Four Shepherdstown area artists working in diverse media will collaborate on a weeklong installation and sale at the Entler Hotel in Shepherdstown, July 16-22. The “Gathered” exhibition features ceramicist and sculptor Joan Bontempo, photographer and graphic designer Denny Crosby, lampworker (glass bead maker) Tamra Trafford, and Keith Kruger, regionally acclaimed sculptor and resin artist.
Joan Bontempo has been a ceramic artist for more than 25 years, creating both traditional functional works and expressive, abstract sculpture. Her work includes stoneware pottery, Raku technique hand built and mixed-media sculpture, which combines clay with painted canvases, metals and found objects. She also teaches ceramics and art history at Hagerstown Community College.
Shepherdstown photographer Denny Crosby has been capturing the world in images for more than 30 years. Around town he is best known for his photographs of the New England coast, Ireland’s towns and villages, and the Jefferson County landscape. His commissions have been seen in travel guides and on magazine covers, websites, and private collections, in addition to his many gallery shows. For a preview of his work, see SlainteImages.com.
Glass bead artist Tamra Trafford, also a Shepherdstown resident, uses the blue flame of an oxygen/propane torch to sculpt rods of brightly colored glass into hollow and solid Lampwork beads. The beads are used as the palette in creating jewelry and decorative accessories that, she says, are informed by work of Seattle-based glass artist Dale Chihuly—with a nod to Dr. Seuss. She has been long associated with the influential MountainMade Studio and Design Center in Thomas, West Virginia and is a juried member of Tamarack in Beckley, West Virginia. See some of Trafford’s work at tamrastudios.com.
Sculptor Keith Kruger is known to many people in the area as musician and songwriter Keith Kruger. Or as stonemason Keith Kruger. At the Gathered installation he will display his distinctive sculpture resembling glass masks, created in clay and cast in resin. Preview his sculptures and listen to his music at keithkruger.com.
The installation hours, beginning Monday July 16, are: Monday – Thursday, 12 – 6 pm; Friday, 1–10 pm; Saturday, 1 – 9 pm; Sunday, 1 – 6 pm. The “Gathered” artists will host a reception on Friday from 6-10 pm. The Entler Hotel is at 129 E. German St. For more information: Dennis Crosby, (301) 992-4583, or slainteimages@Comcast.com.
Goose Route Dance Fest
The Goose Route Dance Festival plays Shepherdstown for two weeks beginning July 13–22. In its seventh season, the event showcases contemporary dance at four concerts, featuring nine dance companies from New York City, Philadelphia, Fairfax, Radford, Va., Morehead, Ky., and Shepherdstown.
Dancers and choreographers will teach four dance classes for adults and teens and four for children, and offer two pre-performance talks. There will also be three family concerts. Most of the events take place at the War Memorial Building, 102 East German St., Shepherdstown, which will be transformed into a snug and cozy theater for the festival (see What’s On for schedule).
The pre-performance talks will be given at 4:30 pm immediately prior to both Saturday performances. On July 14, dancer-choreographer Beth Burkhardt gives a talk titled “Without Dance I Would Die,” sharing her ideas on dance as a way to connect with the world at large. On July 21, dance scholars Libby Smigel and Ted Bain will talk about how artists use their cultural backgrounds and histories to inform their work. The talks are free, and each person who attends a talk will receive a $2 coupon that can be used for any performance tickets.
Children’s activities during the Festival are free and include performances and classes. So that young kids can enjoy the dance concerts with a house full of other children, Goose Route is offering special “family shows” at open dress rehearsals at 4 pm on Fridays, July 13 and 20.  During these rehearsals, kids are invited to play the dance scavenger hunt to search for special moves, and parents can rest easy knowing that fidgeting is allowed.  A third performance, sponsored by the Shepherdstown Public Library Children’s Department, is scheduled for July 17 at 10:30 am, also at the War Memorial Building.
To buy tickets, register for classes, or get a schedule of classes and performances: 876-6751, www.gouseroute.com.