Clay Glass Metal Stone Cooperative Gallery
Celebrates Its
Third Anniversary – Three Years in Lake Worth
With a Monarch Butterfly Release
Anniversary Cake and Mimosas
Clay Glass Metal Stone Gallery, www.clayglassmetalstone.com, celebrates its third anniversary in Lake Worth with champagne, cake, and a spectacular live Monarch butterfly release. The celebration takes place on Friday, May 4 at 6PM. The butterfly release is a wonderful photo opportunity for families. The butterflies perch on fingers and pose for the camera before they take wing and fly.
The artists of Clay Glass Metal Stone Gallery are grateful to Mr. Jay Burnhardt, who brought them to Lake Worth with his generous offer to give CGMSG a home in his building at 605 Lake Avenue. This generosity allowed a non-profit co-operative of 25-30 artists to exhibit their work at affordable cost. As many as fifty local artists have circulated through the gallery during this period. As the economy slowed, sales of art have dropped dramatically, yet the artists in this gallery were able to sustain themselves with teamwork and Mr. Bernhardt’s continued generosity.
This year, circumstances have changed. Understandably, a gift like this cannot go on forever. The members of the gallery are now tenants on a monthly basis with a hefty rent far in excess of the income the gallery brings in. The artists are committed to trying to raise the funds necessary to stay put, but are actively looking for a location in Lake Worth that will allow them to continue their work as artists and to continue with the many events organized within the group that directly benefit the community of Lake Worth.
Clay Glass Metal Stone Gallery asks you to join with them in this wonderful celebration, one that may be their last in this location, but not their last in Lake Worth. Joyce Brown, Director of the gallery, stated that if twenty new artists joined the gallery, the revenues from their dues would pay for part of the increase in fees. She has pledged a fund-raising campaign to raise the difference, at least for the next 12 months. During this period she is certain that a new space and venue will become available.
In the last three years the Flamingo Clay Studio, the 501(c)3 wing of Clay Glass Metal Stone Gallery, has dived into community activity. Working with the merchants of Lake Worth, they have managed successfully increase the vitality of this wonderful seaside village of artists, restaurants and shops. In that time, they have established and run annual fund raising events such as the Empty Bowls for Haiti (partnering local artists with area restaurants to raise funds for children in Haiti), twice monthly gallery art events that support a variety of area non-profits and artists, several concerts, book signings, a score of gallery tours and demonstrations, and have worked with local businesses and organizations to organize and promote a myriad of Lake Worth events (Downtown July 4th, Halloween and Winter Holiday celebrations). They even created a giant Tin Can Mermaid for the 2011 opening of the local Publix Supermarket, with all of the cans of food used in the creation donated to a local food bank.
Oven the next year, Flamingo Clay Studio will be working to bring a Kiln complex, Glass Blowing Studio, affordable studio work space for clay, glass and metal artists and open gallery space to Lake Worth. This project has long been on the design table. This opens the doors for hundreds of Palm Beach County 3-D artists who do not currently have studio facilities available to create their works. This project will provide a large economic boost to the Lake Worth community and its arts corridor, while supporting and promoting local arts and artists and a place for children to learn and work – Flamingo Clay’s core mission.
The release of butterflies on May 4th will symbolize the gallery’s appreciation of Lake Worth for the city’s strong support of CGMSG. The Birthday Cake, beverages and food is a thank you to all of Lake Worth and Palm Beach County for its continued support of our artists and their efforts to make the arts community an integral part of the town. Culture does build communities.
For more information about how you can help Clay Glass Metal Stone Gallery, and Flamingo Clay Studio, please contact Joyce Brown, jclay6@aol.com. All donations to Flamingo Clay Studio are fully tax deductible.
Clay§Glass§Metal§Stone Cooperative Gallery is sponsored by the Flamingo Clay Studio, a non-profit arts organization whose mission is to provide affordable studio and gallery space for three-dimensional artists. The gallery is located at 605 Lake Avenue in downtown Lake Worth. Hours are Sunday thru Wednesday 9AM-5PM. Thursday thru Saturday, 9AM-9PM. Gallery openings are the first and third Friday of each month from 6-9 PM with many special events in-between. For information call 561-588-8344 or visit website Clayglassmetalstone.com.