June 2007 MCGUIRE GALLERY Fine Arts In Historic Frederick, Maryland By Carol Sorgen Once a rural outpost, historic Frederick, Maryland, is now a bedroom community of nearby Washington, DC. But this 18th century town, founded in 1745 and made famous by John Greenleaf Whittier’s poem about Barbara Fritchie--said to have defied the Confederate troops under Stonewall Jackson as they advanced through Frederick by waving the Stars and Stripes from an upper window of her home--retains its small-town charm with a walkable main street lined with an interesting collection of galleries, eclectic boutiques, restaurants, and tea shops. An unexpected find is the McGuire Fine Arts Gallery at 110 N. Market Street. This award-winning gallery specializes in preservation framing and offers more than 1,000 frame choices. But it was the crafts, jewelry, and fine arts that caught my eye on a recent visit. The gallery is the exclusive dealer in the area of the works of well-known ceramist Michael Lambert, whose whimsical designs turn ordinary objects such as salt and pepper shakers or teapots and creamers into a reason to chuckle. The gallery also features the contemporary furniture of artist Lara Moore of Bella Bella Arts, the elegantly assembled clocks of Leonie Lacouette, a collection of fine china by designer Govinder Nazaran, and the sterling silver jewelry, inlaid with onyx, jasper, lapis, and gold leaf, of Victoria Varga. And my purchase of the day—the “Got All Your Marbles,” interchangeable marble jewelry. Choose from necklaces or earrings, in three different sizes, and you get a bag of marbles with your purchase—just pull out one marble, and snap in another, for a piece of jewelry to match every mood or every outfit. This I loved! McGuire’s also represents the work of such artists as Ted Geisel—you know him better as Dr. Seuss!—and floral painter Brian Davis, whose lifelike paintings can be found in the collections of such museums as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the New York Botanical Garden. The gallery—which has both a contemporary and intimate vibe to it—would not be out of place in a major metropolitan city. The fact that it’s in this charming historic town that’s worth a visit on its own definitely qualifies it as one of our “secret addresses.” McGuire Fine Arts Gallery 110 N. Market Street Frederick, Maryland 800-499-1601 www.mcguirefinearts.com |
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