First Posted: 5/7/2015
DALLAS — Just inside the door of Verve Vertu is a kaleidoscope of colors. Art hangs on the walls, displays of journals, pillows, dolls, scarves and felt purses, beads and batiks hover near the front door.
That’s the small gift shop that helps raise funds for the gallery.
And just beyond are tables where magic happens.
Four days a week, artists gather and create. They share conversation and laughter. They concentrate on their work. It doesn’t matter that these are people with physical, emotional or behavioral struggles. They all are driven by a creative force that results in amazing artisan pieces. They welcome all into their world.
“Very often, people come in here for one reason and leave with another,” said Gwen Harleman, who helped get the program started and who manages the workshop and gallery.
By that, she means that often the artists themselves come in to learn a skill and find a place where they can not only work and find a creative outlet, but also make friends. Visitors may stop in to shop and they find one-of-a-kind pieces that cannot be bought in department stores or at the mall.
There is art from people like Sherry Pudim, of Exeter, whose mom gets her to the studio three times a week. She has a simple method of working.
“You look at the picture, and then you draw it,” she said.
Erin Dougherty, of Dallas, loves to paint in watercolors.
Selena Waters, of Clarks Summit, is a once-a-week artist, currently working on needle felting. But her specialty is adding her original-design artwork to canvas shoes.
Most of the “regulars” are adults – 18 years old and above – but the studio has hosted programs for all ages, usually from local schools.
“We invite groups from the community, adults as well as kids, to come in as well,” Harleman said. “Lots of people would love to learn how to paint something or how to do batik. We welcome all.”
Verve Vertu is an educational program to help people with challenges develop skills. It started several years ago in the Mary Stegmaier Mansion on South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre. Then it was moved to North Franklin Street. Just over a year ago, it found a new home on Main Street in Dallas.
The artists work in a variety of media – watercolors, pastels, felted wool, batiks. Depending on their skill levels, some work in beads to create original jewelry or put together quilted collages or weavings. They are able to sell their works in local festivals, like the Fine Arts Fiesta, to visitors to the gallery, to people who commission works and on the Verve Vertu shop on etsy.com.
“Our first international sale went to Denmark,” Harleman said. “We have pieces hanging in Ireland and England. One woman who was being deployed took one of our batiks to Afghanistan. Another person traveling to Tibet took mandalas and there are monks over there carrying our felted wool wallets.
“We’re not just a local operation any more,” she continued. “Our paintbrushes reach all over the world.”
Verve Vertu earns funds for operating expenses and supplies from sales of the artwork as well as the nominal “tuition” paid by the students for the program. It also gets help from donations, both in cash and art supplies, and by holding classes and offering meeting space for the community at large.
It’s easy to see the intensity of the work.
“Hi, I’m Richie,” said Richie Morgan, of Dallas, holding out his hand.
He was working on a drawing of his interpretation of a tiger, but stopped to give a tour of his artwork hanging in the gallery. Morgan specializes in pastels and proudly notes there are customers who actually collect his animal paintings.
As with all of the more than 30 artists in the program, he has tried his hand at a variety of skills.
April Cross, of Edwardsville, goes to the studio four times a week and “loves to come here.”
She specializes in dolls and mermaids. Although currently working on painting a deer’s head, complete with antlers – that sprouted buds and tiger lilies – she said the finished piece would be a batik.
“I’ll put wax on this and then scrunch it up to get that wrinkly look on the background,” she said. “They we’ll put it in dye. I don’t know what color I’ll use for the background yet. When I finish the deer, I’ll know.”
Victoria Brown, of Swoyersville, loves to work on mandalas, the colorful circular images with lots of detail.
“Sometimes I do felting,” she said. “But mandalas are my favorite. I love to put the moon in the middle.”
And Josh Schlagle, of Hanover, is currently doing a collage with a car.
“I like to paint,” he said. “Can you guess? Just look at my smock.” It was covered in spatters.
He kidded with rookie instructor, Patty Gembeling, who started with the program just after its move to Dallas.
“She’s not bad,” Schlagle said. “She does okay.”
Gembeling, of Lake Silkworth, smiled at her student. “I think I do a little better than okay.”
Gembeling graduated with an art degree, then “started to get into art therapy.”
“That’s as far as it went,” she said. “I used to work in watercolors. My husband used to tell me to get out the palette again but there never seemed to be enough time. But since I’ve started here, I’m getting excited about doing my art again. These kids really inspire me.”
The studio and gift shop are open Monday through Thursday, with extended hours on Wednesdays. Verve Vertu’s next public sale will be at the Fine Arts Fiesta in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
