For 35 years, a group of local artists and artisans have managed to survive economic downturns, slow winter seasons, and even a pandemic. Fueled by their incessant creative efforts, members of the Local Colors Artists’ Cooperative are celebrating their 35th anniversary with a public reception from 6-8 p.m.
this Friday, Nov. 1, at the downtown gallery at 121 Main St., Gloucester.
The reception will offer wine, music, hors d’oeuvres and, of course, art of all kinds. The current 15 members want to thank the community for its support over the decades. Stained glass artist Donna Amero, the single remaining member of the original group, recalled how the gallery started as a pop-up shop in the fall of 1989.
It’s draw was and is that all its items are hand-made locally. That first group of 13 artists formed Local Colors and set up shop for two months for the holiday season, attracting those looking for a gift or something to add a splash of color to their home. “Little did we know how long our project would endure,” Amero said.
In the early years, the gallery had a couple of different Main Street locations, but in the wake of a fire in 2001, the group moved to its current and longtime storefront. The second long-standing member is Kathy Bucholska, a jeweler and mixed-media artist and a member for 34 years. She began by designing amulets and jewelry telling the “story” of the stones, fossils and found objects and later added mixed media.
She said one of the highlights fo.
