- A new art space is opening at the Shops at 3900 Hamilton in Allentown
- The Laura Brady Gallery will host its ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23
- Brady will debut her newest collection of floral-inspired pieces during the reception
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A local artist is doing her part to tend to the blooming art scene in the Lehigh Valley.
Laura Brady will host a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at her gallery located at the Shops at 3900 Hamilton.
The reception starts at 1 p.m. and includes a tour of the gallery and a look at Brady’s newest collection, “Something Blue.”
A working studio, fine art space
The gallery will house Brady's contemporary collections and serve as a working studio where patrons can watch her work.
She also plans on hosting workshops led by local creatives such as sculptures and jewelers.
In recent months, Brady teamed up with Peak Potential Integrative Health to offer a "Wellness Through Art Program," a partnership that she hopes to continue in her new venue.
“I really want the gallery to be a platform for other artists to branch out,” Brady said.
“The art scene in the [Lehigh] Valley is growing. It’s becoming a much stronger network than it was in the past. There’s a lot of initiative and change and I see a lot of smaller artists becoming their own."
Floral art
Brady, a Kutztown University alum and longtime visual artist, worked for several years in the graphic design and marketing sectors.
Around 2015, she began drawing flowers using charcoal and pastels — and eventually switched to acrylic paint.
Her designs are inspired by the floral gardens that are nestled on one acre of her family's farm in New Tripoli.
“It’s a budding flower farm. We don’t sell them, but we have about an acre of land dedicated to rows of flowers like lavender and zinnias," Brady explained. “I feel when I’m growing the flowers and tending to them, it’s the same emotions when I’m painting them and I love to capture that feeling for other people too.”
Brady's "Something Blue" series is based on a cluster of hydrangeas she grew.
“When I’m painting, I tend to focus on the intensity of a flower to really magnify it, so you can see its beauty up close,” Brady said.
“The hydrangea itself is amazing. In each flower, there’s another flower. My new collection is a magnified study, so when you walk through, it is as if you are walking through a hydrangea bush.”
'Premium' space
Brady leased her new space in July after outgrowing a smaller studio located in Schnecksville.
“I love to interact with collections and find out how the art moves them,” she said. “Having a gallery storefront is such a different thing than a studio space and I'm very excited to have the public space and traffic.”
“I feel when I’m growing the flowers and tending to them, it’s the same emotions when I’m painting them and I love to capture that feeling for other people too.”Artist Laura Brady
Dubbed a “premium retail center,” she will share building space with shops like Talbots, Bixler’s Jewelers, Swartz Kitchen and Bath and Barre3 Studio.
In a second “informal” room, Brady will carry matted and framed prints of her paintings, along with journals and stationery.
She will also sell designs made by Pressed Bouquet Shop, a service owned by a local artist that presses and frames special blooms for its customers.
For info,click here.
