There is never a shortage of visual works to view in Chautauqua County, especially during the summer months when area galleries offer a variety of exhibits for interested visitors.
What follows are only a few of the many galleries with exhibits on display this spring and summer in Chautauqua County:
Fenton History Center - The music of yesteryear is on display at the Fenton History Center - both visually and aurally.
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Quirky, cartoon-like paintings of Star Wars characters are on display now at the Arts Council for Chautauqua County’s Wright Gallery. Entitled “Excessive Force,” the series by artist Gary Peters Jr. is scheduled to be exhibited through June 26.
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Entitled ''In The Mood: Big Bands In Chautauqua County,'' the museum exhibit will remain up through Sept. 19. The exhibit details the jazz-derived stylings of nationally touring big bands which performed locally in the 1920s and 1930s.
Coupled with the show posters are photographs from the time period, dress of the time period and details about the musicians, trends, styles and other happenings of the big band era. Photographs of dancers from the Crystal Ballroom, the Scandinavian Hall and the Hotel Jamestown are all on display.
The Fenton History Center is located at 67 Washington St. in Jamestown. For more information, visit www.fentonhistorycenter.org or call 664-6256.
James Prendergast Library Art Gallery - The James Prendergast Library has two art galleries, one which houses a permanent collection and another with a rotating series of exhibits by local and regional artists.
The Prendergast Library's permanent collection consists of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century paintings. The smaller gallery of changing exhibits offers nine shows each year of work in varied media such as paintings, ceramics, photography, sculpture, artist's books and miniatures. Some of the shows are by individual artists, and others feature the work of groups. Most exhibits run five weeks and open with a reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. There is no charge to view the exhibits, but donations are appreciated.
Presently, the exhibit at the Prendergast Library Art Gallery is "Mad Women and Immoral Wallpaper" by By Debra Eck. The exhibit will remain up through June 5.
Scheduled for June 26 through July 24 is "Sanscapes," collages by Sandra J. Ecklund. From July 31 through Sept. 4, the Prendergast Library will exhibit watercolors by Sara Lawrence Skillman.
The James Prendergast Library is located at 509 Cherry St. in Jamestown and can be reached by calling 484-7135. For more information and a complete schedule of upcoming exhibits, visit www.prendergastlibrary.org.
Patterson Library & Octagon Gallery - The Patterson Library's Octagon Gallery has 32 pieces by the Westfield Quilters Guild on display through May 29. The next show to be exhibited is entitled "Creative Couples" and will run from June 5 through June 30. According to Nancy Nixon, curator of the Octagon Gallery, exhibits tend to run monthly and in addition to bringing out-of-town artists to Westfield, a focus is also placed on local exhibits.
From July 3 through Aug. 7, the Octagon Gallery will feature an exhibit entitled "Westfield Revisited," a local show of paintings. From Aug. 14 through Sept. 25, the gallery will feature an exhibit entitled "Lincoln's Legacy" presented in partnership with the McClurg Mansion.
The Patterson Library and Octagon Gallery is located at 40 S. Portage St. in Westfield and can be reached by calling 326-2154.
Robert H. Jackson Center - The Robert H. Jackson Center has several exhibits presently on display, from the semi-permanent exhibit entitled "The Perpetrators" about Nazi war criminals to an exhibit on Albion Tourgee - a Mayville resident who in the late 1800s was the first attorney to defend a black man, in what became the famous Plessy vs. Ferguson case. According to Center officials, the Tourgee exhibit will only remain up for three more weeks. Additional exhibits and programming are planned for throughout the summer.
The Robert H. Jackson Center is located at 305 E. Fourth St. in Jamestown and can be reached by calling 483-6646. Tours are $4 for adults and free for children, with tour hours running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History - The two exhibits presently on display at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute have been extended, with Bill Portlock's "Nature Revealed" photography remaining up through May 17 and the Banff Mountain Photography Competition's winning images remaining up through May 24.
Portlock's photography series, entitled "Nature Revealed," is comprised of 40 images depicting various species and their environments. A total of 18 winning images are on exhibit as part of the Banff Mountain Photography Competition.
According to Jane Johnson, RTPI public relations and marketing for exhibits, June will bring a focus on Roger Tory's famous field guide - with all pieces to be exhibited coming from the Peterson collection. The exhibit will feature original paintings from the guide as well as commissioned works, limited edition prints, manuscripts, work books, equipment he used in the field and other sorts of artifacts.
The Roger Tory Peterson Institute is located at 311 Curtist St. in Jamestown and is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday hours are from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more about the Institute or its exhibits, visit www.RTPI.org or contact Jane Johnson by calling 665-2473 ext. 232.
Wright Gallery - Quirky, cartoon-like paintings of Star Wars characters are on display now at the Arts Council for Chautauqua County's Wright Gallery.
Entitled "Excessive Force," the series by artist Gary Peters Jr. is scheduled to be exhibited through June 26. If there is a theme running through series, Peters says "it's probably just ridiculousness.''
Known locally for his mural work and his weekly cartoon in the Chautauqua Region Word, Peters holds a bachelor's degree in fine arts from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Additionally, Peters is a member of Jamestown's local improv comedy troupe, the Unexpected Guests. Inspiration for the series, according to Peters, comes as much from his cartoons and comedy as it does Star Wars, which he first saw as a child at the drive-in.
Similar to seeing the movies for the first time, Peters' series takes the film's iconic characters and presents them in ways which might be unfamiliar and new to even the most die-hard fans. From Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi posed with alcoholic beverages to Luke Skywalker taking a swing at a pinata with his lightsaber, the paintings are colorful, light-hearted and cartoon-like.
The Wright Gallery is located in the Wright Conference Room, on the second floor of the Arts Council building at 116 E. Third St. in Jamestown. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the gallery is free. For more information, call 664-2465, ext. 209.
What: Cooper's Dog Days of Summer
When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: Cooper's Cyber Cafe, 100 E. Third St.
Individuals can have their picture taken with Cooper, participate in a contest and enjoy sandwich and drink specials.
For more information, call 338-0344.
* 0 miles from downtown
What: Douglas Ahlstedt Concert
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 410 N. Main St.
Cost: $ 20
Jamestown and Warren Concert Association season ticket holders will be admitted without charge. Tickets will be available at the door.
* 0 miles from downtown
What: Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy Wildflower Hike
When: 1:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: Spann family woods, 8322 Route 5/West Lake Road, Westfield
For more information, call 664-2166.
* 29.1 miles from downtown
What: Wild Wild West Night
When: 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Catholic Academy of the Holy Family, 1135 N. Main St.
For more information, call 483-3245.
* 1 mile from downtown
What: "Cinderella"
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: Lucille Ball Little Theatre, 18 E. Second St.
Cost: $20
As part of a Soles4Soul shoe drive, individuals are asked to donate gently worn shoes.
For more information, call 483-1095.
* 0 miles from downtown