Local Artists Capture 'Patriotic Inspirations' for Summer Art Exhibit

A stroll down Mill Street in Occoquan makes you feel transported through time. It captures a piece of Americana that has all but disappeared in most of our bustling communities. For some local artists, it's finding that connection to the past that makes their work special.

The featured artists at the Artists' Undertaking Gallery in Occoquan selected works of art for the exhibit that represented the theme "Patriotic Inspirations."  For pottery artist Marianne Cordyack, it meant displaying her functional art pieces that were drawn from American symbols: an eagle, the American flag, and the Statue of Liberty.

Cordyack creates salt-fired pottery pieces for outdoor display and daily use. In her statement on the gallery’s website, she says, “I love knowing that someone drinks their morning coffee from one of my mugs or places one of my garden birds in among their flowers!”

For husband and wife photographers David and Jane Ernst, capturing “Patriotic Inspirations” means sharing the timeless images they have taken in and around the town of Occoquan, Washington, D.C. and throughout Virginia. The couple shares on their website that they often are drawn to the same images, but through their digital manipulations, one can see their distinct artistic styles.

Cordyack and the Ernsts are among the 17 artists who run the artist co-op. The gallery opened its doors 34 years ago on Aug. 1, 1977, providing studio and gallery space for local artists, and an art center for the community. The artists staff the gallery daily, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., well-versed and eager to answer questions about the artwork and fellow artists.

The August featured artists show will be "reLEAF: Exploration of Leaf Forms in Copper by Anne Jordan and Mixed Media by Elisabeth Hudgins." The Meet the Artists Reception will be on Sunday, Aug. 7, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Artists' Undertaking Gallery, 309 Mill St., in Occoquan.