Community Arts Center to host final Art in the Garden lectures July 26, Aug. 2

HANCOCK -- The Copper Country Community Arts Center (CCCAC) in Hancock is hosting a series of lectures and demonstrations leading up to the Art in the Garden Tour at the end of July.

Herbal Medicine Lecture July 26

The fourth program in the series will be a lecture about medicinal plants. Join botanist Andrea Corpolongo Smith from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, as she describes a few of the many medicinal plants that call the Copper Country home. Get to know Yarrow, the herbal first aide; St. Johns Wort, the nerve remedy; Usnea, the antibacterial lichen; and more. Andrea will share photos, home made tinctures, as well as samples of the plants discussed. The fee for this lecture is $7, or $5 for those taking the Art in the Garden Tour, with proceeds benefiting the CCCAC.

Design Principles in the Garden Aug. 2

The final lecture in the Art in the Garden series, Design Principles in the Garden by Lynn Watson, will be at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2, at the Community Arts Center.

Alexander Pope said, "All gardens are landscape paintings." With this truth in mind, "art in the garden" is another creative expression for good design principles. The principles of line, direction, shape, size, texture, and color apply to any well designed garden. Establishing pattern through repetition, alternation, harmony, contrast, and balance moves the eye through the plantings -- guiding the viewer.

A thoughtfully planted garden intrigues at a distance and, like a tapestry, gets more interesting upon close inspection. A good garden satisfies through multiple seasons. This lecture with Lynn Watson, Michigan Tech University gardener, will show how these elements can be applied to your garden planning or resetting. At Michigan Tech, Watson's work includes the Rosza Performing Arts Center gardens and plantings throughout campus.

The fee to attend this lecture is $5 with proceeds benefiting the Copper Country Community Arts Center.

The Community Arts Center is at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. Please call 482-2333 to RSVP.

New Works by Derik Spoon on exhibit in Kerredge Gallery May 5 - June 4

HANCOCK -- The Copper Country Community Arts Center announces its new exhibit in the Kerredge Gallery: New Works by Derik Spoon. The exhibit of kiln-formed glass wall sculpture and hand-built ceramic functional ware will open on May 5 and be on display through June 4, 2011.

An opening reception will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to see Derik Spoon’s new work. Refreshments will be served.

Derik Spoon earned his BFA in ceramics from the University of Iowa. He teaches ceramics at Finlandia University’s International School of Art and Design and is a full-time studio artist. His experience includes working as a ceramic glaze technician at the Clay Art Center in Tacoma, Washington, and as a slip casting technician at Sauer Pottery in Port Orchard, Washington. Before attending college he worked as a bicycle mechanic -- work that is based on diagnosing a problem by systematically evaluating all possible causes and eliminating the variables that are not the cause of the problem. This, along with his work as a clay studio technician has shaped his approach to art making.

Spoon says, "I find that I look at all things that I create from the same mindset of being a bicycle mechanic. Everything I make is taken from the aspect of breaking down the piece as a whole and then assembling it from parts."

This exhibit is made possible with a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Copper Country Community Arts Center is located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Saturday 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

For more information call (906) 482-2333 or visit the website: coppercountryarts.com.