Behind the Scenes: Arts on the Square Promo Video!

Sunday, June 30, 2013
We had the pleasure of working with Lindsay Barrasse to shoot a promo video for Arts on the Square taking place on July 27th on Courthouse Square.  The shooting is not complete yet but here are some fun photos from yesterday's shoot at Bogart Court!


Lindsay Barrasse setting up to interview John Ingiaimo at 527 Bogart Court!




Benjamin Adcroft fine art studio on Bogart Court.



A peek inside Benjamin Adcroft's studio.




Benjamin Adcroft and Cristin Powers hanging out between takes.



John Ingiaimo setting up his 8x10 Deardorff view camera to give us a camera demo.


Overall, it was a lovely day hanging out with some very talented artists at Bogart Court!  We can't wait share the promo video!



Arts on the Square Spotlight: Meet Debra Koval Grippo of Koval Grippo

Saturday, June 22, 2013
Debra Koval Grippo makes the most magical jewelry from recycled painting scraps!!! She’s also the current Artist-in-Residence at Moscow Clayworks. Check out our interview with her and watch the video at the end to see her jewelry come to life!

Tell us a little about your creative endeavor and what inspired you to start it.

I started this new jewelry series by accident about 6 months ago. The inspiration came from the edges of paintings that were cut away in order for the finished painting to fit in the mat and be framed for showing. The colors and shapes were so cool on the left over scraps of the paintings, they seemed to take on their own wonderful magic. That's when I decided to recycle these painting scraps and the next thing you know, some wonderful jewelry was created.



Have you always known you were an artist?  What led you to the arts?

Yes, this magic was always there when I was a little kid, I didn't talk much, I was much happier just drawing.  I was deeply devoted to coloring, creating crazy crafts, discovering and carving little things and making a mess on my mom's kitchen table.




We know you are currently the artist-in-residence at Moscow Clayworks. Please share some of your experience with us.  

Being an Artist-in-Residence at Moscow Clayworks is an amazing experience and such a joy to be around so much talented and innovative artists.  It is a very unique and special community based art center and gallery.  I have learned many awesome things from my residency here, but the most profound thing I have learned from the all the Goryl Family members, (owners of Moscow Clayworks), is how important it is to participate, donate and help to your local community.  Their hearts and their philosophy are focused on beautiful positive community events for all ages and that is what makes Moscow Clayworks such a wonderful art center.


What will you be featuring at the Arts on the Square festival?  

Unique one-of-a-kind jewelry




How do you make your studio/work space an inspiring place to be?

By smiling !!




Artist Bio:  
Koval Grippo apprenticed for various artist, expanding the boundaries to include stage design, commercial art, jewelry design and couture fashion.  While working as a young painter, in Washington D.C., Koval was awarded the District of Columbia Arts and Humanities Commission Visual Arts Grant, which allowed Koval to pursue dreams of creating abstract art.
.
Koval Grippo’s work has appeared in solo and group shows, film and video productions, and theatrical performances.  Koval Grippo’s paintings and photographs have been exhibited in venues across the United States and Canada.  In 2010, Koval received the NEPA Regional Art Award, an award created by Art School alma mater, Keystone College in collaboration with Marywood University and the University of Scranton.  Koval Grippo is currently the 2013 Artist-in-Residence at Moscow Clayworks Gallery in Moscow, Pennsylvania.  

Koval continues to create, collaborate and produce in San Francisco, California.

Check out this cool video to see her jewelry come to life!



Follow Debra Koval Grippo:
Business Name:   Koval Grippo
Website:  www.kovalgrippo.com
Facebook:  Debra Koval

Follow Arts on the Square & ScrantonMade:
Facebook:  Arts on the Square and ScrantonMade
Twitter:  ScrantonMade
Instagram: @scrantonmade_blog
Pinterest: ScrantonMade
Website  artsonthesquare.net 





Arts on the Square Spotlight: Meet Sam Watson of Sam Watson Photography

Friday, June 21, 2013
His photography fits perfectly within the ScrantonMade ethos: celebrating the artists and landscape that make the place we call home so beloved to us. Meet Sam Watson of Sam Watson Photography...and definitely stop by and talk photography with him at Arts on the Square

Hi Sam!

Tell us a little about your company and what inspired you to start it.

I wish I could tell you I stole an invitation to a Grateful Dead press reception, grabbed my camera, and the rest is history, but that just isn't the case. I guess the story goes (so far)  is when I was in my teens my uncle Wes gave me a book of Linda Mccartney’s “sixties: portraits of an era.” Her photographs of many of the musical genius’s that defined that generation; Dylan, Hendrix, Joplin, the Stones, the Grateful Dead, and of course the Beatles, inspired me, even though, at the time, I didn't even own a camera. In time I acquired an old 35mm film camera and just started shooting, simple as that. No formal training, no workshops or classes, just a roll of film and my eyes. My parents grew up in the 60-70s so I think it’s only natural that I'm attracted to the music and certainly the organic and natural “free form” aesthetic of the time period. Very spontaneous and improvisational but with a clear direction. That organic foundation and essentially “learning how to learn” has made all the difference in my line of photography whether it be shooting landscapes or portraiture. It’s really been a grassroots experience, having mainly displayed and sold work at First Fridays and through social media. I've been in the business since the day I picked up a camera, and I don’t plan on putting it down anytime soon.


Have you always known you were an artist?  What led you to photography? 

I think the arts were something that just came natural to me as opposed to anything else.  My mum was always very creatively sound so I think that’s really where it originates. But what really lead me to photography specifically was the power of the still image, most notably the work of Robert Frank. His images are raw, gritty, off-kilter and simple, yet are also complex; full of truth, and beauty and emotion. My college professor at Ursinus College, Don Camp, really stressed the importance of the narrative or “the story” within the still image. Once you have a solid narrative of what you want to tell the viewer, everything else will fall into place. It doesn't matter if you have the greatest equipment, if there is no real ethos intertwined into the still image, it falls apart. Being inundated with so many more images than ever before, where everyone is a “photographer” it’s hard to distinguish yourself from all of the white noise. There’s a lot of really great stuff photographically out there, there’s also a ton of crap, and it’s harder now more than ever to break through and really get your work noticed.


Tell us a little about your photography aesthetic and areas of interest.

Robert Frank once said in an interview “When people look at my pictures I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice.” The aesthetic I try to capture is one of truth and beauty and the organic relationship between the two. Establishing a visceral dialogue that pulls the audience into the photograph. Even if some of my images are not necessarily deemed “beautiful” like ducks on a pond, I still try and capture the truth, which in my mind in turn makes it beautiful. For example, I created a body of work in which the narrative was documenting abandon spaces. These were desolate man made spaces run down and forgotten about that were being transformed and overtaken by Mother Nature. To some the pictures are raw, gritty, and off kilter but with correct use of light, and space, and time the images are just as beautiful as the concept which completes the narrative.  In tandem with the more fine art documentary side of my work, music has also always been an area of interest that has shaped my aesthetic. I try to blend the two together. Having interned at music magazine Relix, gave me the firsthand experience of photographing the organic chemistry that musicians create on and off stage.



What will you be featuring at the Arts on the Square festival?

A mixed bag of my documentary fine art photography as well as images of local and national musicians at play including Coal TownRounders, Cabinet, Miz, A Fire With Friends, G. Love, Allman Brothers, Galactic, Lotus and many more.



How do you make your workplace an inspiring place to be?

We all know any artistic venture isn’t created in a vacuum so I try and surround my work space with as much different outlets for creativity as possible whether it be in literature, the sciences, music, or theology. I went to Ursinus College, a small liberal arts college, near Philadelphia as opposed to a strictly art school because I wanted to experience other avenues and platforms that I could bounce off of to find inspiration from. I’ve also collected a lot of vinyl records over the years and have a record player set up beside where I do most of my editing, so the turntable’s constantly spinning.



Is there any other information you would like us to share/highlight about you or your work?

I’m always interested in doing freelance work and commissions. Be sure to check out my facebook page www.facebook.com/grey.squirrel.photo and website www.greysquirrelphoto.com. If you see anything you like I’d be happy to make a print for a nominal fee. Cheers. Upward and onward.



Follow Sam Watson Photography:
Website: greysquirrelphoto.com
Facebook: facebook.com/grey.squirrel.photo
Instagram: @therealgreysquirrel


Follow Arts on the Square & ScrantonMade:
Facebook:  Arts on the Square and ScrantonMade
Twitter:  ScrantonMade
Instagram: @scrantonmade_blog
Pinterest: ScrantonMade
Website  artsonthesquare.net


Arts on the Square Spotlight: Meet Annie Cadden of Fisher Cat Fiber Co.

Thursday, June 20, 2013
We can't say enough about the innovative eco-designer Annie Cadden of Fisher Cat Fiber Co.  She's been a very important part of ScrantonMade since the beginning and we are always so excited to chat with her! We can't wait for you to see what she crafts up for Arts on the Square!

Hi Annie!

Tell us a little about your company and what inspired you to start it.
  
Wow that's a great question, not so easy to answer. Fisher Cat Fiber Co has been and still is a process in the making. Never was it my intention to start a business. About six years ago I told myself that I would not purchase any more yarn or materials until everything in my stash was used up. I started felting bags from scrap wool, weaving rugs from rags that I had saved and gave a try at making plarn (plastic cut into yarn).  I opened my Etsy Shop and entered a few art shows. The upcycled plastic rugs really started taking off. Since then, not only are the rugs available on Etsy but also in several online markets in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Fisher Cat Fiber Co was born as a way to be resourceful, to repurpose and to be creative all at the same time. I believe it still holds true to that intention.



How did you learn your craft?  

My educational background is in music, I have no formal training in the fiber arts. I belong to a local weaving and spinning guild that consists of the most generous members who share their skills and talents. I also took two classes at The Mannings Handweaving School in East Berlin, PA. That is where I purchased my first spinning wheel over 15 years ago. 

My love affair for colors, textures and fiber started at a young age. It began with the simple pot holder frame and then my friend’s grandmother taught us to crochet. We were probably about 12 years old, I never stopped. In high school my sister taught me to knit. Over the years I kept pursuing the fiber related crafts. In my 20’s I learned to use a spinning wheel and a few years ago I started to weave.



What kind of materials do you use to make your work?  How long does each piece take to make?

The rugs are woven from several materials. The most popular are those woven from plastic bags. I also weave vintage material made into rags, salvaged dress factory material, t shirts and wool roving. The time it takes to actually weave a rug is minimal compared to the entire process: winding on the warp, threading the loom, preparing the fiber, weaving, hemming, cleaning and finally labeling. All considered, it takes approximately 6 hours for a 2x3 rug.






How would you describe your style & where do you find inspiration?

I am not sure that I have a style. I would say it’s eclectic, traditional but contemporary at the same time. My current inspiration are artisans who re-purpose discarded materials into pretty much everything: clothing, furniture, paintings, etc... some of it’s amazing!

What items will you be featuring at the Arts on the Square festival?

I will be co-vending with fiber artist Ellyane Hutchinson of Digital Leaf Studio. In addition to the FCFC rugs, Ellyane will bring handmade lace jewelry, tatted necklaces and earrings, bags made of vintage textiles and hand woven vintage ribbon, knitted & crocheted pins.




What is your most popular item?

The upcycled rug, however the felted market bags have also become popular. Made  from local wool or project seconds, no two are ever alike. They are a seasonal and limited  item. I will have them in November at the Nyack NYArt Show and in December at the Bethel Woods Holiday Market.

What are your can’t live without craft room essentials? 

Scissors, lighting/lamps and a sleigh hook for threading the reed.




How do you make your workplace an inspiring place to be?

It is a beautiful place all it's own. We are located in an isolated area surrounded by many acres. My work space is on the second floor. One side of the room has large windows without curtains. I am inspired by the day. Rain, sun, snow, wind, sights, smells, sounds... it's all very inspiring.  The only thing I ever add is music.



Will you be demonstrating your craft at Arts on The Square? If so, tell us a little about it...
I will be bringing my new spinning wheel.  Ellyane will be demonstrating drop spinning as well as tatting. I cannot say enough about the quality of her work. Be sure to stop by to say hello and check out our demos.




Is there any other information you would like us to share/highlight about you or your work?
Thanks to ScrantonMade, I was featured on Earth 911 this past April. That was a true honor!  http://earth911.com/home-garden/plastic-bag-rugs/



Follow Fisher Cat Fiber Co. 
Twitter: @fishercatfiberc

Follow Arts on the Square & ScrantonMade:
Facebook:  Arts on the Square and ScrantonMade
Twitter:  ScrantonMade
Instagram: @scrantonmade_blog
Pinterest: ScrantonMade
Website  artsonthesquare.net





Arts on the Square Spotlight: Meet Rebecca Kinsey of Reba Handmade Accessories

Wednesday, June 19, 2013
We’ve been a fan of Rebecca Kinsey’s meticulous craftsmanship and whimsical design for years. We’re excited to share her new venture, Reba Handmade Accessories, and we can’t wait to see what she creates for Arts on the Square

Hi Rebecca!

Tell us a little about Reba Handmade Accessories and what inspired you to start it.

In 2006, my sister and I inherited our grandmother’s sewing machine. It was in rough shape, so our parents bought us a newer machine. I went by a few other names before deciding on Reba HandmadeAccessories last year. My projects evolved over time as my skills improved. Sewing for me is a very rewarding hobby. My customers’ positive feedback really motivates me to keep creating. I sell my items at craft fairs or festivals when I have created enough inventory.



How did you learn your craft?  Do you have formal training?

I have many supportive sewing mentors who have always welcomed my inquiries for advice. There are also many online resources I use such as tutorials on sewing blogs that have been very helpful as well. I feel as though I have learned a lot through trial and error. Having to seam rip a project definitely teaches you a great lesson!




What kind of materials do you use to make your work?  How long does each piece take to make?

Recycled or unwanted fabrics are my favorite kind of fabrics to sew with. The hunt for them is almost as exciting as the end result of a project. Over the years, I have accumulated a great stockpile of fabric from yard sales, retired seamstresses, and even home economic teachers. I also use lots and lots of zippers! I like to take my time when cutting my projects out and sewing them together. You really do get out what you put in, and it shows in the final product. I can make 2 zippered pouches in about an hour, although I usually make them in batches of 10.



How would you describe your style & where do you find inspiration?

Repurposed, vintage-inspired, functional. I love retro floral prints, lace, stripes, and polka dots. I love combining my favorite fabrics to create something appealing and functional like a zippered clutch. They are great for organization purposes or as a clutch for a night out. I have a great appreciation for handmade and DIY. When I see others put in great time and effort as they create, I feel very inspired to do the same.



What items will you be featuring at the Arts on the Square festival?

Zippered pouches in a variety of sizes, as well as specialty clutches and purses.



What is your most popular item?

Lately, I have been making a lot of color-blocked clutches with a lace overlay. They were very popular at my FirstFriday Scranton exhibit.

What are your can’t live without craft room essentials?

My Gingher snipper scissors for clipping threads and the pin cushion I made when I first started sewing.

How do you make your workplace an inspiring place to be?

I open the shades to let as much light in as possible, and put on some great music. Coffee makes time spent sewing even more enjoyable!



Follow Reba Handmade Accessories
Location: Dunmore, PA
Instagram: @rebahandmade

Follow Arts on the Square & ScrantonMade:
Facebook:  Arts on the Square and ScrantonMade
Twitter:  ScrantonMade
Instagram: @scrantonmade_blog
Pinterest: ScrantonMade
Website  artsonthesquare.net





Arts on the Square Spotlight: Meet Timmy Walsh of Camera For A Cure and TRW Art

Tuesday, June 18, 2013
We’re so moved by the determination and vision of young artist Timmy Walsh who started Camera for a Cure and TRW Art when he was only 5 years old!  He uses photography to raise funds for the Lung Cancer Alliance and awareness for the disease. We are honored and proud that he will be a part of Arts on the Square.

Hi Timmy!

Tell us a little about Camera for a Cure and the inspiration behind it. 

I started Camerafor a Cure at the age of 5 in 2008, when my aunt was diagnosed with lung cancer.  I wanted to do something, to help her and others affected with the disease.  I discussed the idea of selling my photos with my parents.  I wanted my dad to build me a stand, like a lemonade stand.  They said that it wouldn't work out on my street.  I was determined and decided to have a sale/show out of my home.  We made formal invitations and raised over $300.  The Scranton Times did an article on me.  After that time, people started calling to donate.  Dan Brown, owner of Parasene, offered to create a website for us and helped create the name, Camera For A Cure.  Businesses started calling us to hold shows at their places.  Camera For A Cure quickly spread.  I started doing First Friday Scranton when I was six.  I then started doing shows in other towns.  We joined forces with Lung Cancer Alliance after meeting a lung cancer patient and advocate during a show at Grove Media.  We have been raising funds and awareness, traveled to Washington DC and have made a difference with the passing of the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act.  




How did you learn your craft?    

I learned how to take great pictures from my mom.  We started taking pictures together when I was 3 or 4 years old.  I started with a VTech camera & moved up to the Nikon.



How would you describe your style & where do you find inspiration? 

My style would be one of its own. I take pictures of things most people pass by.   My inspiration for my Camera For A Cure is my aunt.  When she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2008, we quickly realized how underfunded and how little awareness there is for lung cancer.  There is a stigma attached to it, because of smoking.  My aunt's lung cancer was not caused by smoking or chemicals.  She has a mutant gene, just like any other cancer.



What will you be featuring at the Arts on the Square festival? 

 I will be featuring great photos, awareness bracelets, ribbon lollipops, along with information on lung cancer, Lung Cancer Alliance and our new support groups.



How do you find inspiration? 

 My inspiration for each photo is different.  I see a color or a texture, something different and interesting and want to capture it.



Is there any other information you would like us to highlight about you or your work? 

 All funds raised during my Camera For A Cure shows are donated to Lung Cancer Alliance.  We recently opened a LCA PA Chapter.  My TRW Art shows help fund my schooling.  I offer photos to professional offices and private homes.  My art can be seen in Dr. Karam's office, Lackawanna Ave., Scranton.



Special Note from Timmy Walsh:

There is little awareness related to lung cancer.  Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer.  It kills more than prostate, breast, and pancreatic cancer, COMBINED!  It kills more women than all female cancer combined, INCLUDING breast cancer.  Lung cancer is the 2nd leading killer, behind heart disease.  Not cancer, LUNG CANCER!  The simple truth is, if you have lungs, you can get lung cancer.  It does not discriminate.  There are toddlers with lung cancer, children, and those of all ages.  The life expectancy for lung cancer, after diagnosis, is five years!  Most die within the first few months or weeks of diagnosis.  Low level radiation CT scans can help catch lung cancer in its early stages.  However, it is not covered by most insurances.  Viewmont Medical is offering CT scans for lung cancer for $150 without insurance.

Follow Camera For a Cure & TRW Art:
Location: Olyphant, PA
Website:  cameraforacure.com
Instagram:  @T1mmyWalsh
Twitter:  @cameraforacure

Follow Arts on the Square & ScrantonMade:
Facebook:  Arts on the Square and ScrantonMade
Twitter:  ScrantonMade
Instagram: @scrantonmade_blog
Pinterest: ScrantonMade
Website  artsonthesquare.net