Cardboard Sneakers. Phranc

This is the first Art Hop for pine street art works, and we've put together a great show.

For those of you who don't know Art Hop - it is a two day multi media art event in Burlington. In its fourteenth year, we expect about 20,000 visitors to explore works by hundreds of artists in dozens of venues throughout the South End of Burlington.

Pine street art works sits at the epicenter of the neighborhood, with front doors on pine street and back doors opening onto Unsworth Alley, home to the largest concentration of artists' studios in Burlington, all of which will be open to the public.

On Friday night, Art Hop activities include open studios, live music, a juried art show, a multi artists' interpretation of miniature golf and terrific people watching. Activities continue on Saturday, generally a family friendly day, with studio demonstrations as well as continued open studios and art shows in a multitude of venues.

Alison Bechdel with large scale drawing

Alison Bechdel, author of the widely syndicated comic strip Dykes To Watch Out For and the recently published, much lauded graphic memoir, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, has made a series of large drawings for this event. In addition to the large scale drawings, we will also have framed original drawings from DTWOF and Fun Home. Copies of Alison's books are also available for sale.

Great news! Fun Home has been nominated for a Quill Award in a few categories. To vote, go to www.quillsliteracy.com

Phranc, aka The Cardboard Cobbler, and The Jewish Lesbian Folksinger, brings her art to Vermont for the first time. Well known as a performer, Phranc blazed trails in the LA Punk scene, with the bands, Nervous Gender and Catholic Discipline. She has recorded five solo albums, including I Enjoy Being A Girl, Positively Phranc, and Milkman. She appeared in Penelope Spheris' punk documentary, The Decline of Western Civilization, and in Lisa Udelson's documentary, Lifetime Guarantee:Phranc's Adventures in Plastic, an award winning film about Phranc's experiences selling Tupperware.

Over the years the versitile Phranc has become well known as a visual artist. Her work has been shown at Highways in Los Angeles and PS 122 in New York City. For Art Hop, Phranc is bringing her line of paper clothing, Phranc Of California. In addition, she and Alison are collaborating on a number of pieces, combining life size drawings by Alison with matching clothing by Phranc.

This show will stay at pine street art works until October 31st. Stop by if you can. If not, most of the work in the show is available through this website, or call us at 802 863-8100 for prices and availability.

Hot and Bothered. Annie Downey

Pine street art works will be hosting a book launch and signing for Annie Downey and her new novel, Hot And Bothered, published by Algonquin Books.

"It is a wonderfully zany, engaging, heartfelt little book, and I say little in the best sense of that word, affectionately, endearingly, because what Hot and Bothered does is what the best novels do, which is to involve us totally in the world of its characters, pink clogs and all. It's a love story, a life story, a valentine soaked in tears but held together by clear and mesmerizing writing: the perfect voice and style. The little soundbites key us into the panicked and frantic life of the narrator." --Julia Alvarez, author of Saving the World and In the Time of Butterflies.

Wear your favorite clogs (and a story to tell about them) and join in on this Hot Pink Caper--dip into fondue, snack on Hot and Bothered M&Ms, purchase signature organic and fair Trade Hot and Bothered truffles (flown next day air just for this event from Theo Chocolates of Seattle), make hot pink valentines, get help with writing your own personal ad from a team of Hot Pink Clog Cheerleading Experts, enter for a chance to win a pair of hot pink clogs, and much, much more!

www.anniedowney.com