The Open Door
Julie LaFontaine, President and CEO
28 Emerson Ave.,
Gloucester, MA 01930
Media Contact: Kelsey Richards
Email: kelsey.richards@foodpantry.org
Phone: 978-283-6776 x 226
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023
Second Glance to Hold Trailblazing Women Printmakers Book Signing and Folly Cove Auction
GLOUCESTER— Second Glance, Thrift Store of The Open Door, will hold a book signing featuring Elena M. Sarni, author of “Trailblazing Women Printmakers: Virginia Lee Burton Demetrios and The Folly Cove Designers,” and an auction for three Folly Cove pieces this November.
WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 9 from 6-8 p.m.
WHERE: SG Home at Second Glance, 2 Pond Road, Gloucester MA 01930
WHAT: Folly Cove enthusiasts and collectors are invited to a special event at Second Glance this November, featuring author Elena M. Sarni. Sarni will share a presentation from her newest book “Trailblazing Women Printmakers: Virginia Lee Burton Demetrios and The Folly Cove Designers,” followed by a book signing.
Tickets are available for $10 each at bit.ly/follycoveticket.
Second Glance is also holding an online auction for three Folly Cove pieces donated to the store. The auction launched on Thursday, Oct. 26 at bit.ly/follycoveatsg and will remain live through the event. The auction will close one week after the event, on Thursday, Nov. 16.
Additional framed Folly Cove designs, on loan from a collector and not for sale, will also be on display for the event. Second Glance Thrift Store will remain open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 9 only in conjunction with the event.
Light refreshments will also be available.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Elena to highlight her work and celebrate the Folly Cove Designers who made their mark on local art history,” President and CEO Julie LaFontaine said. “Our team at Second Glance regularly discovers donations of Folly Cove designs, which speaks to the generosity of our community. By gifting these items, donors not only support our mission to alleviate the impact of hunger, but also recognize the expertise of our team at Second Glance in handling valuable art and collectibles.
“I am thrilled to support The Open Door and its vital work in the community,” Sarni said. “I’m very grateful to its staff members, many of whom are collectors of The Folly Cove Designers’ work, for their efforts to safeguard the legacy of The Folly Cove Designers through the interest and care they take in these treasured pieces of Cape Ann history.”
Who were the Folly Cove Designers?
The Folly Cove Designers (officially 1941-1969) was a grassroots collective of predominantly women block printers founded by Caldecott Award-winner and beloved children’s book author/illustrator Virginia Lee Burton Demetrios (of Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel fame).
This trailblazing Gloucester, MA-based group produced more than three hundred distinct designs, which they block printed on fabric. The designs conveyed personal and regional narratives through the use of shared design principles and the compelling language of pattern. The group was propelled to international fame through commercial contracts with major retailers (F. Schumacher, Lord & Taylor, etc.), articles in leading periodicals such as Life, and participation in seminal fine craft exhibitions. Their work continues to inspire contemporary printmakers around the globe, particularly women printmakers.
About The Open Door
The mission of The Open Door is to alleviate the impact of hunger in our community. We use practical strategies to connect people to good food, to advocate on behalf of those in need, and to engage others in the work of building food security.
Founded in 1978, The Open Door is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit and community food resource center for low-income residents of Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, Essex, Ipswich, Hamilton, Boxford, Rowley, Topsfield, and Wenham. In 2022, The Open Door helped stabilize the lives and health of 8,486 people from 4,872 households through the distribution of 1.78 million pounds of food.
For more information, visit FOODPANTRY.org.
About Elena Sarni and Trailblazing Women Printmakers
Elena M. Sarni is a humanities-based scholar, writer, and curator. She holds a BA in English and an MA in History and Museum Studies from the University of New Hampshire. She lives in Maine with her beloved cat Leland.
As the first comprehensive history of the Folly Cove Designers, Trailblazing Women Printmakers: Virginia Lee Burton Demetrios and The Folly Cove Designers documents and celebrates the group’s tremendous success and the incredible artistry of its members. With more than 250 black-and-white and color photographs, author Elena M. Sarni explores the Folly Cove Designers’ history, work, and group dynamics.
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