Carmen's Gallery

You’ve been to Carmen’s Galley, haven’t you?  If you have, you know what a wonderful Gallery it is. If you have not gone, you really ought to spend some time there. Today, my wife and I toured the gallery because of a special demonstration by a pottery artist that Carmen’s is featuring.

 Ron Korczynski was painting a serving tray when we arrived. The tray featured a fish and was beautiful unfired, so I can hardly imagine what it will be like once completely finished.  Perhaps I don’t really have to guess completely, since so many of his amazing pieces were on display.

A sizable portion of his work is functional artwork. Trays and platters of brightly colored animals predominate, though there were tea pots, vases and some other works. The detail in the pieces are exceptional as you’ll see in a few of the photos.

I didn’t want to disturb Ron while he quietly worked, but he was chatting with a couple when we came in.  The travelers and Ron were talking about their native Pennsylvania and the condition of the roads and bridges. I gather Maryland has nothing on PA in terms of road hazards.

Mr. Korczynski is acclaimed nationally and internationally and has some works in museums.  Several of the art pieces seemed very reasonably priced given the workmanship that is put into every work. The quality of art you will see throughout Carmen’s Gallery is remarkable. The rooms of what once must have been a home are filled with exquisite art, some jewelry and what I might term “accessories.”  For example, one room on the lower floor included items made of cork fabric.  To my untrained eye these bags, wallets, purses, iPad covers and folio covers simply look like cork.  They are fabulous and incredibly light. 

No sooner is one finished (above) and another (below) is started.

The other artist currently featured is Larry Ringgold.  The Chesapeake native grew up around watermen and taught woodworking and carpentry. Sculpture using driftwood is a more recent passion. Ringgold’s large statue of a horse is outside of Carmen’s Gallery for all to admire as they walk by. A Heron and Balk Eagle are among the number of smaller pieces inside the gallery. You could spend hours just studying the compositions on display, or maybe buy one to study at home? Pictures of those works will wait for another day, as will some of Carmen’s feline companions that prowl the facility.

I hope you take some time to wander the gallery.  I’ll be back at some point to explore the latest featured offerings which do change over time.