Rosemary Griggs Clay Art: Spring 2011 Exhibits & Goings On

Spring is here and the sap is rising in all living things including myself. This time of year I am torn between the studio and our two vegetable gardens as I dust off from one and dig into the other. One of my favorite quotes, written in an 1880 edition of Harpers Weekly, seems fitting this time of year –

“Handling dear old Mother Earth, whether it be digging potatoes or making pots and plaques, does not leave much room for hysteria.”

I will be exhibiting in three art shows in the next few months beginning with Glynn Art Association’s 18th annual Spring Arts and Crafts Festival here on St. Simons Island, April 9-10 from 10 am – 5 pm. My usual booth space is #3 along the side walk across from Glynn Art’s beautiful new gallery space.

On Mother’s Day weekend, May 7-8, I will be showing at the Dunwoody Art Festival in Dunwoody, Georgia which was voted “Best New Event in the Southeast”. This is a new show for me but I’ve heard good things about it and am eager to see how my work is received there.

The next show in my spring schedule is the one I’m really excited about. It’s my family’s third exhibit at the Glynn Art Association Gallery titled “Agnes’ Women III”, named after my grandmother, Agnes Stephens who was an accomplished artist and an inspiration to us all. Over the years, several of my family members, including my mother, three of her sisters and a cousin put a large exhibit together and pull out all the stops with costumes, props and spontaneous frivolity. Though our art covers a wide range of subjects and mediums, it’s easy to see the common thread of humor and wit that runs through it. Opening reception is Thursday, June 2, with the exhibit running through mid July.

Last fall over a dozen pieces of my work were used on the set of an upcoming Universal Studios movie called Wanderlust, starring Jennifer Anniston, Paul Rudd, Alan Alda and Justin Theroux . The directors, David Wain and Judd Apatow, directed the hit movie The Forty Year Old Virgin, among many others. My pieces were displayed in prominent places around the set and I imagine they will be in the background of a number of scenes. We’ll see how it goes but I’m pretty excited about the possibilities this may open up. It’s scheduled for release this fall. I’ll post more about it as the opening date gets closer.

Another opportunity that has opened for my work came from my experience with breast cancer a few years back. While I was going through chemo and umpteen surgeries, I was unable to work in clay for almost two years but did muster the strength to draw and ended up with a journal of about 100 drawings and poems titled “A Stroll Down Mammary Lane”. My plastic surgeon expressed interest in using some of the drawings in an article he authored for a national plastic surgery publication to be out later this year. Though it won’t be titillating reading for most of us, its subject matter is very relevant to what I went through as it concerns the psychological effects of breast cancer and reconstruction and how creativity plays a part in the healing process.

I’ll be posting pictures of new work as they get completed so check back in periodically over the next few weeks. Please come visit me at one or more of the exhibits this spring. If you have any questions you may contact me via email or by phone at 912-223-2239. Happy Spring!