The Bakery Gallery

Born To Run, Bred to Make, Urged To Devour (sweets)

2012-02-05T02:01:00.001-06:00

We had ourselves another successful opening at the ol' Bakery gallery one early evening in the middle of December. We were lucky enough to get Iowa City artist (and St. Ambrose studio tech/adjunct prof) Alison Filley

The night was cool, both figuratively and literally and the gallery was hot, also figuratively and literally. It was a great and inquisitive crowd, particularly for the time of year and proximity to something the student folk call "Finals".

The exhibition showcard...it says "paparazzi" for those of you who cannot read sparkles.

Amongst the many delicious treats that Nikki and her sons provide we get Christmas tree cookies. you know...because it is December and the conifers are still around.

Here's a little hullabaloo from Ms. Filley's Artist Statement. It'll give you some context for the next several prints. I know, right? That's what they do... fill in the bits.

Since the origins of Hollywood and the motion picture industry in the early twentieth century, America has been fascinated with celebrities and the culture that surrounds them. In recent years society has become obsessed with these figures as their images flood headline news, magazines, tabloids, and blogs. Particular attention is focused on young female starlets and they often serve as standards of beauty, youth, and fame. My work and my research focuses on these cultural roles and the concept of a celebrity’s façade.

The façade of the celebrity is an image created through marketing, PR, television and film that we as active participants in consumer culture are bombarded with on a daily basis. The façade is an artificial glamorized identity that is unavoidably intertwined with an individual celebrity’s personal identity. I am questioning how the façade of a celebrity functions and what happens when it is glorified, deconstructed or manipulated.

A full shot of the west wall. They're tufted pieces that are really quite extraordinary.

Screenprint on mirror. Rolling puppy is just an added bonus.

Half of the east wall. Mirrors with googly-eye blocks. What are YOU looking at?

The most important bit is that sweet Natalie Portman made it into the show (bottom right) That may or may not be the opinion of the curator and may or may not reflect the exhibition as a whole. (but really, a show with NP rates a 5 star in my book)

Did I mention that this was our second-year anniversary? Yep, that's right. We've made it past the naming phase. That means we're legitimate and people can start loving us now. Loving us with their full art heart and soul. We don't make things fancy, but we do make them, and well.

Don't forget to stop by.

It got soooo hip in this joint that the color desaturated itself. Why? Not cool enough.

Something intense seems to be occurring here. That's the face of making.

My guess is that this is a lively discussion about the Natalie Portman print.

looking at me, looking at you, looking at them

Alison's show is up through the middle of February. Then we move on to a first, a group show. What type of group show? (you surely and eagerly ask) Why, we'll be featuring the graduate student's work from the University of Iowa Book Arts Master program.

WHAT!

yeah.

Stay tuned for juicier details.

There Ain't No Opening Like A Johnson Style Opening

2011-12-03T20:02:00.000-06:00

It was a delightful evening filled with wine (not at the gallery, but in my belly), frivolity and the type of dialog we have come to expect/desire/espouse. I mean it. The Quad Cities community really invests themselves into not only the SEEING of an exhibition, but also the, often difficult, quest for elucidation.

What I'm trying to say is this... those of you who support us rock in a hardcore sort of way and I hope that we can continue providing you with the type of exhibition you have come to expect and that you can provide us with the level of commitment you have provided!

Enough of that funny business. How about we show you a couple of images. Just for the ol S's and G's.

The book of the night. This appears to be THE selling point...everyone loves insects

Sarojini Johnson donated a numbered edition of this piece to an Open House Joseph organized at St. Ambrose this past winter. It was the first to sell. It was also the first to sell at this opening... and the second. People love insects. They also love her drawing. They also love her skill and technique. How could you not.

I don't know exactly what that look means, but I know it means something.

This is either a true glance of sincerity or something else. We're going to go with the first.

Did I ever say I was a photographer? Plus those lights in the Bakery are brutal.

What a layout! The pieces themselves are even better!!

Do I need to mention the word beauteous again because I will, and loudly.

We're printmakers and bookbinders here at the Bakery Gallery. We hope to one day be able to approach the process in a way that Sarojini does. We're not being saccharin or overly complementary, just right out honest.

We're not big on bold statements, but come on! That's a nice looking spread and only part of it.

If you're not going to come for the art, what about the food? Nikki and Justin and Quentin make THE BEST opening night food fair in the cities. We'll say it and stick to it. Handmade, homemade, delicious, decadent and altogether awesome.

That book...we covet it. It's newly minted and smells of sweet success. Buy all of her stuff now!!!

I could easily write a post just on the shear awesomeness of that book. It was recently completed and made its debut at the Bakery Gallery. It's about invasive species. It's etched. It. Is. Amazing.

I wish we had better pictures, but know this...we've never lied to you. Not once. Wait until she has an edition of this and then buy the daylights out of it.

See you soon.

Etched Deep

2011-10-23T00:52:00.002-05:00

Let's try to not make TOO big of a deal about this, but have you ever seen Sarojini Jha Johnson's artwork before? Are you familiar with the word stupendous? Or perhaps the phrase "technically jaw-dropping? Do you like narratives or color or prints or food?

You need to be at this Opening. Really you do. I say that about all of them (because they're all pretty great) but you REALLY need to be at this one. You know what else? She's doing a free lecture earlier in the afternoon at St. Ambrose that you should attend. You won't regret it.

Here's the info:

Who: Sarojini Jha Johnson

What: Prints and Books: An exhibition of etchings and books by the Indiana artist.

When and Where: a) The Opening is Friday, October 28^th 6:00 pm until 8 pm at the Bakery Gallery conveniently located at 1330 E. 12^th street Davenport, Ia 52803. The show runs from the 28th until December 3rd. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Sarojini will also be doing a (what will surely be EXTRAORDINARY) free and open to the public lecture earlier in the day from 4:00 until 5:00 at St. Ambrose University’s Galvin Fine Art Center (Rm. 141)

(Fox and Datura)

A brief statement from the artist:

My family came to the United States from India many years ago. My prints reflect my preoccupation with the knowledge of India as I experienced it through my journeys there and through stories told by my parents. Certain objects and images are persistent in my mind and emblematic or evocative of many things, from mundane to sublime. Some of these objects are plants such as datura and images of my favorite deities such as Ganesha and Lakshmi. Uprooted people often experience a longing for things that remind the of their former home. This sort of nostalgia or yearning for familiar things, especially food, has been a part of my family’s experience for as long as I can remember. My octogenarian father grows exotic vegetables with names I do not even know in English. This amuses and amazes me. I believe that the dialog about culture and nationality is vital and that the visual arts are an important forum for communication of the subtleties and variations of individual viewpoints.

Threatened and Endangered Creature Charms

The Biography:

Sarojini Jha Johnson has taught printmaking and foundations at Ball State University since 1985. She grew up in Ohio and earned undergraduate degrees in French and drawing from the University of Cincinnati. She received an MFA in printmaking from Miami University where she began working with animal and plant forms in her prints. Her work places natural forms in a fictional context. An essential theme expressed is the human desire to make time stand still in order to experience a particular moment in time. Her main medium is color intaglio printmaking, a medium that allows for great creativity and invention in terms of surface and color. Recently, she has been exploring memories and impressions of India, her country of origin. Animal images such as fish and birds still emerge in this work.

As a side note Sarojini teaches at the school where two of us received our BFA's and was highly influential (even though I never took one of her classes) at the time. The work ethic, production and quality of the printmakers at Ball State was something to behold (and I think it still is) This is in largely due to Sarojini and her partner-in-crime David (who faithful attendees will remember from the June 2010 Bakery exhibition...see the archives)

We're very proud to have her show at the gallery. We hope you will be too.

RAR Rarrrrsssss... a success occurs.

2011-10-17T14:58:00.000-05:00

So there you have it. A great late summer opening for what we feel here is a great venue. Rebecca wowed the crowd with charm and info (and her earlier lecture) The pictures don't really do it justice (we are all aware that Mr. Lappie and a camera = mediocrity) but this was a GREAT opening for a, truthfully, great exhibition.

Let's see some pics...

The east wall is full of postcards. An ingenious way of hanging really. (not our idea)

Like Sodom and Gomorrah one must NOT look upon the awesomeness of the west wall

Ben doing what he does and very well. People LOVE the spins

a cat's eye view. Still looks pretty good from here

Ahh.... commiseration. Such a lovely activity

Thanks to all who came out for the talk and for the opening. We, as always and forever, appreciate your support for the arts and for delicious baked goods. Until the next time (which is two weeks away : 0 )

Roar of the Rar Rar

2011-08-18T00:06:00.006-05:00

This seems like an appropriate image to start of the next post about our upcoming artist - Ms. Rebecca Ann Rakstad (Reba Rar Rar for you trendy gals and guys)!

Rebecca likes wood type. Likes it a lot. She tends to make amazing/beautiful/funny/poignant etc... etc... with this wood and type. Oh yes and ink too. Let's not forget that. (I digress) Anyway, Rebecca is going to be having a solo show at the ol' Bakery here in the very near future. It'll run from Friday, August 26th until Saturday, October 22nd

Let's look at a piece...

Type is letterpress, image is 4-color offset (I think) If I am wrong I stand corrected.

Now it's time for that bit about the who's and the what's and the where's (oh boy do I ever love this part)

Who is the who:

Chicago artist Rebecca Ann Rakstad

What is the what:

"Rar Rar Press" a collection of letterpress posters and print work

Where is the where:

The Bakery Gallery is conveniently located at 1330 E. 12th street, Davenport Iowa 52803. Copious amounts of delicious food will be served.

When is the when:

We're doing an earlier Opening this month - 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm on August 26th. The exhibition will run from August 26th until October 22nd. The Bakery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7:00 am until 9:00 pm. Buy a brownie or better yet... some pizza.

This woman does NOT kid around.

We here at the Gallery are particularly proud that Rebecca has agreed to do a FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC presentation on her work the afternoon before the Opening. WHAT!!! That's right, she's driving on over from Chicago and will be here to speak to you, yes you! (The plural you)

Details, give us details!

When: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm on Friday, August 26th

Where: St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Art Center Rm. 141

How: Through the power of speech, bending light and internet delivering tubes

Why: Because she is interesting and we want to give you an opportunity to hear her speak.

A frequent statement in many of our lives.

Artist’s Statement:

Rebecca Ann Rakstad (aka Reba Rar Rar) took her first letterpress class in 2004 and Rar Rar Press was born shortly thereafter. Rar Rar uses handset wood and metal type with a Vandercook press to make postcards, posters, notebooks and more, drawing equal inspiration from pop culture and irony as from the craft and history of hand-lettered prints. Rakstad received her BFA from the Art Institute of Chicago and her MFA from Columbia College Chicago, while using her DIY skills for the Midwest punk scene, booking shows between making zines and record covers. Her zines transformed into artist books, then when free copies became scarce, Rakstad took to letterpress to fully expand control over the printmaking process. The works of Rar Rar Press have appeared in indie craft fairs all over the country, including: Renegade, Bust Craftacular, Crafty Bastards, and Art vs. Craft. Rakstad is a member of the Chicago Printers Guild and in 2011, Rar Rar moved into a new location in Pilsen that will soon host workshops and events, so everyone can learn how to be a little more DIY.

For those of you who don't know how this whole shindig work here is an example:

up above we the type.

down below we see the print.

oh it's so true.

Finally I encourage you to check out Rebecca's etsy page (http://www.etsy.com/shop/rarrarpress) where many of her posters and postcards are for sale at any hour of the day. You can always buy from us too...there will be plenty to choose from and Rebecca is bringing lots and lots and lots.

As always 100% of the money that comes from selling work at the Bakery is given to the artist. We do not take a commission. We just love showing you new stuff. (If you ever feel like donating...well that's a different story) So what I'm saying is support our artists and buy some visual culture!

See you there.

Adam Little Brings A Brigade!

2011-08-13T19:09:00.001-05:00

We had an Opening. You may have missed it, but maybe you didn't. Either way it does not dismiss the sheer AWESOMENESS of one Adam Little (who is a local Quad-Citian mind you) I'm not saying that you missed out on the show of the year... but really, if you haven't seen it, well then, you know.

"No I haven't" you may say from this modest image, but look closer and closer still.

LOOK AT THAT FOOD SPREAD!!! COME ON!!

In the heat of June we start to get a crowd that will make this such a pleasant evening.

SOLD! (and maybe a lighting discrepancy. You'll have to decide for yourself)

"I bought that!" The proud face of a newly (and multiple) buyer. Don't you want to have the look of satisfaction upon your face? Don't you? Are you human...

Les and Owen (two essential stalwarts) prepare for a battle.

Starting to get crowded, busy and oh so sweaty. (The sure sign of a successful event.)

It got hot. Really hot. That didn't stop people from coming. They just vacillated between indoors and outdoors. As a side note look at the determined stance of one Adam Little (center)

Adam is showing until August 20th. You should probably get over there before it's too late and see some work and OH YEAH buy some of it too. It's good for your local environment. Trust me, it's the truth.

Cloud Eaters in the Sky

2011-06-13T22:02:00.001-05:00

Coming in one weeks time.

Adam Little - The artist man

Cloud Eaters - the title of the show-li-oh

6:00 pm until 8:00 pm, Friday June 17th - The time to do your looky-loo.

The show will hang in the gallery from June 17th until August 19th.

"Men had made those masks and other objects for a sacred purpose, a magic purpose, as a kind of mediation between themselves and the unknown hostile forces that surrounded them, in order to overcome their fear and horror by giving it a form and an image. At that moment I realized that this was what painting was all about. Painting isn’t an aesthetic operation; it’s a form of magic designed as a mediator between this strange, hostile world and us, a way of seizing the power by giving form to our terrors as well as our desires. When I came to that realization, I knew I had found my way."

Pablo Picasso

"On a fundamental level my work is an exploration of the nature of parenthood, the parent-child dynamic, and the ways in which I relate to human beings though examples gained from interactions with my parents. The work uses images and fragments of images that have been drawn from a reinterpretation of various origin mythologies. Through the invention of an origin mythology I am able to create characters and tell personal stories with universal applications. In this regard, I’m using the images to tell stories about my parents and children. Those relationships, the one with our parents and the one with our children, are the most important factors in determining the way that we see our individual space, and the way that we chose to impact the larger world.

My work uses a reappropriation and reimaging of popular religious narrative and mythology to address issues of personal importance. The work moves in and out of issues other than parenting like; nature, environment, politics, and sex. The work draws heavily on an illustrative style that borrows vocabulary and technique from Byzantine art, Inuit art, comic books, children’s books, religious icon painting, and science fiction. "

Be there...eat some food, sweat a little bit, maybe buy a piece...who knows.

Now How About That

2011-06-08T14:28:00.000-05:00

Before Amanda's show we had a little show by Mari LaCure. (You may remember it) For whatever reason we also forgot to take pictures of the Opening for that as well. Sneakily we were able to sequester these several images to show the unsuspecting public the inspiring beauty of the Quiet Garden.

Mari was kind enough to not only come for the Opening, but to also do a demo at St. Ambrose, two lectures and submitted a kind donation of two prints for our Open House. She's a swell artist and if you ever find yourself in Lawrence, Kansas you should seek her out. (get in contact with her first...don't be creepy)

Unfortunately, in order to evade a dastardly and shady character we had to hide the film for the exhibition for several months until "business" was taken care of. Now that MacGillicutty is out at the "farm" and the entire backyard has been dug up trying to find the darn thing we can safely show you what needs to be seen.

That's a convincing excuse right.

The little fellas...we should have bought them all.

Oooohhh...how striking.

Closer up on some meticulous gorgeousness.

It's ok to stare.

Two on the left and a table (the title for every stilllife from now on)

I want to be framed like this.

That's all for now. I'd say see you soon, but really...it could be a while. (or maybe not?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?)

Finally Some Images From That Gall Darned Show.

2011-06-07T23:09:00.001-05:00

Ever the procrastinator, eh Mr. Lappie? It only took me two months to get images of Amanda Thomson's show onto the blog. Now keep in mind we forgot (for the second straight exhibition) to bring the camera to the actual Opening so we do not have any "action" shots. I know, you're mighty disappointed, but take solace in the fact that we were able to snap these snazzy pics on a quiet, and incredibly hot, evening.

The show is still up for a few more days. If you read this before it comes down, don't you think you owe it to yourself to take in some fresh art and perhaps a pastry?

Just a suggestion.

We start off with the westside pretty wall.

DYNAMIC ANGLES!!!

Giving all the sitters something to ponder as they eat their cream horns.

I love this book! Love it and lust it.

Star-crossed lovers though, it wasn't meant to be.

detail of etching

Damn you inconsistent florescent lighting. A curse!

In retrospect I probably should have moved that fan. Did I mention the heat?

A three-fer

I stacked these incorrectly...Amanda was kind enough not to be angry

and also kind enough to place them appropriately.

Do you see the vanishing point?

Here, here, here, here, now, now, now, oh, oh, !

2011-03-30T01:18:00.000-05:00

Amanda Thomson may or may not be coming back to the USA specifically for the opening of her new show "A Wheen o' Timmer". I don't want to speculate, but I'm pretty sure that is the sole reason for her return.* What does that mean for us dear reader/viewer? It means that this month at the Bakery is a big, honking deal that's what!

Not only will she be here on the evening of her opening (Thursday, April 14th 6:00pm - 8:00pm) but she has generously offered to do a public artist lecture at St. Ambrose (Galvin Fine Art Center Rm 141) at 4:00 pm. Should you miss it? Probably not. What's it going to be about? Why don't you ask me what it ISN'T going to be about? (kittens, carnival rides, archetypes of golden age comic characters, rubylith, hopscotch, my uncle, and many other things won't be gracing any topic list)

* not the sole reason... just good timing.

bicker

Here's Amanda's statement to help you figure some stuff out. Go ahead and speak it out loud in your movie voice.

Originally from Scotland, Amanda Thomson has a 1st class BA(hons) from the Glasgow School of Art. She completed an MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2008.

Her creative practice is ideas and research-led, fusing traditional and digital printmaking techniques, photography, bookmaking, video, installation and sound, and has recently expanded to include the practice of walking and using a GPS. Her work is often about how we are located (and locate ourselves) in the world, notions of space and place and absence or subtle presence. Other interests include notions of landscape, wilderness and migration, and the assertion and reclamation of 'home' coupled with the mutability and temporality of belonging.

In October 2009 she started an arts-practice led, interdisciplinary PhD based at the University of the Highlands and Islands and with the anthropology department of the University of Aberdeen. Drawing on art, anthropology and human geography in particular, and with a (walking) ethnographic element feeding into her arts practice, the PhD is entitled, In the forest, field and studio: art/ making/ methodology in explorations of familiarity and unfamiliarity, in some of the forests and landscapes of the North of Scotland.

treeline 1

This work is what I'd eagerly call sumptuous. The contrast is amazing, the context is amazing...just good to look at and think about. Please remember that these are, in fact, etchings. Now look at them again. What? yep. Now you simply must come and see them.

treeline 2

Here is the standard who-what-where-when-why spiel.

What: “A Wheen o’ Timmer” an exhibition of etchings, digital prints, artist’s books and more

Who: Amanda Thomson

When: Opening - April 14^th from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm. The show will run from the 14^th of April until June 10^th. The Bakery Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7:00 am until 9:00 pm. (As is the delicious Eastside Bakery)

Where: The Bakery Gallery – 1330 E. 12^th Street, Davenport Iowa 52803

Contact: the gallery - www.thebakerygallery.blogspot.com,

joseph lappie – pepticrobot@pepticrobotpress.com,

Event: Artist’s Talk: Work and Progress. 4:00 pm at the Galvin Fine Art

Center, Rm. 141 St. Ambrose University.

Reviews: We’d love it. Please consider doing so.

treescape

With an emphatic yelp I urge you to spread this information far and wide. See some great new work, support your local community, immerse yourself in one of the few galleries in the cities and the only print/artist's book gallery for many miles around. (one day I'll figure out how many miles around)

We'd love to see you there. As always the bells are optional.

Joseph

Where Are You!?!?!

2011-03-25T21:47:00.000-05:00

I know, we've been lackadaisical about the update for this darn thing.

Promises in the next week (yeah Joseph? Where are the promises now?)

1) Images of Mari LaCures show.

2) Artist's rendition of the Opening for Quiet Garden (our camera was mia)

3) An announcement and plan for the super-exciting Amanda Tompson show in April --- NOT TO BE MISSED.

4) The future line up for the Bakery Gallery.

The anticipation is palpable.

Prepare.

Quiet Garden is about to get really loud

2011-02-20T23:21:00.000-06:00

We have ourselves another Opening this Friday the 25th from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Not to make a big deal of it, but it's Mari LaCure...and she is driving up from Kansas just to be with us. That's pretty nice of her. You know what would be pretty nice of us? To come on out. It'll be a hoot.

#7: detail of Quiet Garden 2010 Woodblock, Colored Pencil, Pen, Watercolor, Sewing on Paper 25”x37”

Mari has this to say about her work.

My recent work has been contemplative of the micro and macroscopic in nature.

In my drawings I layer and juxtapose images of both large scale and the minute to set up harmonious relationships between different structures. Dots, dashes, and repeated lines allude to sequences in nature such as branching systems, weather patterns, cellular structures, and constellations.

The process of drawing for me is a meditative one. I work on thin paper that records and responds to my drawn marks by bending, stretching, and crinkling. The imagery is built up through layers of different media, including woodblock printed motifs, watercolor, pen, colored pencil, and sewn lines. The interaction of many different delicate materials in my work encourages the viewer to experience a heightened sensitivity and awareness to the visible and seemingly invisible in the world. Finding beauty in the connection between the living and the inanimate in the world inspires my creative process, and I hope that viewers will experience a part of this when looking at my work.

#4: detail of Waves 2009 Colored Pencil, Pen, Watercolor, Sewing on Paper 25”x37"

Team Nerd Opens During The Day Everyone Forgets How To Drive

2011-01-18T00:58:00.001-06:00

This was our big Anniversary event. One year folks! One whole year of Baked good mixed with different types of art things. It has been awesome.

We had some special guests - Ben and Josh from Ragged Records were kind enough to come on over and spin some pretty great tunes. Go visit them at 418 E. 2nd Street in D'port. It was an amazing addition to the Opening scene...much better than my Ipod Nano, which I have managed to leave behind at every Opening so far. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did because I am going to desperately try to get them to come back, when possible, to continue the DJ music orgy.

Please feel free to encourage them as well in whatever manner you deem suitable.

dj's, dancing and first guests. That Beadel... he's got fire in his pants.

These posters are amazing and I want them right now.

Unfortunately the Opening also coincided with the first snow of the season - which was a doozy. We later found out that two of the roads to the Gallery were blocked off due to accidents. Joseph managed to barely get up a hill with the ol' trusty Van because some overly excited kids who had been sledding decided to stop and dance a jig in front of him. The slowing of momentum started to cause a bit of a slide.

Anyway, for the first hour there were only nine of us. We were a bit depressed and pissed off that the weather had decided THAT day to take a dump on us. In fact we had resigned ourselves to closing early and drinking our sorrows.

Alison somehow made it and back to Iowa City. That look she is giving... that's determination folks.

The man himself in a very natural pose.

It was kind of amazing though. About an hour and fifteen minutes into the darn thing people started showing up. Not just a few, but dozens. Old regulars, St. Ambrose folk and as exciting as always some new faces to, hopefully, be inspired by what we're doing. We ended up with a good run of about 60 people. Which isn't so bad when you think that the first hour was only nine.

The power of the nerd

Because this is a show we believe in and Adam is the first artist we have shown who is local we have decided to add a Closing into the mix as well. You should come. Come on over even if you were around last time. Definitely come if you weren't. We'll be waiting for you. Smiling. Big like.

Closing Info:

Who: N. Adam Beadel and A Great New Start

When: Friday, January 28th from 7pm until 9 pm

Where: The Bakery Gallery at 1330 E. 12th Street in Davenport, Iowa

Why: It's damn good

What else: More music, more food, buy the art and take it with you RIGHT THEN... Oh yeah it's also really cheap.

Finally, we were having camera issues that night. Sorry for the lack of action shots and straight shots. We promise to try harder next time.

Let us know what you think.

Thanks.

One Year Old Feels Older Than It Should

2010-11-28T17:32:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to the gallery. What a special day for it. We remember when it was but a mere consideration in the backend mind of three little heads.

What does it mean. I think it means onward and upward. We've had a great first year with as top notch artist as I could ever hope for. Brett Colley, Liz Wolf, Matthew Hoffman, David Johnson, B. Ingrid Olson and Jonathan Stewart. A swath of art from different areas of the country and different areas of the genre. We owe a giant debt to these artists for supporting us by agreeing to have their work shown in a small, out-of-the-way place. A place that, while we love, was VERY lucky to get the likes of them.

We want to take the briefest moment and profess the sincerest THANK YOU that we can muster. As you all well know there isn't much of anything that means a whole lot of anything without the interest and support and girders of you, the people. You're the ones with the interest, you're the one with the desire to show up every other month or to drop us a note or just to LIKE us on Facebook and I promise you each and every one of those things means as much as a fistful of gold.

So what's next...

What is next.

How about some N. Adam Beadel.

Adam recently returned to Davenport after an absence of almost a decade. We take great pride and pleasure in being able to show the work of our first local artist (of which we hope there will be many more) Here is the postcard for Adam's show "A Great New Start"

and how about a little insight about the man himself:

Team Nerd is the hand-carved linoleum, woodblock, and letterpress printing of N. Adam Beadel. Excessively bullied as a teenager in Iowa, Beadel set out for Seattle Washington in 2001 to find his feet. He found a home in the world of self-publishing and graffiti, which morphed into a love for letterpress and relief printmaking. At 27 years old, Beadel set out for Knoxville Tennessee, to intern at the world famous Yee-Haw Industries, the best education of his letterpressing life. Today, he’s scheming towards the future, carving woodblocks, and acquiring equipment to start his own press in the Midwestern United States.

Check out more of his stuff at www.flickr.com/teamnerd.

We are a year old. I hope we get older. Your continued support helps us do that. We're providing these exhibitions with only a 10% commission that goes to the owner of the East Side Bakery - Nikki. We're not here to make money, only to provide the Quad Cities with a space that presents the best Printmaking, Book Arts, Textual Arts and Paper Works that we can. This is a passion project. Tell your friends, tell your enemies, tell your frenemies, but please tell.

Here's the technical info:

What: "A Great New Start" opening
Where: The Bakery Gallery at 1330 East 12th Street, Davenport Ia 52803
When: Opening is Friday December 3rd from 6-8 and the exhibition runs until February 4th.
Why: I think you know why.
How: Shear sweat baby.

Of note: We'll have a DJ on board for the Opening. Hear some great tunes.

Thanks again. Let us know what you think.

The Bakery Gallery.

The True Tale of a Tardy, Tawdry Trip

2010-11-28T16:05:00.000-06:00

Hello.

This has been a long time coming. We did Mr. Stewart a wrong by not getting this up quicker, so for that we heartily apologize. That being said the Opening was great. We sold more pieces than we ever have in the past (with 90 percent of those proceeds going back to the artist and 10 percent going to the lovely East Side Bakery for allowing us to host in their establishment)

The day was comfortably warm, the response was charismatically swell and the food was quickly consumed. We did learn that the fancier the cheese the less likely it is to be eaten.

the throne: sat in by the invisible representation of Jonathan Stewart. I insisted all questions

be directed to that chair throughout the night.

WE LOVE BEANS!!!

Signing and looking. Dirty jobs for clean causes.

Throughout the months we had several of the same questions pop up. The first one tended to be "Are there actual toys inside" and the second was "Did he print these on a computer" So here are the answers.

There are no toys inside. A few of them have magnets, but that is unrelated to anything that concerns anything really.

Jonathan did not print these on a computer. He screenprinted them on a flat surface and then cut them and scored them to allow the box forms to be made.

the voyeur's view. Quit staring and come on in.

Many artist's wept upon seeing these little boxes containing the dreaded form letter. "My work is to good for you anyway Connecticut College of Craft and Kreativity!!!" whoooaaa...

shaky bits and a baby

The east wall.

So there you have it. Our sixth show in the bag. You know what that means? We've made it one year!

Hoozah. I'd write more, but really I'm going to post something else in like a half an hour. (Months of nothing and then SHABAM... I know. )

Keep coming and we'll keep showing.

It's a Behind!!!

2010-11-21T23:20:00.000-06:00

Yes I'm late... I know. I want to show you the opening for Jonathan Stewart's show. It was awesome with sales and everything.

But I cannot find my camera. This is not the excuse for a failure to post for the last month, but it is an excuse for failing to post at this very moment. I looked everywhere. I promise.

Anyway, prepare for a deluge of updates this week. We're up to our year anniversary, we're having a show with Team Nerd, We have some updates of previous exhibitors.

OH BOY It's going to be a week of awesomeness... assuming I can stick with it.

Thanks for following and supporting this endeavor. Please come to the Big Year Opening.

More news soon.

In the meantime.

A Tiny Droplet of Things To Come...

2010-09-23T01:55:00.003-05:00

We're really excited to have the next Bakery artist grace are walls in October.

Young Jonathan Stewart will be here (in art form only) throughout October and November displaying his amazing Screen Printed boxes in his solo show entitled Blockism.

Jonathan is currently located down near the Dallas / Fort Worth area finishing his Masters degree at the University of Dallas. It's a swell program with great facilities, a top notch Instructor (one Mr. Juergen Strunck) and talented candidates. Honest truth, We saw it with our own eyes!

I apologize in advance for the tiny images, but we here at the Bakery are having some minor technology glitches. Needless to say if you come over and see these suckers in person you will not be disappointed (unless you're THAT type of person in which case there is just no pleasing you.)

(imagine these as three dimensional objects)

Now imagine that they are funny...

and then you realize they are heart-wrenching.

Now don't you want to share that feeling in a large group during an Opening surrounded by Stewarts work? You better believe you do! (If you were asking for our two cents.)

Here's a few brief words from Jonathan himself:

I am primarily concerned with how history, experiences, and emotions are packaged for consumption. My boxes point toward a marketplace where these characteristics are bought and sold.

So by now you are saying "Enough Jibber Jabber!" and we agree. Here's the dirty details...

Where: The Bakery Gallery: 1330 E. 12th Street Davenport, Ia 52803

When: Friday, October 8th from 6 pm until 8 pm

Who: Jonathan Stewart's Blockism

Why: Because It Rocks

How: Because We Bring You The Rock

There's one last reason for you to be at this show and it is best exemplified by one of the pieces that will be on display. Why shouldn't you go? Because you have "Nowhere Else To Go" ($30.00)

Face-Planting Double-Takes Left and Right

2010-09-13T17:29:00.000-05:00

the set-up has begun and the gauntlets been thrown

Oh man, we did it! We so did it! Push Ups, the exhibition by B. Ingrid Olson ended up to be a rousing (one may say riotous) event. * The big downer is that Ingrid herself was unable to make it. (Due to Airport type things -- you know, complicated stuff) Despite this upset the people still seemed to have a good viewing.

It was also the first week of St. Ambrose being back in session and it was good to see some students wander back into the space. Of course, much like Billy Idol, we want more, more, more.

One of the things we like most on these Opening Nights is seeing new people wander in. That happened. There was roughly 1/4 new faces and that, to us, is awesome. PLEASE COME BACK!

Soooo... much good food! Only three people busted a gut (from eating, another two from frivolity and laughter)

As always the deliciousness was provided by Nikki, owner of the Eastside Bakery, and her sons. I think there are VERY few people who can walk away from the tastiness. More and more people are leaving with pizza's and such under there arms. It's an excellent way to support a small local bakery.

doublemint

Emulation is flattery

I think Renee wanted to prove that she could be hunchy too. One of the key elements to this set of Ingrid's work is how they are hung on the wall and the interaction the paper has with it. Lots of questions and discussion sprung from this.

The part of the night where the hosts put everyone in pairs to discuss the impact of such things

sitting on sitting on sitting

The December artist creeps into frame

Local artist Adam Beadel plans his nefarious release upon Winter. You can tell that he's up to something. (I think you can tell...can't you?)

I'm pretty sure this is a physical push-up challenge being thrown down

So many discussion in such a small place. We think things were getting serious for awhile.

you can read this right?

The show is up through September and comes down the first week of October. We highly advise you to stop by and see for yourself the greatness that is B. Ingrid Olson. It's worth the time. Until soon (sooner and sooner)

Bereft of Singularity We Instead Seek Community

2010-08-04T17:10:00.001-05:00

So we are going to admit we're a big fan.

Well, we're a big fan of everyone we show here at the Bakery. It's part of the deal. There's a personal and emotional relationship with the work we exhibit and our main focus is to expose the Quad Cities to work that we like. That being said...

We really like B. Ingrid Olson's work.

There's a good chance you will too.

A great explanation of her work from Ingrid herself.

"Experience is realized first as feeling, then as thought and finally, language. In my drawings I use the body as a means to enter into an extralinguistic time and space. The body is reiterated in the slow movements of multiple figures; each gestural quotation becomes an interlude within the cumulative body of work.

My conception of experience, as drawn, is reinforced in the means of making and mode of display. The work, inside and out, is simultaneously stable and fragile. The drawn line is direct, though the exactness in manner becomes oxymoronic when used to describe that which is beyond words.

The paper rests on the wall as a tangible object. The drawings are essentially images, but in the final work they become self-aware objects. The paper curls away from the wall, the edges are uneven, and the corners are bent.

Push-ups are self-conscious attempts. Bodily bending, hunching and curling are used to depict slow movement towards an unknown and unimportant destination. These are small moments of transition between one occurrence and what comes after. This time has no name and no specificity. This time is the tremor just before something new."

Ingrid made a really smart move by making her website copy proof. We wanted to show more images of her work, but she cleverly thwarted us. So we are going to demand a little bit of action on your part dear reader and insist that you check out her website at http://www.bingridolson.com/ It'll be worth your time.

So now that We've gotten you all hot and heavy on the idea of this show perhaps we owe you a spare

detail or two.

We will go about this in the way we know best... through a numbering system.

1) The show "Push Ups" opens on August 27th. For you students in the Quad City area that means the week after school starts (I don't know this as an absolute... at least for St. Ambrose. I could be wrong with the rest, but come on...should we really know all of that info) This is the perfect first art opportunity for you of the School Year.

2) For you non-students this ain't no excuse to slack. Come on out, see some great art and support your local community.

3) The Opening is from 6 pm until 8 pm on Friday the 27th.

4) The Exhibition itself runs from Tuesday August 10th until October 2nd.

4) The Bakery Gallery is located at 1330 East 12th Street. It's a little west of the Village, a little north of Bridge St. and Dead Center in our hearts.

5) Food a'plenty is provided by Nikki at the Eastside Bakery. If you haven't tried it, well let's just say Heaven on Earth.

6) Ingrid is flying in from SAN FRANCISCO just to talk to you. Come on... that's a pretty big deal right?

If that doesn't convince you then I can't help but to throw out the precursory "lost cause" in front of you.

Safety in Assuredness

2010-07-22T18:25:00.000-05:00

I think it is a pretty safe bet to say that "Books and Prints" by David Johnson is winding down. We've got to make that drive to drop everything back off in Indiana and it seems like early August is the time to do it.

What am I trying to say? The show is coming down on the 30th of July. Whooosh. I said, right there out in the open. Honestly is the best policy. The exhibition is in its last week.

So I cordially urge you to stop on by between hither and thither to see (or perhaps buy?!?!?!) some pretty amazing books and prints (as is evident based on the title)

What's coming up? What's next? Who is your new fix of contemporary art in the Quad Cities?

How about one B. Ingrid Olson.

Cool Night In The Hot Town

2010-06-22T10:50:00.005-05:00

I'm not going to lie to you, this show looks fantastic! David Johnson's Books and Prints make a great addition to the (brand spanking newly painted) Bakery Gallery walls.

The artist made it to the Opening where he provided not only a sugary whit, but also 12 extra books for viewers to peruse. Make no mistake folks, these books be made for touching. (respectfully of course) We transformed the space into an Artist's Book mecca for a brief two hours.

Don't fret. While a few of the books high-tailed back to Indiana after the opening (particularly the STUNNING big books), we still have a hefty selection available through the beginning of August. Come check them out. They're engaging and cheap. Perfect for your burgeoning Artist's Book collection.

The identifier wall (along with Sarah)

The Dude himself (left) along with painter extraordinaire Robert Flory (visiting from Indiana)

stealing from the tip jar.

You may be thinking "Joseph, Anna & Heather, It seems like there were not a lot of viewers this go around. Is that possible?"

The truth is no, it is not possible. The 11th happened to be a scorching break between rainfalls. The Bakery Gallery, while equipped with three fans does not have air conditioning. You may also recall that it also acts as a functional bakery. With ovens. HOT ovens. So the temperature inside was in the upper 90's (no BS)

I sweated through two shirts. I'm not afraid to admit it.

Anyway, many of us spent a significant amount of time "cooling off" outside.

an intense discussion about the new "Twilight" film

Oh man, the gloves are coming on!

The BIG BOOK (24" x 30" (i think)) If you missed it...don't you feel bad?

and here I was worried the gloves would be too small.

What do you think of those new shelves? I think they look pretty alright.

So come on over! Please spread the news of our existence to anyone you can think of be it friend or press.

Until next time.

2010-06-12T20:57:00.004-05:00

Louise Bourgeois (1911 - May 31st, 2010)

98 years due to a heart attack

Sigmar Polke (1941 - June 10, 2010)

69 years due to cancer

Uh Oh, Here Comes Trouble

2010-06-08T11:09:00.004-05:00

This Friday come on over to the ol' Gallery and see what the new show is all about.

The Who and the What: David Johnson's exhibition "Books and Prints"

The When: 6:00 - 8:00

The Where: The Bakery Gallery - 1330 E. 12th Street in D'port

The How: Lots of driving, mounting shelves and sweating...an unusual amount of sweating

The Why: Come on, really?

David will be there to answer all of your questions. Maybe there will even be a baby or two for you to poke. (don't poke the babies please)

Or come on out to see the newly spackled and painted walls (did I mention the sweating...that's what caused it)

Lets end this pre-show with Johnson's Artist Statement for the Exhibition. It'll get you revved up in all the right places.

I make woodcuts, linocuts and etchings; otherwise known as Relief and Intaglio prints. I make Relief prints because they are the most primitive and therefore easiest: I can make them at home with a gouge and print them with a roller and a wooden spoon. A Relief print or woodcut transforms my drawing into something unforeseen with increased impact from the cut marks and resulting shapes. I discovered Intaglio prints or etchings at college in the mid 70’s when Iowa was the Printmaking capital of the world with an emphasis on Intaglio. When I think of Intaglio I recall what Mrs. Olsen used to say about Folger’s Coffee, “It’s the richest kind”.

I am very interested in Drawing and how when we draw we unconsciously select and emphasize aspects or elements of nature. The world is an immensely interesting and fascinating place at its best. To draw from nature or life is a way of studying and appreciating nature and life.

Prints are a way for me to select the most successful drawings from my sketchbooks and extend them. They seem to increase in richness and impact when I develop them as prints. When I combine things from different drawings into one composition the associations create additional implications; what do these two people have to do with each other? Why is this fellow jaywalking? Is this the student ghetto? Is this a dodgy part of town? When images are combined in books there are immense possibilities for association. And with books there are innumerable elements of consideration; drawing, printing, writing, type, binding, and paper just to name a few. I have come somewhat late to books; I have only made them for about fifteen years. I feel like a kindergartener in the realm of books, that is I am still a primitive; I have only begun to scratch the surface of the possibilities.

See you on Friday. Bring your friends

OK, SO NOW WHAT?

2010-05-16T22:26:00.005-05:00

The Bakery Gallery (and Eastside Bakery) on an early March morn.

So I finally managed to get the pictures up from the Matthew Hoffman Show at the Bakery Gallery. I appreciate the intense patience that you all have as I am fairly certain that you have been chomping at the bit to see these.

ahem...

Anyway, let's get started. So it all begins with

As you may recall the idea behind the gallery is to provide a space in the Quad Cities that showcases Artists who specialize in printmaking, works on paper, textual art and book arts.

Well Matthew has partaken in all of the above. While he doesn't do what one would traditionally call "print works" he does provide art as multiple (one of the leading purposes of printmaking) through his "It's OK" limited edition of one million.

The Bling Variation of the "Its Ok" Series

While the link below is a couple of years old, I thought it would be good to show you the level of determination (insanity) Matthew has regarding this endeavor.

http://itsok24hrs.blogspot.com/

This is also the site where you can purchase them for your own positive self-confirmation.

http://store.multipolarprojects.com/

Another piece that is currently at the Gallery is his edition of 2000 "Over and Over" sheets.

It's sitting there in the middle. The white pillar thing... yep you got it.

There was much hootin' and hollerin' about this piece as a) it was free to take and b) it seemed to spark the idea of stencil work throughout the city. I haven't seen any yet, so as of now it is just chatter, but who knows... one day soon you may see an Over and Over on your brisk walk along the Muddy Miss.

Despite what Anna believes this is NOT a shorter, more muscular clone of myself.

The evening was beautiful and all of the trees were in bloom. Unfortunately, as you may attest, it can be difficult to make it to a place inside when the outside is so beautiful.

The Opening was lighter than we had in the past, but it was great to see many repeat viewers and just as exciting to see at least a dozen or so new faces. (and even some from across that ol' River)

Notice how he's on one side and EVERYONE else is on the other? It was in his contract.

By far the most talked about piece of the evening was large installation of cut text placed onto gravestones hanging on the west wall. These phrases provided many a laugh, a few guffaws and some introspection from nearly every person who took the time to decipher the font.

The show "Ok, So Now What" stays open until the end of the month. I highly encourage you (although I suppose that is my calling) to make it over and see this exhibit. It looks good in the space and is a type of show I don't think we see here, in the Quad Cities, all that often.

and to end it,

Ahhhhh! Look at all of those folded arms.

I know, I know!!!

2010-05-02T23:37:00.003-05:00

It's been, like, 3 months Joseph... you can't make a single updated post in three months? It's been really busy here okay.

Don't judge me.

Matthew Hoffman pictures are coming, I swear.

Then comes David Johnson!

In the meantime, here's a goat.

It's not my goat, I took it from online. It's a placeholder

Done Did That

2010-02-07T20:23:00.005-06:00

It happened! It opened on Friday! Do 'Yo Thing, the exhibition of Liz Wolfs work managed to have a GREAT turnout despite multiple other events occurring. The crowd was inquisitive and the art well-received.

We have some images of that night, the 2nd official opening at the Bakery Gallery.

Liz and her intrepid partner, Will, playing cut the string with your vibratingfinger saw. Always a classic.

The boots she rode in on.

Intense reaction of Liz's "Holographic Universe" theory.

Just a quick looky-loo.

A crowd scene. We had around 65-70 people stop by during the two-hour opening. The middle hour looked like this. (although with a cycling of different people)

Will demanded to be in as many pictures as possible. The faint cry of "I'm the work of art dammit" could be heard all evening.

Prints on handmade paper. Still on sale. One for $20.00 or two for $30.00. Go check it out! It's a deal and a steal. (literally a deal, figuratively a steal... please don't TAKE take them)

The "Curious Endeavor" prints in their groupy glory. Like them all? Why not buy the book.

I've always been told to end on a mustache.

Do 'Yo Thing is open until the beginning of April. If you missed the Opening night, please feel free to come by Tuesday through Saturday during any reasonable hour. (No midnight viewings)

We'll have pictures of the art work for you in short due time.

Thanks for all who came out, We hope you return.

Thanks to Nikki and her sons for preparing the food and helping us keep a handle on it. If you are looking for great baked goods or pizza please consider supporting your Local Small Business. In this case The Eastside Bakery.

You Better Do 'Yo Thing

2010-02-02T00:57:00.003-06:00

Mermaids.

Mustaches.

Antlers.

Bird Planes.

If it wasn't so perfectly Dada one may suspect that I am trying to connect a grouping of disparate words/images. Well, guess what? Suspicions confirmed.

The connection is The Bakery's next artist - Liz Wolf.

Liz is a Chicago-based artist who creates fragmented narratives of peculiar people/things using text and image. She incorporates printmaking, painting, and drawing into her works that are often on handmade paper that she makes. Sometimes, oh sometimes she even dips bits of beeswax on them. I hear it's straight from the bee's behind. (confirmation pending)

Here is her website for a little peek of things to come.

www.elizwolf.com

Here's a short interview with her about her work at a different gallery that I love and that regrettably has recently shuttered its doors.

http://www.artslant.com/global/articles/show/6539

The opening is this Friday, February 5th from 6 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at the Bakery Gallery. We're located at 1330 E. 12th Street in Davenport, Iowa. Liz will be there. She wants to answer your questions!

It'll be fun.

See you then.

The First Show ------ Brett Colley "INCOMING"

2010-01-25T21:52:00.001-06:00

Brett is one of those guys who you kind of fall for no matter what. He's a thoughtful artist, an engaging speaker and an extraordinary professor. He was gracious enough to be the first fella to be hosted by the Bakery.

Before we get into that I want to get into a couple of other things. That's how I am... tangental. If you continue to follow this site I think you'll get used to it. If you don't continue to follow the site then you may have gotten weary of it. Oh yeah, I also ramble.

Anyway,

Step One: The Fella

Brett Colley is a professor at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has some pretty strong ties to the ol' I.O.W.A. as he went to the University of Iowa many a year ago. (Not MANY... that makes him sound ancient which he's not, lets just say he went there.) I met him several years ago at the Oxbow residency where I was a'learnin and he was a'teaching. Skip forward to now I invited him to come to St. Ambrose as a Visiting Artist and to be in this show. Brett is a seasoned artist with many shows and visits under his belt and even though we are just a start up space he happily agreed. I'm not just pumping him up to make the Gallery look good, I'm pumping him up because he is good.

Step Two: The Words

I'm putting in Brett's Artist Statement because he can explain the work he has hanging more eloquently and succinctly then I.

I most commonly refer to this series of prints as the Apocalyptic Apparitions.

The compositions were designed to read from a short distance as twisting, skeletal figures, each a crooked

“genie” freed from its respective vessel – an oil drum, a test tube, the stump of a fresh-cut tree.

Upon closer examination, their swirling forms are comprised of dozens of smaller, intersecting images: broken dolls, buffalo, lawnmowers, laboratory mice.

A single Apparition is composed of more than a hundred smaller images, each carved separately from linoleum or wood and printed one by one, using a wooden spoon to apply pressure to the inked block from the reverse side of the print paper. The paper itself, Kozo, is manufactured in Japan from mulberry fibers. The sheets are lightweight but very strong.

The imagery is inspired by topical stories, news and events that have resonated with me after reading the paper, listening to the radio, or watching television. There are passages within the Apparitions that refer to the effects of media violence on children, our dependence on oil, the genetic modification of crops, cloning, clear-cutting, etc.

A small number of the Apparition figures contain imagery all relating to a single, central theme – environmental destruction or bioengineering – but most are composites.

I produced these images in order to ask myself questions, to allow myself the time to consider the complexities of my subjects. In short, I learn through this work, by examining each issue more closely, more critically.

Ideally, viewers of these prints will be incited to consider the meaning of the imagery, the role that art continues to play in our culture, and to reflect upon the source and depth of their own understanding of the world.

Step Three: The Results

Brett's visit was a success. The students that met and interacted came out of it with a stronger sense of art and "making". The gallery opened with 75 plus visitors. He felt that the people of Davenport were more inquisitive and engaging about this body of work then any other group of people that had seen it previously. (See we can do it)

Step Four: Oh Yeah

Did I mention the stamping? (I know I didn't... I guess it's kind of a jerky question to ask) Brett has created a series of rubber stamps with either imagery (tree stumps, slabs of meat, bulldozers) or text ("Demand Things of Quality", "We Vote With Our Money" ) that he happily and repeatedly stamped onto viewer's own cash. I think he ran the gamut from Singles to the ol' Benjamin. It's a great way to make art (and a statement) available to an entire group of people who may not see or hear it otherwise.

The show ran from December 1st until January 30th.

The Bakery is Open for Business

2010-01-25T21:20:00.002-06:00

Alright, it's been open well before Anna, Heather or I ever stepped foot in it. It's possible I'm talking about the blog site though. Which I am. Okay, both actually.

Let's start off with a little backstory.

Nikki Schutter started the Eastside Bakery in 2006 on the corner of 12th and Esplanade in the (wait for it) East Village area of Davenport, Iowa. She is a fantastic Baker who makes pastries and pizzas that make your mouth literally water and your wallet figuratively cheer. Dedicated to high quality, handmade goods Nikki and her kids have been running a hellava place for the past few years. If you don't want to see the art, go for the TASTINESS!

Anna and I moved to Davenport this summer as I accepted a position at St. Ambrose as the new Printmaking and Book Arts Professor. We immediately made a connection with Nikki and her space. Noticing a fairly small gallery scene in the city and one completely absent in our neighborhood we set out to do something about it. Aided by Heather Lovewell (the Gallery Director of St. Ambroses Catich Gallery) we discussed our plans of having an "alternative" gallery space housed in the front of her bakery. To our excitement she was enthusiastic.

So began the conversion. Anna and Heather made some minor (but wonderful) cosmetic changes to the space. The front half of the Eastside Bakery was converted into The Bakery Gallery which was christened with an opening on December 4th 2009.

If you are unsure of Nikki's versatility in the kitchen you should come to the openings. She provides bite-sized samples of most of her goods.

The plan is to have bimonthly shows that showcase emerging and mid-career artists who produce work based in the printmaking, paper, text, and book worlds. We play it loose and fast, but very serious. Our hope is to provide a space with innovative, thought-provoking and distinct work from across the nation. We also hope to encourage a generation of young artists in the Quad Cities into creating their own space for the art they love and want to see.

Currently it is an invitation-based gallery, but if you feel like you have the chops please let us know.

Here's too a long healthy life of Art, Conversation and sweet, sweet Sweets.