Full Circle Galleria, owned by
Kent and Cindy Palmer, is now open at 845 E. Johnson Street, part of the
growing informal community of arts-related businesses near the Paterson-Johnson
Street corner. Full Circle is open 10-8 weekdays, 10-7 Saturday and 10-6
Sunday. Kent, who is himself an artist, has filled his little store with a
truly amazing array of creations focusing on the theme of reusing and recycling
raw materials. Some of the work is his and Cindy's, and some is by other
artists working in an extremely eclectic and surprising variety of materials.
Sure to be popular are Kent's bat
houses built of reclaimed lumber, as well as one-of-a-kind shower curtains of
colorful vinyl from highway billboards. Kent and Cindy make and sell shopping
bags from burlap bags that once held EVP's coffee, as well as a series of
envelopes, cards, and journals of reclaimed paper. They have other similarly
creative clothing, jewelry, and household items with new pieces appearing all
the time. I particularly liked their little series of picture-hooks made of old
knives and forks, as well as a small selection of personal adornment pieces
fashioned from black inner tube and shiny metal studs.
The store is now showing pieces by
potter Ric Lamore of Cambridge, some fired a wood-fired kiln. His one-of-a-kind
table settings are on display along with larger pottery items for the garden.
Full Circle Galleria's art curator is Anthony Jones, who will select and
display monthly shows. Kent does not want to limit Full Circle to visual arts,
so he carries a selection of CDs by local musicians and poetry from Premiere
Generation Ink (who also sponsor poetry readings up the street at Speed Jump).
Live music on weekends is in the works.
I was impressed not only with the
creativity and energy at Full Circle Galleria but also with the extensive
networking in evidence. Almost by serendipity the 800-900 blocks of Johnson
Street are becoming a nexus for local arts of all kinds, and this is only the
latest business to arrive and pick up the theme. Is Tenney-Lapham becoming
Madison's arty neighborhood?
-Mary
Pulliam
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Summer 2003 Table of Contents