Tanglefoot artists invite community in for more than art
The Tanglefoot open studio annual event is on its 26th year, and it stands to deliver the personal and engaging experience long time attendees have come to expect, and provides an enlightening introduction to first timers.
The annual Tanglefoot open studio event is more than a gallery showing or an art fair. Tanglefoot is a personal invitation into the working spaces of some of the city’s most loved artists.
This year, participating artists include Elaine Dalcher, Jeff Condon, Alynn Guerra, Carlos Aceves, Jason Villareal, and collaborators Molly Lucille and Katie Marie (unfortunately, Micheal Pfleghaar, Tommy Allen, and Nikki Wall will not be presenting this year for various reasons). Showgoers will get an inside look at all the paint-stained brushes and messy desks that make the art happen, providing a more meaningful experience than being shuffled through a white wall gallery exhibition.
Members of cultured.GR were invited to a sneak peak a week in advance, where we had the opportunity to be guided through the space personally by Elaine Dalcher. In the community based friendly spirit of the open studio event, many of the prices weren’t set yet. According to Carlos Aceves, it’s not just about selling, though the show does draw many collectors, even if it’s for small keepsakes likea $10 print or a $25 small painting. It’s also about inviting friends in to socialize, eat (there is never a shortage of great food!), and have a good time. It’s that good time that matters most for this event. Much of the food is homemade and extends the intimacy of the connection. The artists wish to engage personally with old friends and new. With such a meaningfully familial atmosphere attached, the art becomes a part of the experience, and by extension, conversation pieces — not simply wall decorations.
The event takes place each year on the weekend before Thanksgiving, when people are starting to arrive home to visit family. This year, the days and times are Friday, November 17 from 5–9 p.m. and Sunday, November 19, from 12–5 p.m. . The convenience of stable summer weather and easy commuting are foregone in favor of the intentionality and mindfulness associated with the family oriented season.
While Lucille and Marie were still hard at work installing the new media work for the show, their wax sculptures and multimedia installation already appeared promising and colorful. Guerra’s well established and prolific Red Hydrant Press is full of ink prints which showcase beautiful conceptual calaveras subjects, fruits and birds, and much more. With his workshop off to the side of Guerra’s studio, Aceves’ cooking and sculptural contributions truly make the space feel like you’re a welcome guest in their home.
Jason Villareal has studio space, shared with Micheal Pfleghaar and Tommy Allen on the top floor, but he has brought his work down to be displayed near the building entrance this year. His work appears two-dimensional if viewed straight on but takes on a whole new life as you move around it. The sculptures are meticulously geometric and the shadows of the components provide an otherwise unobtainable level of interaction to the wall hangings.
Jeff Condon has clearly been hard at work this year. His paintings and photos vary in size, scope, and subject matter. From large abstract landscape paintings to vivid fruit still life paintings to moody photos of objects around the studio, Jeff clearly has a lot to say, and clearly works hard. Seeing the subjects right next to the art adds so much more than insight into the process, but into who he is personally. Another personal touch this year: Condon’s succulent plant growing hobby has grown into a collection of table gardens available for sale.
Elaine Dalcher, our guide for the day, has so much work in her space it was impossible to take it all in. While mostly nature paintings, both landscape and still life, she reaches into the more abstract as well. Heavy in muted browns and yellows, her paintings have a rustic quality that comforts and allows the brighter colors to pop and add excitement. She is also showcasing pieces from her students, which means more beautiful art to take in and more perspectives shared.
The Tanglefoot Open Studio night is one of Grand Rapids’ most memorable art events each year. Whether you’re looking to purchase, window shop, or socialize, it can’t be missed by anyone with their eye on the arts.
