Cranberry Artists Network to become a permanent fixture in municipal building
CRANBERRY TWP — The Cranberry Artists Network has always had a home in the Cranberry Township Municipal Center, which not only houses art from its artists, but also plays host to the group’s activities, like its monthly portrait group.
Soon, the Cranberry Artists Network will become a permanent fixture in the municipal center, by way of renaming a hall in the building after the group. The CAN Art Gallery hall is officially in the works in Cranberry Township.
“They have always displayed our art at the municipal building,” said Kathy Bischak, public relations chairwoman for Cranberry Artists Network. “Now we’ll have a hall that is dedicated to the network.”
According to Bischak, the township has always allowed the group to use its space, and it has become a hub for its activities in the 11 years the network has been functioning. She said the move to rename a portion of the interior after the network is another way the township is supporting artists in the region, and the nonprofit group.
“Very few places are this supportive of artists,” Bischak said of the Cranberry Township administration.
Cranberry Artists Network has a show running through the end of the month, which is on display at the municipal center. The “REFRESH” gallery is a members-only show, that is somewhat of an interlude show, between the group’s three regular galleries of the year. The gallery is set up in the part of the building that will soon be officially renamed CAN Art Gallery hall.
The show doesn’t have a theme — artists could submit whatever works they wanted — but Bischak said that its name came about when she was asking the other artists what the theme should be.
Bischak and Dianne Bauman, another member of the network, who lives in Zelienople, agreed that “refresh” was a good term for what the organization was going for with the show.
“It was to refresh the hallway,” Bischak said.
Bauman said that shows with an open theme let artists create works that appeal to them in the moment.
“You don’t always do a painting for a show, you do it for yourself and then you share it,” Bauman said.
In addition to the paintings and other art pieces that decorate the walls and display case at the municipal building, the group also hosts portrait group sessions on the first Tuesday of each month. The sessions are open for anyone to attend, and usually last about an hour, Bischak said.
“We get a pretty big group sometimes,” she said.
Some of the paintings and art pieces hanging on the walls of the municipal building are also for sale by the artists, and, Bischak said, artists who submit to the group’s galleries have moderate success in selling their work there.
“We sold about a dozen at Martinis with Monet,” Bischak said. “It’s a good place because it’s exposed to the public.”
Tina Fedko, communications director for Cranberry Township, said there are two spots being considered to be labeled the CAN Art Gallery in the municipal building, but the sign will be hung from the ceiling, like the signs that mark other locations there.
Fedko said the sign most likely will be displayed above the customer service area in the municipal building.
“It's definitely a collaboration between our tenants and our township,” Fedko said. “Even if they’re not officially tenants, they usually have art up and use our space.”
Bischak said she hopes the addition of an official “wing” named after the Cranberry Artists Network will help drive more people to the group, which allows anyone to join, even people who do not live in Cranberry Township. She said the signage will be prominent to people who regularly visit the township building.
“It’s a good place for it,” Bischak said. “You come pay your taxes and we’re right here.”
