March 2010 Art Walk

Mixed media collages by Cathy Parmelee

Mixed media collages by Cathy Parmelee are featured during March at the Juneau Artists Gallery. Parmelee is the newest member of the cooperatively run gallery, and will be available to discuss her work from 4:30 to 7 pm during the First Friday Art Walk on March 5.

Primarily a self-taught artist, Parmelee has stretched and grown her most of her artistic technical knowledge through the Internet art world. In addition to participating in several online workshops, she is extremely active on several artists’ trading sites. Her art has been published in Art Trader and in Somerset Studios’ Artful Blogging magazines.

Parmelee has held an interest in art since she was a child; however, it was not until about three years ago that she found the time and space to explore her inner artist. For the most part Parmelee creates collage and mixed-media pieces. She enjoys altering existing items and turning them into something new, and then adding elements to enhance the expression of her work.

Expression is key to Parmelee. She likes to create art that evokes some sort of emotion, and one she is most apt to target is laughter. Therefore, for the most part Parmelee’s style leans towards the whimsical and quirky. “I like art that makes people smile,” she said.

Catherine Parmelee has been an Alaskan resident since 1981; the past 19 years have been spent in Juneau. She is married and has three children.

The Juneau Artists Gallery features one or two of their over two dozen member artists each month and participates in the art walks held on the first Friday of the month. Everything in the gallery is made in Juneau by the gallery members, and available artwork includes paintings, photographs, prints, etchings, beaded and metal jewelry, art glass and stained glass, pottery, woodwork, fiber arts, and greeting cards. Located at 175 South Franklin Street in the Senate Building, the gallery is open from 11 am to 6 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, during the winter.