VERGENNES — Bixby Memorial Library in Vergennes announces an exhibition of new works by Ripton artist and teacher Jean Cherouny. The show, titled simply “OPEN,” begins on Friday, Aug. 28, with a reception, demonstration and chances for audience participation.  All are invited to the opening, from 5-7 p.m, part of Vergennes’ monthly summer Arts Walk. Just drop in, or plan to view the entire five-act performance.
Cherouny is an artistic innovator, perhaps best known for her 2008 series of paintings created by literally skating across her canvases with roller-blades as her paintbrush. Always open to new ideas and influences, she was recently inspired by multi-media “maker” events at the Prague Quadrenniale, during her time at the Czech Republic’s Studio Bubec independent cooperative in Prague. The opening will feature different aspects of Cherouny’s work and the maker sensibility, which combines traditional art genres with other crafts, from cooking to carpentry.
The demonstration, which will be captured on video for later viewing and broadcast, rolls out in five acts, each with opportunities for audience members of all ages to get involved in art-making. Act 1 features the color and taste of late summer fruits and vegetables, and as a bonus will provide tasty bits for the audience to share. Act 2 uses another foodstuff, cocoa powder, as an art material that can be painted on paper (and on volunteer faces) in different rich shades of chocolate. 
Act 3 takes natural materials including dried flowers and vegetation, bird feathers, and insect wings, as the basis for assemblages and prints. Act 4, in the spirit of Robert Frost’s poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” explores the glory and ephemerality of natural beauty. Last, Act 5 will use the golden sweetness of honey to make a connection between art and nature.
Admission is free. Bixby Memorial Library is at 258 Main St. in Vergennes. For more information, call 877-2211.