Betsy Jo Williams, a longtime member of the Cooperative Gallery teams up with her daughter Amy McLaren in a joint show called “A Tale of Two Stories.” Williams works clay and wood sculptures and Williams-Mclaren is an oil painter. The exhibit runs from November 4th to the 26th. The Artists will give a talk as part of the gallery’s Third Thursday Art Talk series, November 17th at 7 pm in person and via zoom. The gallery is open First Friday 5- 9 pm, other Fridays 5- 8 pm and Saturdays 11 am- 3 pm as well as by appointment with the artists.
The pair have written about their show: “A daughter and a mother. One in her late 70’s one in her late 40’s. Each has her own story to tell but then isn’t all art about stories? Some stories are more camouflaged than others. Some are beautiful stories. Some are sad. Some are told in a way that makes you smile or laugh even when the story is not a happy one. People respond differently to the same story since they bring their own experiences and interpretations into it.”
Amy states it best, “I paint pivotal points in my life where I am losing or gaining control of my identity. These paintings are timeless: my experiences are everyone’s experience. I paint the human condition. While the topics are heavy, my paintings are not monumental or lofty. They are funny. They are sad. They are melancholy. They are whimsical. I make light of the seemingly serious, communicating hope and joy in moments of struggle and sorrow.”
Williams-McLaren is a Senior Lecturer at Rochester Institute of Technology and heads the drawing department. She will have oil paintings with the subject of children, chickens, dogs, geese and people. Williams will have clay and wood sculptures – some will have cast and hand built body parts that the viewer will have to use their imagination to complete the sculpture.
The Cooperative Gallery 213 has been featuring local artists for 22 years and encourages new supporting members to enroll for the Holiday Show Dec. 2-24, 2022 as well as Life Drawing second and third Mondays. Inquiries at the gallery or email cooperativegallery213@gmail.com.