Summer fun at OFFCenter and Downtown Grower's Market :)

Summer is in full swing at OFFCenter with our new Saturday 10am- 2pm hours, coinciding with the dates of the Downtown Grower's Market. You can find great OFFCenter art and support your local artists at the OFFCenter table at the Downtown Grower's Market at Robinson Park (just across the street from OFFCenter) every Saturday morning from 7 - 11 am this summer. Then after 10 am you can come across the street to create your own art too! OFFCenter... Make Art, Buy Art, Meet New Friends!

OFFCenter at the Downtown Grower's Market

Yeehaw! OFFCenter will have a booth this year, every Saturday, at the Downtown Grower's Market.

We'll be selling our great one-of-a-kind quirky handmade crafts, recycled and repurposed goodies for your home, and gifts for your loved ones. As usual, a huge chunk of the selling price goes right back to our artists, so you know you are supporting our mission -- which is to provide economic development opportunities for emerging community artists.

Stop by and say hello when you go the market.

Here's the where and when of it all:

2010 Opening Day entertainment by Joe Daddy & the Fat Cats/ Higher Ground Bluegrass.
Jun 5, 2010 (and every Saturday through October!)
7:00 to 11:00am

Robinson Park 8th & Central S.W.Albuquerque, NM 87102

(right across from OFFCenter!)

June First Friday Coffeehouse with Jasper!

Friday, June 4

Come listen and dance to the popular eclectic rock and roots band trio JASPER.

JASPER features Frank McCullough III on electric guitar and banjo, Terry Bluhm on stand-up bass, and Jefferson Voorhees on drums and percussion. All three members contribute vocals.

Special guest: Singer/songwriter George Page

~Singer-songwriter Bonnie Bluhm hosts.
~Doors open at 5 pm. Music starts 6 pm and ends about 8:30pm.
~Ongoing art exhibit is SHELTER.
~Admission is free and coffee and refreshments will be available.
~The OFFCenter Art Shop will be open featuring the work of over 100 local folk artists.

All ages welcome! A community art making table will be set up for you and your family to make art throughout the evening. See you there! Big Fun Tonight!!

A Pass The Hat Production.

A Heart Day's Night -- Valentine Art Sale

MAKE ART ~ BUY ART ~ MEET NEW FRIENDS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday, February 7
10am -- 2pm

Come visit OFFCenter's
Annual Valentine's Day Gift Sale
featuing a dozen of OFFCenter's studio artists.

Stop by and pick out some special artwork for that special someone!

Last Call for Holiday Gift Shopping!

OFFCenter studio and gift shop will remain open on Tuesday, Dec. 22 and Wednesday, Dec. 23. After that, the studio will close for a two-week holiday break, opening again on Tuesday, Jan. 5.

Did you know that 80% of your purchase price goes right back to the artist who produced it? Yes, it does. Did you know that the 20% retained by OFFCenter goes right back into open studio opportunities for other emerging artists? Yep. So your purchase helps the OFFCenter community sustain our mission of providing economic development opportunities for local emerging artists, some of whom could really use that 80% commission at this time of year!

Now is your almost-last chance to purchase holiday gifts for the unique, edgy, cozy, community-loving, quirky, fan of handmade and recycled art and craft person in your life. (Maybe that person is you!)

Our gift shop features original paintings, assemblage, tin work, beadwork, brooches, earrings, purses, altered and recycled household items, along with brilliant and quirky creations by emerging artists from all around our community. We also sell lots and lots of handmade greeting cards in a variety of styles.

Lots of wonderful artists are represented in our shop, including the highly collectible work of Mark Garcia, Marcia Sednek, and Joey Goss. We still have a couple of small paintings on wood by Jesse Reno and of course we have a variety of our studio-produced OFFBags, our sturdy & stylish market bags made of recycled plastic.

Won't you find some time to stop by this Tuesday or Wednesday? And thank for all of your support throughout the year, too.

Take OFF! with your OFFBag (c)

Shopping ~ Travelling ~ For Work or Play~

Every OFFBag is totally unique, made with recycled materials,
lovingly gathered by OFFCenter artists.

You can get your unique OFFBag in Albuquerque and Santa Fe:

OFFCenter Shop 505-247-1172

808 Park Ave SW ~ 8th & Central SW Downtown ABQ

Mama's Minerals 505-266-8443

1100 San Mateo NE at Lomas ~ Ace Courtyard, ABQ

Earthprints

100 E. San Francisco at La Fonda Hotel, Santa Fe

Visit OFFCenter for edgy, cool, handmade & affordable gifts

First Friday Coffeehouse and Bonnie's Birthday Bash

COME TO THE PARTY!!

Have you been to a First Friday at OFFCenter lately? There is a big one coming up... This Friday, December 4, 2009 come celebrate OFFCenter's Anniversary and Bonnie Bluhm's birthday bash and the Holiday Gift Show at our December First Friday Coffeehouse. OFFCenter's unique gift shop is chock full of locally made art and you never know what handmade treasure you'll find there! There will also be great music and some fun snacks to enjoy - Join the party from 5-8:30 pm!

Sharie's Studio Journal: Twinklelight Parade

Greetings: Well the holiday season is upon us again--The stores have all their Christmas decor out, everyone is shopping or planning their shopping trips and lists and just generally getting ready for Thanksgiving and the Friday Sales in all the malls etc. OFFCenter is preparing to help out in this area. We have work shops coming up to help relieve the stress and pressure so watch the calendar and join our family friendly gift making workshops and wrapping paper and gift bag making workshops in the coming weeks. Again watch the calendar for the dates and c'mon down and join in the fun and spirit of the season.

An OFFCenter potluck Thanksgiving meal will be shared with and by artists and friends of OFFCenter this coming Wednesday November 25 from 1 til 6 PM. Join us with your favorite dish and what you are thankful for this year.

I am thankful for the opportunity to have been involved in the creation of OFFCenter and to still be an active participating artist. I cannot even think of how different my life would be without this organization and the many opportunities to explore my creative side. Today was one such opportunity--Several of us created canvas banners to be displayed on the sides of a float for RANA (Raynolds Addition Neighborhood Association) in the upcoming TwinkleLight Parade. The Parade will be this coming Saturday November 28 at 5:15pm traveling from Central and 3rd St. to the Botanical Gardens. Washington Middle School students are participating by playing mariachi music and singing carols on the float and a WMS dance troupe will even follow the float along with other RANA neighbors. This is one more way that we at OFFCenter build our community involvement and get support from and give support to the neighborhood. Those of us that worked on these banners had a great time together getting better acquainted with each other as well as meeting new friends as they joined us in the creation of the banners (see photos)

I look forward to seeing you in the studio in the coming days and weeks as the holidays approach. Happy and safe Thanksgiving to you all---Sharie

The OFFBag

Hello all OFFCenter folks! Yesterday I was OFF to do errands on my bike wearing my handy dandy OFFbag! It was perfect to hold whatever I was hauling OFF to the post office, etc. - and its diagonal strap keeps it from falling OFF my shoulder! Are you OFF to town with your OFFbag? I hope so! See all the new available OFFbags at OFFCenter, new sizes too!

"Art on Park Av" Support OFFCenter Artists

Every Saturday Morning, 8:00 am to 11:00 am
in the OFFCenter parking lot
8th & Central
across from Robinson Park and the Grower's Market

FINE ART CRAFTS JEWELRY CLAY

TEXTILES GLASS WATERCOLORS

PHOTOGRAPHY MORE

OFFCenter artists sell their original creations every Saturday, now through the end of October.

OFFBags - the hottest thing in recycled fashion

Above, Molly models an OFFBag portfolio constructed of recycled plastic bags and packaging.

Be on the breaking edge of the OFFBag fashion movement! Stop by and see our current selection of OFFBags on display in the OFFCenter Shop.

The OFFBag Exclusively at OFFCenter

Here's a sturdy, recycled market bag developed by OFFCenter for OFFCenter -- and for you!
Drop by the studio to see what's in stock. They go too quickly to photograph each one . . .

Marcie models a medium sized OFFBag.

These market bags are so roomy and unique -- made almost exclusively ofrecycled plastic bags by a few of our studio artists. Prices range from $30 to $40 and we're selling these bags almost as quickly as we can make them.

Marcie tells me that it takes 100 years for ONE of the plastic bags in this OFFBag to break down. That's why so much of our art at OFFCenter is recycled -- we want to reduce, reuse, and raise funds for OFFCenter!

Recognition of OFFCenter Artists

Sharie's Studio Journal

The May issue of the NewMexico Magazine there is an acticle under Unique Boutique entitled Great in the Sack. The article is about a variety of handbags created by several New Mexican artist but on page 69 OFFCenter's own Lisa Page and her vintage necktie purses are spotlighted. Check it out and check out her purses available in the OFFCenter Gift Shop. You Go Girl!! CONGRATULATIONS !!!!

Sharie

In Case You Missed Steve White

Sometimes things happen pretty fast around here! We didn't even get a chance to warn you, oops we mean INVITE you to local folk artist Steve White's "The Orange Show" today. He even played with the Pez Theatre! So the least we can do is show you Steve in his Pez Coat. Click the photo to visit Steve's Flickr gallery. (You'll find the Pez Theatre there). Available for performances near you. :-) And you can now find Steve's website, The Folk Farm, in our list of "Friends of OFFCenter." (look left...)

(Note: See Steve's great repurposed Pez's for sale in the gift shop.)

Holy Water & Whiskey at First Friday Coffeehouse!

Bonnie Bluhm hosts:

HOLY WATER & WHISKEY

Albuquerque's Premiere Old-Timey Folk Trio

June 5, 2009 ~ 5-8 PM

Music Starts @ 6 PM

• Coffee & Refreshments
• Check out our one-of-a-kind Art Shop and our current exhibit, "Shelter."

FREE EVENT! A Pass the Hat Production!

Always Unique Gifts in the Shop

We don't want to brag, but we were recycling-for-art before it was cool, bending metal, repainting canvas, reviving afghans and making stuffed animals out of cut up sweaters.

Many Albuquerque residents and visitors come to the gift shop knowing they'll get a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted item for someone special, and that our emerging artists benefit from the very high commissions they keep on sales.

Where else are you going to find a coat rack made of high heeled shoes or a wall vase of rusted nail flowers? At OFFCenter, you'll find very special work by very special people. Like this composition made from bottle caps and cans, by Jill Cooper.

Art by Jesse Reno for Sale

Did you know that Jesse Reno submitted three paintings to OFFCenter's Gift Shop before he returned to Portland? One of them has sold. Another, a small painting of a lovely green creature can be glimpsed in this video (about 53 seconds in...) at YouTube:



Thank you Jesse! To inquire about the paintings, feel free to call, or drop by the studio/gift shop to have a look.

. . .

Heart Day's Night Gift Sale Photos

Here are just a few of OFFCenter's studio artists who set up for a special Valentine's Day Sale on Sunday, Feb. 8:

Sharon sold sweetly scented heart-shaped sachets.

OFFCenter founder Janis Timm-Bottos, visiting from Canada,
shops with Susan of House of Tische.

Sherri's recycled purses are always a hit.

Breeze Wise and Clancy Francis share a booth and a smile.

Kathleen Schweitzer's booth was chock full of her
greeting card line and paper crafts.

Marion proudly displays one of her handmade altar cloths.

...and Jude charmed us with romantic piano music.

Holiday Gift Making Night at OFFCenter

Photo by Krisdecurtis

Holiday Gift Making Night

Wednesday, December 17th

5-8pm

OFFCenter Arts Studio

808 Park Ave. SW

Our traditional night of coming together and creating unique holiday gifts and decorations

Several artists will demonstrate projects. Bring your family and help generate some holiday warmth

This event is "free." call for more information 505.247.1172