Gallery Night: An Artful Summer Evening

July's Gallery Night might be the best one yet. If the weather's warm, you can enjoy strolls in the summer air as you travel from one venue to the next. And if you time it right, you can enjoy the sunset over the bay.

The Bayfront Gallery, open only in the summer months, offers the added bonus of being in the right place to watch one of Erie's treasured views. The sunset will be rivaled however, by the mini-retrospective of early and current works by local legend, V.J. Kaiser just inside the door.

Also on tap this night at the Erie Art Museum is Art of the Comic Book; InnovationErie: Design Competition 2015; Storm by Ian Brill; and Stories We Tell… by Kristin Cliffell. Clayspace will be on hand with pottery demonstrations and sales.

At Glass Growers Gallery, Three Voices in Pastel features the works of Pittsburgh artists Gail Beem, Karen Ferrick and Diane Grguras who celebrate the region's landscape in their paintings, as well as the ceramic works of Julia Weber entitled Efforescent.

Recent works in ceramics by Mark Nowak are in the spotlight at Allen Stoneware Gallery, and the works of Lena Logvina and Linda Daugherty will be at Lighthouse Jewelers in the same neighborhood. Logvina creates mosaics inspired by nature, folklore, and life; Daugherty's paintings focus on landscapes and flowers.

A must-visit is the Secret Squirrel, an arts cooperative and incubator at 3205 French St. Who could skip a place called the Secret Squirrel? It's currently showing It's a Spring Thing and Summer Daze, featuring a variety of Erie area artists and media.

Most venues service light refreshments to accompany the art, and artists will be in attendance at many venues. Visit three or more locations to have a chance to win a gift certificate to any of the participating galleries.                      

— Mary Birdsong

Hint:  Sunset on July 24 is at 8:48 pm.

7 to 10 p.m. // Free Admission // Various locations // erieartmuseum.org/events/gallerynight