The History of FastFrame at Landfall Center

June 29, 2007: FastFrame Gallery opens its doors for its first show, Summer Colors, featuring 10 local artists. The weather for the opening was beautiful, allowing the door to be open and easels to be set up outside. Artists and art lovers mingled, enjoying the wonderful art as well as wine and appetizers. These are the artists who were in that very first show: M. Matteson Smith, Ginney Sceiford, Barbara Mullins, Diane McGee, Bates Toone, Bob Gera, Carol Hovey, Jan Lewis, Joan McLoughlin, Conrad Pope. The show was a great success and we felt very fortunate to be representing such talented people.

August 17, 2007: Celebration of Ordinary Times was a joint show featuring the legendary Wilmington artists, Deborah Cavenaugh and Ivey Hayes. This show was a joyous event, filling the gallery with the vivid, color-drenched images of these two extraordinary individuals.

November 9, 2007: Holiday Arts Experience Weekend was an interactive experience with artist demonstrations and an art table set up for children of all ages. It was a great experience to watch artists like Carol Hovey, Sally Bullers, Barbara Bear Jamison and Bob Gera with their easels and brushes creating amazing art on the spot. We had delicious holiday snacks from My Girlfriend’s Kitchen and hot apple cider. Yum!

January 24, 2008: Marshlands and Mountains, Flowers and Tea Sets featuring exquisite water colors by Carol Hovey. This was the first of our Evenings of Art and Wine. We joined together with WineStyles to offer an evening of fine wine and fine art. It was a big hit with our joint customers and friends. These shows turned out to be a favorite outing for chilly winter evenings.

For the next four months we hosted these wonderful Evenings of Art and Wine:

February 14 – RED HOT MOMMAS, featuring bold oils by Joan McLoughlin

February 28 - Visionary Art by Erika Lawrence. This show featured emerging artist Erika Lawrence and her richly colored visionary art.

March 13 – Canvas and Parchment: Seaside and Cityscape, Barbara Bear Jamison and Bob Gera. A show featuring the lush wide open oils of Barbara Jamison and Bob Gera’s stark yet seductive black and white images.

April 24, Earth and Sky: Sea and Stars, Sally Bullers and Conrad Pope. This show highlighted Sally Bullers’ vibrant nature inspired art and Conrad Pope’s spectacular aerial photographs of Wilmington.

May 22, Riding the Currrents of Life, Deborah Cavenaugh. Deborah Cavenaugh’s rich color palette makes these images of life on the water’s edge look dreamlike and inviting.

June 26, Blue Skies: Sparkling Water, Susan Dade and Joanie T. Kennedy. Both these accomplished artists paint images of familiar scenes of life along the Carolina coast.

Along the way Jody joined the Board of the Wilmington Art Association as the Outreach Person. Jody also began volunteering weekly at DREAMS Art Enrichment Center for young people. Both experiences have helped FastFrame become connected and part of our vibrant local arts community here in Wilmington.