New shop show, Optic Dialogue

Leeanne Maxey, Optic Dialouge

We've refreshed the walls in our shop with some great work by Leeanne Maxey. The show will be up through August 31st, we'll look forward to seeing you!

Raïssa Bump Jewelry: Now at Quirk!

Just in: this stunning jewelry from designer Raïssa Bump. A true believer in the power of self-expression, she aims to make the body a showcase with her art. Come check out Raïssa's unique jewelry and discover your own independent sense of style!

Key West Comes to RVA!!

We are so excited about having a little taste of Key West in Richmond! The following is from the two curators, Byron and Lawson:

Hi folks....

Got plans for Tuesday, July 3^rd, from 5-8 PM....?....(July 4^th eve)...

We have been asked by Katie Ukrop, Quirk gallery owner, to curate a show at Quirk of some of our personal favorite artists.So we thought long and hard, and decided to bring to Richmond 3 artists that we know and love from Key West.  The artists are 3 of the most wonderful and delightful women you will ever meet....and they will be there to talk about their work, their inspiration, or anything else that might come up.  They are each extremely talented in their own medium, and we think you will certainly enjoy the variety that the show has to offer.

Of course there will be beverages like beer and wine (it is an opening, remember),  but our friend Margaret Doyle will also be there with her coffee cart serving up Cuban coffee’s too...after all, we are bringing folks in from Key West..... 

Now what else do you have to do on a hot-middle-of-the-week-summer-holiday in Richmond?....come down to Quirk, enjoy the show, and then go back to your humid back yard BBQ....

Got friends or family in town, bring them with you!....and if you know someone who might be interested in the show, tell them about it....even pass along this email .....

A bit about each artist, to peek your interest....

1)      Helen Harrison....her work is as tropical as you get.  She uses renewable and organic materials to create sculpture and other 3-dimensional work.  Helen has an innate appreciation for wood and its infinite variations.  Her sculptural concepts are based on the notion of forms paired with dramatic color. The work reveals and re-shapes the beauty found in nature.  Helen is in the collection of quite a few private Richmond collectors, and is also in the corporate collection at Media General.

2)       Cynthia Wynn ....”technically I use very simple fabrication techniques: welding, torch cutting, and grinding.”....and you will see that this is an understatement when you see Cindy’s functional and very beautiful sculptural work made from re-purposed scrap metal and machine parts.  Her work is also in several collections around Richmond.

3)      Susan Sugar ....both oils and watercolors, Susan paints the skies most people never appreciate or see; tumultuous, moody, dawn skies.  Working in Key West where she lives about half of the year (the other half here in NYC), Susan captures moments and poetry in place with her paints and brushes.  She is also collected and coveted by several Richmond collectors.

Well, that is who we have brought to Richmond......we are very excited....so come see, enjoy, and even purchase!

The artists will only be there on the 3^rd, and you would not to miss out on the opportunity to meet each of them and fall in love with the artist as well as the art!

Details again:

Tuesday, July 3^rd

5-8 PM

Quirk Gallery

311 West Broad Street

Richmond, Virginia, 23220

804-644-5450

www.quirkgallery.com

We're going to da beach!

Our fabulous boss lady is scooping us up and taking us to a beach getaway......So, we will be closed June 20th- June 23rd! But have no fear, Quirk will reopen Monday, June 25th :) 

Myung Urso Rocks!

We just added some fresh jewelry from Myung Urso on our website! Her work is so beautiful and fun to wear, everyone should own some of her work. To give you a better idea of her methods and reasoning behind them, read her artist statement:

"My imagination transforms itself from memories and personal stories. Painterly surfaces and sculptural forms influence my contemporary jewelry aesthetic.

Assisting my elderly mother with hand sewing and the traditional ways for the preparation of food helped to shape my hand skills. The shaping of rice cake and arranging vegetables for winter storage enhanced my visual aesthetic. My previous work experience as an editor/reporter and art curator has broadened my knowledge and interpretation of contemporary jewelry.Calligraphy and sewing serve as my fundamental techniques, which I have practiced throughout my lifetime. Calligraphy has always fascinated me in how the brush stroke touches and enlivens the surface of a paper or fabric. Black ink lines and patterns often reveal meaningful symbols, letters or poetic landscapes. The collaboration between metal and various fiber materials enhance my ability to create. Materials have their own character and offer many unique shapes, colors, patterns and textures. I challenge myself to emphasize the special characteristics and beauty of materials while expanding the boundaries in creating an original identity for my jewelry art forms."  Myung Urso

http://shop.quirkgallery.com/collections/quirk-represents/products/calligraphy-double-circle-earrings

http://www.myungurso.com/work.htm

Save some cash money $$$

* good till June 17th

Father's Day is coming... and we're here for you

Remember those awesome Dad's out there, cause Father's Day is next weekend! Amazing how it's almost the middle of June! Well have no fear, we have made a special "Dude table" in store just for this. From antler bottle openers to a Dark Rum scented candle, we've got you covered :) 

Trunk Show, Sat. June 9th

Come out and join us for three great trunk shows all on one day! You will not be leaving empty-handed, I promise :)

New shows opening Thursday night! 

Come and say hello :)

Just a Tuesday

We are slightly obsessed with this song.... 

So, next time you're visiting us at Quirk and it happens to be playing, no judgement if you catch us singing along....

Tiny Shiny!

We are so excited about VCU's Metal program having their 'Tiny Shiny' show here with us, this weekend. I hope you can come out and join us for all the hot new jewelry they have been working on!  

TINY SHINY: annual student exhibition and fundraiser at Quirk Gallery

This show will feature fresh unique jewelry made by students from VCU’s Department of Craft and Material Studies Metal Program.  Proceeds will help students travel to the 2012 Society of North American Goldsmiths conference in Phoenix, Arizona this spring. Quirk Gallery will host this event April 27-29 (hours: 4/27 10am-8pm, 4/28 11am-4pm, 4/29 12-4pm).  Please join us for the opening reception Friday, April 27 6-8pm.  

311 W. Broad Street

Richmond, Va.

23220

(804) 644-5450

Custom Mother's Day Gifts by Daphne Olive

This year get the best mothers day gift ever, a custom keepsake by Daphne Olive, featuring your own child's artwork!  

The story:

It all started when Daphne wanted to make gifts for the grandparents fromher daughter June's drawings... we are so happy to have her drawings made permanent. we will always be able to remember how she saw the world at this point in her life.
  You can see Daphne's line of jewelry from June's art in her 2012 catalog   

How to order gifts from your children’s art:

1. Call or visit Quirk to order 804.644.5450 /  or email: info@quirkgallery.com
Daphne can make your children's drawings into earrings, pendants or key rings.
the price for the first item is $165, the price for each additional item (from the same image) is $55.

2. Submit the drawing in digital form to info@daphneolive.com
scanned images are best, but you can also send a photo of the drawing.

 All drawings must be ordered and submitted by April 18 so Daphne has time to make them in time for Mother's Day.

 * Remember that the drawing will have to be shrunken to jewelry size, so simple line drawings are the best. Too much detail will be hard to translate to that size.

3. The final piece will be 1.35" at its longest side, not including chain, ear wires or key ring. please specify if you would like for it to be smaller.
The jewelry is stainless steel with sterling silver chains and ear wires.

4. all sales are final.

This Saturday: Michael-Birch Pierce Portraits!

Michael-Birch Pierce will be on hand doing custom free motion embroidered portraits from 11am to 3pm: $55 each or $90 per couple.

Each portrait sitting will be 15 minutes long, beginning at 11:00am.
Please email info@quirkgallery.com to sign up for a time. Remember to specify which type of portrait you are signing up for.

Michael-Birch Pierce is currently studying textile design at the Savannah College of Art & Design.  For more information on the artist please visit his website:
http://www.michaelbirchpierce.com/

Me & Lu: Abandoned Houston photos

We miss our Julia a lot, but it's always fun to see what she's up to - which is a lot.  She has started photographing abandoned buildings in Houston to turn into designs for fabric.  We can't wait to see the finished product!

Ready for Spring!

We're ready for spring and we have tons of fun, brightly colored goodies to help get you in the mood!

scarf, necklace, heart utensils, umbrella, ipad cover, radio, sunglasses, earrings, bag, pooley vase, paper vase, tea towel

TODAY We'll be closed!

Sorry guys, we're having some work done.  We'll be back open and ready for business bright and early tomorrow!

Feeling creative

Spring Pink

The weather's getting warmer and we're thinking Spring!
We've got so many beautiful new things arriving in the shop everyday that we can't help being excited about it.  Stop by the store or check them out here:
rings, Baggu Duck bag, Academy coral necklace, Peony lotion, Jonathan Adler note pad, teacup rose earrings, sunglasses, Thomas Paul scarf

Marysia SWIM Trunk Show

Join us March 12, 10am to 5pm for a trunk show featuring Marysia SWIM and Jane Pope of Balboa Jewelry.  

Jane Pope Cooper of Balboa Jewelry has designed jewelry for fashion savvy women with a flair for the bold and unique since 2001. By incorporating vintage elements and newly found materials, Jane brings her vision to fruition with her one-of-a-kind designs. Inspired by her ever-stylish grandmother’s eclectic jewelry, Jane gathered brooches, cuffs and charms, developing her own personal style at a very young age. 

The Marysia line was born out of designer Maria Dobrzanska Reeves desire to fill the void within the swimsuit industry.  She wanted to create a boutique brand for today's fashionable women who appreciate high quality and design with a flattering fit.  Marysia attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles and interned with Milly in New York.  She later won the 2009 Emerging Designer Competition South East.Shortly after her collection launched Reeves introduced a second collection of swimwear.  "Bumby" incorporates the same design aesthetics and attention to detail in swimwear for children.

We love Arthur!

We are headed to Baltimore for the ACC show this week, and let me tell you, we are sooooooo excited! Not only is this a great chance to see new artists and what they are creating, but also gives us a chance to catch up with our talented friends, too. One talented guy that we are really excited to see is Arthur Hash. I was playing dress up in the gallery and took a couple pictures.... Enjoy

http://www.arthurhash.com/

Valentine's Day Fun

Looking for something special to do with your sweetie this weekend? Stop by the gallery and check out Jordan Grace Owens' Vault installation and Emerald Grippa's Shop Show.  And to top off your trip be sure to pick up some hand made valentine chocolates from local chocolatier "Chocolates by Kelly"

Breaking Hearts with Fatima

Meet our new amazingly cute friend Fatima, creator of Fatima Fazal.  She is the brains (and beauty) behind these adorable, portable utensils. 100% biodegradable, 200% reusable!

We just received a whole bunch of fun colors, check them out in the shop!

Don't miss it! Saturday, February 4 Sarah Tector will be holding her second trunk show at Quirk Gallery from 12pm-4pm. She will be featuring a large collection of new handmade jewelry so be sure to stop by for a visit.

Quirk Archives

Get ready! We're shaking things up once again to accommodate the brand new Quirk Archives section of the gallery.  We have been busy  gathering work from a few of our favorite artists and plan to house a collection of  prints and other flat work available for purchase.
(in the meantime, please excuse our mess!)

Hair Party!

Last week some of the Quirk gals participated in the first (hopefully of many) hair party at Katie Blue Salon.  Our friend Kate Montgomery; a curly hair specialist, worked her magic on Julia, Diana, Mary and Maggie all at the same time!

Mary & Julia got a little wild and went for pink streaks (and Diana opted for a secret chunk of blonde pictured above)

Party Animals

We are sad to say our good friend Julia is on her way back to the lone star state.  To celebrate her time with us we had a little party this weekend.... and needless to say, based on the above photos I think we've proven to be some real party animals.

Big thanks to Ipanema for the delicious food and the perfect atmosphere for our oh so sophisticated soiree.

Absolutely beautiful!

Portrait of the ghost drummer from odaibe on Vimeo.

Drummer's Gestures Beautifully Illustrated In "Portrait Of The Ghost Drummer"
by Joe Bernardi January 18, 2012

As most musicians will attest, enough practice will make playing your instrument second nature. Eventually, a skilled enough player will ignore each individual breath or arm movement, and instead focus on the performance itself.

In hopes of gaining some insight into the graphic and choreographic qualities of these movements, Poland-based graphic designer and artist Bartek Szlachcic pointed a motion-capturing camera towards himself while he played a drum solo. He then converted the trajectory of his arm movements into simple black lines set across a three-dimensional field, animating the arcs of each individual drum hit in real-time.
The result is reminiscent of Michal Levy’s excellent animation set to the tune of “Giant Steps” by John Coltrane; a perfectly abstract visual representation of what is usually a concrete, auditory experience.

Visual beauty aside, Szlachcic has created an interesting study of our semi-conscious movements, and how they can play off and build upon one another without us giving it so much as a second thought. Thinking about this sort of thing all the time seems like it would drive a person out of their mind, but as an exercise in self-awareness, and a meditation on the trancelike state that musical performance can induce, it’s pretty enlightening.

(found on Digg)

A Plethora of Pink Peony Pleasures!

Quirk is smelling extra lovely today thanks to our new assortment of K Hall Designs Peony soaps, candles, perfume and hand cream! The scents are transporting me to a magical place in the clouds where unicorns run wild and the grass grows like a bed of pillows for lounging and daydreaming. Or maybe that's just what Quirk does to me... Regardless, these Peony smells are really amazing and need to be filling your home before they're all gone!

This post brought to you by: Julia Gabriel

yum yum

Bonjour, Chuck & Mim!

This morning (well... evening for them) we received a Skype call from Chuck and Mim Scalin.  They were calling ALL THE WAY from Paris!  Check out Mim's amazing blog with fun photos of their adventures abroad.

Emerald Grippa 2012 calendars

Our girl Emi has made these beautiful 2012 calendars.  She is giving away 10 - enter here to win! 
(I think we need one even if we don't win!)

Amazing Bookstore stop motion video

We're totally in love with this amazing stop motion video. Enjoy!

Everybody loves a SALE!

EVERYBODY loves a sale... and hey, we're no different! Now through Sunday get 25% off all online purchases by entering the discount code: EVERYBODYLOVES at checkout.

Grab It! Opening this Thursday!

We're getting pretty excited for the opening of our upcoming Main Gallery installation: Grab It!

 

Grab It! is an exhibition about annihilation and humor. There is still much talk of the end of the world being around the corner - an idea that strikes fear in children. In an effort to make light of these predictions and ideas children hear either in the media or on the playground, Quirk Gallery is hosting an invitational exhibition titled Grab It! Featuring plush artists' survival kits. What soft and cuddly would you need at the end of the world?
 

ARTIST RECEPTIONS: 1/5 and 2/1, 5-8pm
FIRST FRIDAYS: 1/6 and 2/2, 5-9pm

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
* Phil Barbato
* Brigid Bartels
* Chelsea Bloxsom
* Heidi Kenney
* Diane Koss
* Oura Sananikone
* Maggie Smith