The Gourd Gallery holds grand opening

Sugar Loaf — “These gourds get around,” said local artist Devon Cameron. “They have traveled the world to appear in over 300 shops and galleries, including the Smithsonian Museum Shop and the Chicago Institute of Fine Art.” An eclectic assortment of gourd art has been assembled in her new shop, for the grand opening from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 8 and 9, on King’s Highway in Sugar Loaf. There will be gourd-crafting demonstrations, freshly brewed coffee, and lots of gourd talk. Cameron’s collection includes Gourd Spirit Masks by Ann Light, birdhouses handcrafted by the Amish, Easter Gourds from Meadowbrooke Gourds, Mate gourds from Peru, African gourd instruments and decorative bowls, traditional Chinese decorated gourds, and “Gourdaments,” her own line of gourd art in the form of roosters, cats, santas and witches, hanging ornaments, and various critters. All are equally at home in a sleek Manhattan shop or a rustic farmhouse in Sugar Loaf. Although related to pumpkins and other squashes, these gourds are as durable as wood, and, like wood, may be stained, painted, carved, and varnished. In Japan, the gourd is seen as a talisman for good luck. In the Caribbean, they were considered sacred gifts from the gods, with spiritual powers so great only the shaman could plant, harvest, and use them. In China, they were considered a sign for the Taoist during the search for paradise, because they held the wishes of the gods and the story of the future. Also in China, gourds were used to house crickets, symbols of fertility and prosperity. In Hawaii, gourds are used as drums or “Ipus,” containers of knowledge, and held upright so that knowledge will not fall out. In Mexico, gourds are seen as houses for spirits who have returned to visit the earth. Many modern gourd artists sense this magical spirit-power locked inside their palettes. “The gourd often tells me what to do,” Cameron explained, as a rooster’s clay tail took form under her quick hands. “I study nature’s work, the gourd’s contours, whether it sits straight or leans, its unique surface markings, the ‘music’ from its dried seeds. Eventually, its inner voice speaks, and I know this is a rooster, a cat, a dog, or …”