Peterborough’s new Blue Fern Artists Collective Gallery at 40B Main St. (formerly occupied by Grey Horse Candles), will have a grand opening and ribbon-cutting on Friday, Sept. 5, from 6 to 8 p.m.
“It has been about a year getting this together, and we’re just thrilled it is finally happening,” said Deborah Caplan, one of the founders of Blue Fern.
The gallery had a soft opening during the Aug. 8 Night Market in Peterborough.
Artwork for sale at Blue Fern Gallery includes paintings, drawings, collage, multimedia, ceramics, felting, jewelry, leather work and photography.
“We have 18 artists, and we’re trying to be as eclectic as possible,” Caplan said. “Right now we only have two photographers, and if we take a third, they would have to have a very different look from the photographers we have now. We are really looking to have a lot of variety. We’re currently working for another ceramicist. Everyone does something a little differently.”
Many artists in the collaborative, including Caplan, who creates line drawings of homes and buildings, will do custom and commission work as well.
Blue Fern Gallery is collaboratively owned and run by the 18 artists in the collective.
“What that means is each artist has a nonrefundable buy-in and pays monthly dues, which cover the overhead for the gallery. Each artist sits two shifts a month in the gallery, so we have no employees,” Caplan said.
Artists in the Blue Fern Collective receive 82% of profits from any sales, with the collective receiving 18%.
“It is more typical that a gallery would take 40% or 50% of sales, because usually a gallery is paying the overhead and paying for staff, but because it’s shared, the artist can take home most of their sales,” Caplan said.
Blue Fern Gallery is partnering with MAXT Makerspace to showcase work by Makerspace artists and makers, including woodworkers, ceramics and jewelry.
“They’ll curate their own space and have their own room. We’re working on getting that all ready now,” Caplan said.
According to Caplan, once the gallery is fully up and running, the next step will be to bring events and lectures into the space.
“The plan is to host classes, art history lectures, conversations, maybe poetry readings – we’re not sure yet. The plan is to get the community further involved,” Caplan said.
The gallery also plans to use the alley outside on some occasions for evening events.
“It’s a public throughway during the day, but with some planning, at night, we will be able to occasionally block off that space for our own events or to take part in things going in in the community,” Caplan said.
The collective started with a group of artists who met for a year to get Blue Fern off the ground, including Caplan, Christine Andrews, Barbara Danser, Soosen Dunholter, Liz Knight, Steve Lipofksy, Laurie McGowan, Susan Olsen, Kate Shaffer and Roberta Woolfson.
“It was my idea originally to get this going, and the first person I spoke to about this idea was Pelagia Vincent. I said, ‘There is so much talent around here, there are so many artists , wouldn’t it be great to have a cooperative artists gallery?’ And immediately, Pelagia said, ‘I’ll help you!'” Caplan said. “She’s been on the board since day one.”
Caplan says the collective could expand to 20 or 22 members depending on the what type of art they create and how much space is required.
Of the original artists involved with creating Blue Fern, several had to step back just as the collective took over the space at 40B Main Street in June.
“Then we were down to maybe five or six people, and we were wondering, should we make a go of it? My feeling was, yes, we have enough people. So we did some outreach, and by the end of July, we were up to 18 people,” Caplan said. “Most of our original people who had to step back are still helping in so many ways, and we’re thinking a few of them will come back when they can.”
“We’re getting a little tight for 2D art, and we have a wait list for that, because we only have so much wall space, but we do have more space for 3D art,” Caplan said. “What we’re doing now is trying to figure out what’s missing. We have a weaver coming in, we’re looking at some woodworking.”
Artists currently on display at Blue Fern are Caplan, Joe Caracappa, Joan Cunningham, Miriam Dunn, Donlin and Jaya Lord Foreman, Susan Garry, Terry Govan, Carole Gourvellec, Jackie Griswold, SueAnn Hum, Grace Kerr, Summer Langille, Amy McGregor-Radin, Pamela Miller, Jan Reiss, Sue Roston, Sophie Sanders and Victoria Tkaczevski.
“This has truly been a group effort, and it’s really been a labor of love,” Caplan said.
For information, go to blueferngallery.com. Blue Fern Gallery is also on Facebook and Instagram.
