Alliance Art Gallery to celebrate 20-year anniversary with event on Saturday

HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Alliance Art Gallery will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a special anniversary opening reception from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14. Drawings will be held throughout the evening, and artist talks are at 6 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

The business was founded in 2003 by Toto and Charles Rendlen and Anita Sorrell in the old bank building on Main and Center. The gallery is in its third location at 121 N. Main and is owned and operated by 19 local artists.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary, each of the 20 member artists have decorated a piece of ceramic “birthday cake.” These keepsake boxes will be given away to 20 patrons in a free drawing conducted from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Winners must be present to win their piece of the “cake.”

October’s featured member artist is Mary Ann Brinkley, who joined the gallery in 2007. Her art reflects her love and fascination for nature in both 2D and 3D forms. Brinkley says she returned to seriously creating her artwork after moving to St. Louis and has continued to do so since moving to Hannibal more than 20 years ago. Brinkley’s newest works contain actual seed pods and wood shavings and her latest paintings of trees.

The gallery welcomes Claire Hasemeier as the October guest artist. She will be bringing jewelry pieces that are an integration of fiber, metal and color. Cotton threads are hand-knotted using micro-macrame and cavandoli techniques and combined with metal that has been torched, hammered, patinaed and/or enameled. Textile inks and embroidery are added for depth and texture.

Hasemeier lives in Elsberry and has a bachelor’s degree in art. She is a juried member of Best of Missouri Hands in jewelry. Hasemeier owns Blue Quail Design and has work in several galleries.