne’s County Arts Council, Inc., is a non-profit organization committed to promoting, expanding and sustaining the arts. We connect artists to audiences and the community to the arts. Visit us on the web at www.arts4u.info