The Bella Luce Art Café: "Brand New, Local Art Center on a Mission!"

Whitinsville, MA: The Bella Luce Art Café is a brand new, creative art center that includes an Art Gallery, a Gift Shop, and two working art studio/classrooms; the Creative Arts Studio and Kats Glass Studio. It is located in the award winning, Historic 1826 Red Brick Mill Building in the Alternative's Whitin' Mill Complex in Whitinsville, MA. "We are proud to be included in the same Mill Complex with The Lexi Singh Performance Center, The Aldrich Heritage Gallery, and The Artist Palette Fine Arts Studio." says artist/owner Cristi Winona Collari, "This Mill Complex truly is a gem in the Blackstone Valley community and we feel, not only very fortunate to be here, but that this is the best place for us to achieve our mission."

That mission is "to create an exciting, unique, contemporary art center environment that supports, encourages, and inspires artistic creation, collaboration, and education for all ages and abilities, while supporting local artists and artisans in their pursuit to achieve excellence in their craft."

The Bella Luce Art Café looks to achieve this mission, in part, by hosting only select exhibits for accomplished regional artists in group and solo shows in their Gallery. Their current gallery exhibit opened Saturday, June 5, 2010 and features, Richard Eyster, a highly regarded artist whose medium is dry-brush watercolor - the medium most closely associated with Andrew Wyeth. Eyster's work is at once alluring, evocative, and yes, even disturbing, yet always thought provoking and expertly executed.

Bella Luce Art Café hosts catered Gallery receptions approximately every 8 weeks and features regional musicians as a compliment to the gallery exhibits in their "Musician's Profile Series". The launch of their "Musician's Profile Series," in conjunction with their recent opening, was a smashing success! The Smokin' Pigeons, a local Uxbridge band, played two 45 minute sets to fans in the courtyard at 5:00 and Fridley & Berger played to a standing room only crowd in the studio at 7:00. Both bands were well received and have agreed to come back and play again in the future.

The openings also feature incredible, edible art displays, not only beautiful to look at and superbly delicious created by local chef Brian Gallagher. Gallagher made a political statement with lobsters and fish trapped in chocolate pools to represent the disaster in the gulf.

"New York and Boston aren't the only places where intelligent, insightful people live. Some of us love the country and want to experience some of what city living provides out here in our own home town," states Collari.

There will be an artist's reception on Friday, July 16, from 5-8 PM. Visit the Creative Arts Studio website and join the mailing list to receive eNews letters with information regarding future events. Richard Eyster's exhibit will remain on display in the Gallery through August 8th. More information about the artist, the musicians, the display at this event, and also past events can be found on the website's events page at CreativeArtsStudio.org/events.htm.

The Bella Luce Art Café Gift Shop supports talented, regional artists and artisans offering high quality, hand crafted items at prices affordable prices. Unique jewelry, pottery, textiles, handbags, quilts, stained glass, fused glass, paintings, photographs, and cards with more unique items added every week.

The Creative Arts Studio, which supports regional artists and artisans who teach a variety of medium; including Collari herself, who teaches Book Arts & Decorative Papers, 2-D Design and more to adults and children for day, evening, summer camps and art parties; and visiting artist, Destiny Green, who teaches fine arts to teens and adults for day and evening classes and summer workshops. Kats Glass Studio, located in the basement, is owned and operated by glass artist, Kathy Olson who specializes in Stained Glass Panels, Kiln Formed Glass Jewelry, and other functional glass art. Olson offers classes for teens and adults in Basic Stained Glass (Copper Foil Technique), and will soon offer classes and workshops in fused glass.

For more information regarding the Bella Luce Art Café Gallery, Gift Shop and Art Studios and/or if you are a regional artist interested in consigning, exhibiting, or being a visiting artist, or if want to rent the Gallery space for an event, please contact Cristi Winona Collari at cristiwinona@yahoo.com or (508) 934-6013.

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About the Chamber

The mission of the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce is to promote the economic vitality of the Blackstone Valley and meet the needs of the Chamber's business members, while providing leadership on issues which impact the economy and quality of life in the Valley. The Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce serves the eleven towns in the Massachusetts BV Region: Blackstone, Douglas, Grafton, Hopedale, Mendon, Millbury, Millville, Northbridge, Sutton, Upton and Uxbridge. For more information on the Chamber please contact administrator@blackstonevalley.org or call 508 234 9090 X101.