Clayton Oxford Furniture

Durham’s own sustainable furniture manufacturer Clayton Oxford is coming to LabourLove! Clayton Oxford designs and builds sculptural wooden pieces mixing handcrafted quality with an earth friendly conscience as a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council. Come see some his newest creatations. Visit www.Clayton Oxford.com for a preview.

“Progression or Recession?”

In the month of April, LabourLove Gallery continues it’s most succesful show yet with artists Luke Miller Buchanan, Michael Mills, Jenifer Padilla and Jeff Bell. The artist explore the abandoned spaces and objects left by people that have either moved on to newer and better things or have vacated due to economic hardships.

Luke Miller Buchanan, back by popular demand, created quite a following when he showed with LabourLove back in May 2009. His works are true to the local scene, in fact, Luke found inspiration for this series in Goldsboro, Durham, Asheville and Raleigh. Luke is a graduate of North Carolina State University and will be in the summer issue of New American Paintings magazine for his work that he showed with us in May.

Luke Miller Buchanan

Michael Mills is a photographer with a MFA from Parsons School of Design, NY. He currently lives and works in Chapel Hill. Michael will be showing work from his series “Vacancies” and “Carolina.”

Michael Mills

Jenifer Padilla is a graduate of the North Carolina State University College of Design and has studied at the California College of Arts and Crafts in San Francisco, Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice, Italy and La Llotja Escola d’Art in Barcelona, Spain. Jenifer will be presenting a new series of work that incorporates her passion for things left behind at an old Port in Wilmington, NC. You may also recognize her name from one of the whimsical sculptures held in the flower gardens at the Museum of Life and Science.

Jenifer Padilla

And last but certainly not least, Jeff Bell will have a few of his innovative sculptures on display that are derived from found objects. Jeff is a MFA graduate from UNCG. His work is focused on gathering preexisting objects, deconstructing them and then creating sculptures from those elements. The materials Jeff works with come from everyday things, and his references are to other commonplace objects and to popular culture.

Jeff Bell

Come out and enjoy the beautiful spring weather with all the Artists at Golden Belt and LabourLove Gallery!

Saturday & Sunday, April 17th-18th @ 6:00 pm – 9 pm

Durham ArtWalk

Durham ArtWalk is coming! April 17 & 18 beginning @ 10 am and going until 5pm! Come out to Golden Belt and visit the artists and LabourLove Gallery! Kelly will have her work on display for the weekend along with artists Luke Miller Buchanan, Jenifer Padilla, Jeff Bell and Michael Mills for the current show, “Progression or Recession?”.

And if that is not enough selection for you, we still have Lori Vrba’s photographs. Lori recently returned from the 2010 FotoFest in Houston, TX with rave reviews! Now is the time to buy her work, she has shows landing upcoming shows in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Houston. This is your last chance to buy her work in Durham before it moves on! If you’ve been thinking about her photos, act now because you’ll never have another chance to purchase her work at these prices.

So spring clean and make room for some Art! It is one of the best investments you will make this year! Investment meaning that it will actually appreciate in value once it leaves the place you bought it!

Friday, April 30th @ 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm

The LabourLove Art Party hosted by Kelly Dew and Molly McKinley – Nature Theme

Kelly Dew will bring her southern accent and art skills to the easel for another fun filled art class. We’ll supply the materials and a little wine to loosen things up. You can bring some nature themed inspiration and a creative spirit. Make it a date night or a girls night out. Only 20 seats available for $25 including materials. You’ll take home you own masterpiece!

Come support Clean Energy Durham, LabourLove Gallery and a team of students from the Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham working hard to get an “A” on their project!

Sponsored by  The Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham,  Ciao Water and The Cotton Room

Painting by Kelly Dew and Porter Pelphrey

Friday, March 12 @ 7:00 pm – 11 pm
at Golden Belt
807 E Main St., Downtown Durham

AIRD students Kate Holland, Kayleigh Dixon, Sarah Murphey, and Hershey Crawford are holding an event on Friday, March 12th on Golden Belt Campus, Downtown Durham at 7pm.   Come collaborate with us within an environment of art, music, food, drinks, and friends! Come view amazing artist, Kelly Dew, and her works as well as support environmental awareness with Ciao water and Clean Energy Durham!

Kelly Dew is the co-owner and creative director of Labour Love Gallery. She is a graduate and Presidential Scholar from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she studied painting. The work will feature a collaboration piece with the students which will be silent auctioned, a series of five paintings Kelly completed with her two year old son, Porter, and more. 20% of all profits for everything sold in the gallery during the weekend will go to Clean Energy Durham.

Food will be provided by the AIRD culinary program’s The District at 410, and a cash bar provided by The Cotton Room.

Ciao Water will be giving out samples of their fully biodegradable bottled water. You read that right – a fully biodegradable plastic bottle.

Acoustic music in an open mic format will be performed by area musicians. There’s even a rumor that the other half of LabourLove, John Pelphrey, might get behind the mic for a couple of songs.

This event is free of charge and open to the public, so bring your friends and support local art, the students, and an environmental cause all at the same time!

Friday, January 8 @ 12:20 pm to 12:40 pm

Kelly and John will be on the RADIO!!!

Coverage Map so you can Tune In

“The State of Things with Frank Stasio” on WUNC sent us an email this morning with the subject line, “Would you like to be on the radio?”  My first instinct was to throw it in the JUNK folder thanks to my years of experience in the techie world.  One of the cardinal rules of email spam is – if you don’t who its from and the subject sounds to good to be true, its probably junk.  Against my better judgement, I opened it, and there was an invitation from the senior producer of TSOT.  I quickly hit the REPLY button, and said YES! When?  A few minutes passed.  Then a response.  ”This Friday from 12:20 pm to 12:40pm.  I’ll call you tomorrow with details.”  So, tune in people. You never know what’s gonna come out of Kelly’s mouth.  (sshhhh… she’s a little nervous.)

Also, we have a HUGE announcement that we’re going to make live on the air.  Let’s just say that LabourLove and it’s artists will have some new walls to cover in a very prominent Durham location in the coming months.

Lori Vrba

Lori Vrba

We’re very excited to introduce Lori Vrba to North Carolina.  She moved to the Triangle with her family a few years ago, and she’s been quietly building an international resume right in our back yard.

2009 was a breakout year for Lori.  She recently finished a solo show at the prestigious Lishui Photo Festival in China, and participated in group shows in London, New York, Colorado, and Atlanta among others during the year.  Her “Safekeeping” series won her critical acclaim at the Photo Alliance Review in San Francisco, and  the Atlanta Celebrates Photography Review. She was also featured in the magazines “Shots,” “Burn,” and “File.”  If you want some local approval to go along with the rest, one of her pieces won Best in Show at The Arts Center in Carrboro in the summer.

We’re giving you two opportunities to meet her in person.  The first is an intimate dinner at LabourLove where she will give a brief talk on her work.  The second will be during our Third Friday opening reception.

If you’ve been thinking about diving into collecting art and photography, now is the time, and Lori is the artist to invest in.  Small prints in extremely limited editions start at just $300 so you can afford to fill your portfolio.  If you’re a more seasoned collector, you’ll recognize the opportunity all on your own.  Just come and see for yourself.

Thursday, January 14 @ 7:00 pm

Dinner with the Artist – Lori Vrba

Lori Vrba

An intimate dinner with Lori will be prepared for you at LabourLove by our dear neighbors from Triangle Catering, the proprietors of Durham’s premier event venue The Cotton Room at Golden Belt, and the recent winners of a NACE Golden Whisk Award.

Chef Dodd Aldred is regionally renown for his custom menus based on the theme of each event.  For our dinner, he created a three course meal featuring Curried Pumpkin Soup for an appetizer; Apple & Herb stuffed Chicken with Red Wine Cherry Sauce served over Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus for the main course; and Sacher Torte for desert.  A vegetarian option is available that includes Vegetarian Wellington with Green Asparagus, Mushrooms, and Bleu Cheese Cream served with Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes in lieu of the chicken.

The dinner will include two glasses of wine, and a cash bar will be available throughout the evening in case you get thirsty.  Seating is extremely limited to 40 people at $50 per plate.

Each guest will receive a limited edition 8 page booklet that includes the artist’s statement for Safekeeping, a short bio and resume, and several small photos.  The booklet is only available to dinner guests, and it will certainly be a treasured keepsake as we watch Lori’s career grow in the years ahead.

Contact us at (919)-373-4451 to make your reservation today! Or send us an email at  contact@labourlove.com

Friday, January 15 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Third Friday Opening Reception for Safekeeping by Lori Vrba

Lori Vrba

LabourLove Gallery will host a public reception for Safekeeping as part of the Third Friday activities at Golden Belt.  The gallery will be transformed with lights strung across the ceiling and more than 40 photos available for view and purchase.  As always, we’ll have our heat press working, and our giclee prints from previous shows for sale.

Saturday, January 23  @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

The LabourLove Art Party hosted by Kelly Dew and Molly McKinley

You’ve been asking for an adult art class for beginners, and Kelly and Molly are gonna make it happen.  Kelly Dew will show you some of her tricks for mixed media painting in a relaxed atmosphere with a glass of wine to break the ice.  A cash bar and appetizers will also be available from our good friends at Triangle Catering.  Make it a date night or a girls night out.  Only 20 seats available for $20 including materials and one drink ticket, you’ll take home you own masterpiece!

Friday, January 29  @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

ArtSLAM! is back.

Art SLAM at LabourLove Gallery

The first one in December was a smashing success, and we’re back for round two.  In case you missed it, the slam consists of three, 20 minute rounds.  The audience contributes ideas, and we randomly pull one from a hat.  The artists create their best interpretation of the suggestion, and we auction off the artwork at the end of the night.  In December, attendees walked away with original art for as little as $45!  This is live action art with paint flying and imaginations on overdrive.  This time we’ve got a few new twists including an Iron Chef like “secret ingredient” for one round.  This is the most fun you can have at an art gallery.  We’ll send out an email toward the end of the month with details on the artists, and a friendly reminder.

February Preview:  Sunday, February 14

Music, Art, and Dinner in The Cotton Room

Looking for a romantic dinner for Valentines Day?  Chef Dodd Aldred and his wife, the Triangle’s hostess with the mostess, Michelle Aldred of Triangle Catering will be cooking up some sweet love in The Cotton Room.  Musical entertainment will be provided by Green Hill recording artist Jamie Paul whose debut album At Last hit #1 on the iTunes jazz charts in the fall.  She has a voice smoother than butter that will melt your heart and set the perfect mood for romance.  Finally, we’ll curate a special art show to complete the evening.  More details to come!