Coffee and canvases on view at Clark's

By John Weeks
ITEM STAFF

CLINTON— Sheryll Collins is taking art back for the people.

No longer will art be monopolized by elitist art galleries, she said. Collins has arranged for local artists to display their work in Clark's Café at 310 High St. in Terrance Plaza, Clinton.

"I want people to be able to look at art while they are having a cup of coffee," she said. "Art used to be part of our society. It was part of everyday life. I want to bring that back."

The Art on Rotation Gallery was launched last week. Each month the paintings of a local artist will be displayed on the walls of the café. Patrons of the café will be able to enjoy them and even purchase them. The work of Eugene McCarthy from Worcester is currently showing.

"We had a great reception for him," Collins said. "We had over 25 people show up. It was very successful."

Collins said she has already booked artists to show throughout 2007 and into January 2008.

"I'm trying to book two years ahead," she said. "I'm really trying to create a buzz here. I want artists to get out there and learn what it's like to display."

Collins said a traditional gallery may charge an artist up to 60 percent of his or her art sales and a base fee, even if nothing gets sold.

"I am only taking 14 percent," she said. "And none of that is profit. I am just covering my costs. Al and Ann Clark will only take 1 percent. And that is only if they sell something."

Collins has quickly turned Clark's into a hub of artist activity. For local artists it is becoming the place to get breakfast or just swing by for a coffee.

"It is healthy for a society to have the arts," said Liz McDonald of Shrewsbury, who will be showing her work in February. "I never had art growing up. I always appreciated nice art. I visited art galleries. One day I just went to the Worcester Art Museum and signed up for classes."

"Painting is something for me to do in addition to being a stay at home mom," said Janet Ware-Leo, of Shrewsbury, who brings her daughters Zoie, 4, and Bella, 2, to Clark's for breakfast at least once a week.

"I have always been very creative," Ware-Leo said. "My last job was as a Web designer. I left to raise my family and it's nice to still have a creative outlet."

"This is an excellent chance to show my work," said Tally Forbes of Concord.

Forbes said she shows her work in the Back Alley Café in Concord, but was really excited to get into Clark's.

"This is what art is all about," she said. "It makes if fully immersed in people's lives."

Collins' idea began one day as she was having coffee in the café.

"There were some paintings hanging up and they just weren't the best quality," she said. "I figured one of my paintings would be worthy."

Collins asked Al Clark to hang one of her paintings and he agreed. The next thing Collins knew, she was being asked to hang more of her paintings.

"People really took to my work," she said. "That's when I realized this was a great opportunity to get other artists out there. I started asking all the artists I knew if they would show."

Collins mentor and painting instructor Kat O'Connor was working out of the Worcester Art Museum. It was here that Collins met McDonald and many other artists.

"Kat is great," Collins said. "She was teaching at Worcester State College, the Worcester Art Museum and the DeCordava Museum in Lincoln. "When I found out she was leaving the Worcester Art Museum I told her she could teach out of my house in Clinton."

Thus was formed the Clinton Artist Group.

"Clinton is a very beautiful place," said Collins, who moved to town to escape the hustle of the city. "It's a haven for artists. The Clinton Artist Group is really fun. We go to art galleries together. We take classes together. We spent a week or art up at Arcadia National Park."

Collins hopes she can get the town's youth more involved in art and is already planning an art show to display the work of seniors at Clinton High School.

"Art is great for children and young people," she said. "They do better in school when they have art. It saddens me that many schools have had to cut art programs. I want to get kids back doing art."

McDonald said art was a good way to keep youths "off the corners" and "out of trouble."

Collins said art builds self-esteem for children because they are making something with their own hands.

"It also builds self-esteem for adults," she said. "A lot of artists who are very talented have a very negative view of their work. The Art on Rotation Gallery is there to help them get over that. They have to get out there and show their work."