Behind The Scenes :: Opening Day
While the Granary Gallery is open for visitors year-round, sister galleries Field and North Water are mostly closed in the off-season, and tasked with readying their spaces each spring for company. Here, Field Gallery manager Jennifer Pillsworth and North Water manager Robin Nagle give us a sneak peek at what it’s like to dust off old friends and welcome new additions every spring.
North Water Gallery open for business in Edgartown.
Both Field and North Water open for the summer season each year in early May. What’s it like coming back into the space after being away?
Robin: There’s a lot of updating windows and planting spring flowers in the urns out front. Unpacking all of the boxes of new artwork that arrives each day feels like Christmas!
Jennifer: We put on fun music, paint the walls, rake out all the gardens, clean the fountain, wash all the furniture. It’s a lot of work, but one of the best parts of working at the gallery. It’s a little like opening your house for the season- minus the laundry!
This year due to COVID 19 things will be a little different. In place of our traditional artist cocktail receptions, we will celebrate our artists online with a '3D Virtual Gallery Tour' of their new work - you can view from the comfort of your home! Find the tours on each of the Gallery’s websites as well as a complete catalog of our artists work.
In with the new at Field Gallery.
What do you most look forward to about opening each season?
Jennifer: I’m most excited about the new work that’s arriving. We went on a buying trip to New York City this winter and found some wonderful home goods to compliment the artwork in our space.
Robin: Seeing customers that return every year. And coming back to Edgartown is always a treat for me. I love walking by Murdick’s fudge, the guys in there always have the biggest smiles. It makes me happy to be back.
Good times at North Water!
Which new artists or work are you excited about showing this season?
Jennifer: We have such a great family of artists - Susie White, Jennifer Christy, Traeger di Pietro, Jean Jack, Gwen O’Neil, Anne Salas, Jean Jack, James Carter, Tommy May, jeweler Kenneth Pillsworth and Rachael Cassiani just to name a few. New artwork, jewelry and home goods are arriving literally every day.
Robin: I’m excited about all of it. Art is never the same, even when it’s the same subject.
Any opening day rituals?
Jennifer: The girls get a bath! All of the sculptures, inside and out, get scrubbed. We like them to be sparkling clean in time for their debut: Memorial Day Weekend.
Sparkly clean!
Thanks, Robin and Jennifer! Cheers to a great summer season.
