BRISTOL — Pete Sutherland is well known as a folk musician and songwriter, but he is gaining recognition for his artwork in the genre of cut-paper collage. The WalkOver Gallery in Bristol will exhibit his collages from March 1-29, with an opening reception on Friday, March 8, from 5-7 p.m.
“I began exploring the cut paper collage medium about 10 years ago. It was then and remains still ‘art therapy’ for me,” said Sutherland. “I lack any formal training, having emerged from my last art class in eighth grade at the Shelburne Craft School, but the scissors and glue began to call me in 2001, and I have been growing a small but devoted following through an annual wall calendar that I produce.
“I love the recycling aspect of my medium,” he continued. “I use old books and magazines, and I do love a couple of ‘dollar bags’ from the tail end of a library’s book sale where they’re about to throw out oversize kids’ books in ratty condition. Color is my raison d’être for creating art; subject-wise I have been kind of wallowing in everyday rural Vermontiana and nostalgia but perhaps cartooning is where I’m headed eventually. I really like the low-key transformative power of this way of recycling too — when I can turn sea into sky, grass into trees, rocks into jean jackets.”
In addition to his annual wall calendar Sutherland has been commissioned to create portraits and CD cover art. He has had a number of exhibitions in northern Vermont over the past couple of years.
Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and weekends by appointment. For more information, call 453-3188, ext. 2.