BERLIN – A local merchant hopes to highlight area artists by bringing an Arts Night to Manklin Station.
On Tuesday, April 7, Joyce Landsman will host Arts Night at Dazzle. The new event is designed to feature the work of several of the artists who have pieces in her Ocean Pines store.
“People will be able to purchase whatever they see and the artists will take requests,” Landsman said.
Landsman, who opened Dazzle in the Manklin Station shopping center last fall, says she came up with the concept of an arts night as a way to bring attention to the work of local artists. While she has several pieces of art — ranging in size and material — on display in her shop, it can get overlooked as customers are drawn in by the array of other items for sale.
“We have so much merchandise it makes it tough to see what there is to do them justice. The people I have are terrific,” she said.
And so on April 7 from 4-7 p.m. Landsman will rearrange the shop to provide five local artists with space to work and display their wares. Customers will be offered refreshments as they browse.
“Each artist will have an area where they’ll be painting,” Landsman said.
Well-known artist Jim Adcock will be present, showcasing his paintings that bring iconic pieces and places of Delmarva to life. Dot Parks, previously known as D.M. Addis, is known locally for the murals she’s painted. She’ll have her acrylic paintings, many of which have been done “plein air,” on display.
“She does a lot of the wetlands area,” Landsman said.
Salisbury artist Myrna McGrath will also be featured. She’s known for her paintings of the Eastern Shore and the unique maps of the Chesapeake Bay she’s drawn.
“It’s unbelievable,” Landsman said of McGrath’s map work.
For those with an interest in “wearable art,” Marcia Cupschalk will be in attendance with the jewelry she makes. Watercolor artist and local realtor Bev Wisch will also be present with some of her work.
“I think they’re all very talented,” Landsman said. “They utilize the area. They try to capture the Eastern Shore.”
If the Arts Night on April 7 is a success, Landsman hopes to make the event a regular occurrence at her Ocean Pines shop. She operated a store in downtown Berlin — where shops are open late the second Friday of each month for an art stroll — for a number of years and knows how appreciated events centered on the arts can be.