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Blanche Ames Gallery

UUCF's Art Gallery is currently open for IN-PERSON viewing or by appointment.

Our gallery shows are available for viewing in person on Sundays from 10-2:00 or on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, mornings from 10-12:00 or by appointment at other times for individuals or small groups. To request an appointment, email us at with your name, phone# and date/time of desired appointment.

"Finding the Common Thread" by artist Mary Garwood is the latest exhibit in the Blanche Ames Gallery. This show opens on March 10 with a reception and artist talk at 11:45 a.m. that is sure to be an interesting look at how Mary composes her work and what inspires her. The show runs through April 28. Please enjoy this lovely show.

Mary Garwood began her collage and mixed media work during the pandemic. Limited to plein air painting out in the open, often with a friend, -taking separate cars and being able to paint the seasons away from the house,- she discovered that these small watercolors got "lost." It happened her husband and she love to browse antique malls which at that time were deserted. She began to pick up background pieces of fabrics which showed incredible needlework. She was also drawn to dress-up clothing, beaded purses, from the 20's and 30's, old jewelry, early photos, postcards and small tools showing wear.

Thus began the compositions you see in Mary's show. "I usually start with watercolors and put them into deep shadow frames, layered with other objects to evoke a certain feeling. The arrangements catch the light and create shadows that give a feeling of motion and change. Sometimes they evoke a theme or a memory or nostalgia. My work ties together my love for collecting and the love of designing and painting."

Mary Garwood is a member and past president of the Frederick Art Club, the Frederick County Art Association, Plein Air Painters and the Loudoun Sketch Club. She has shared her work at the Delaplaine, Barnes and Noble, Greenspring Horticultural Center, Northern Virginia Hospice, National Wildlife, Artomatic, Waterford, TAG, Weinberg, Sheep and Wool show, Frederick llibraries, Hillsboro Winery and Frederick County Community College, and the Banche Ames Gallery in 2017. She taught art at the Alfred I Dupont schools in Wilmintgton, Delaware.

For artists: Are you wondering how to Exhibit in our Gallery?

We invite artists working in any media that can be wall hung to inquire about an exhibit with us. The Blanche Ames Gallery features over 100 linear feet of art exhibition space in two light-filled hallways within the UUCF building. Sorry, our space does not lend itself to displays of pottery, jewelry, or three-dimensional work that is free standing.

Artists interested in showing their work should submit a completed application and digital images by email or USMail to the office at UUCF . Please download the Proposal Form. Blanche Ames Gallery's email address is gallery@frederickuu dot org.

The Visual Arts Committee plans, schedules and executes all art exhibits at UUCF. We schedule six art shows (two months each) during the year, with an art reception and artist's talk on the first Sunday of each show. Here are a few examples of artists' shows at our Gallery:

Click here for a history of Gallery Exhibits since 2016.

Who was Blanche Ames? Why her name?

Blanche Ames (1878-1969) was an exceptional woman and a member of her Unitarian Congregation in Massachusetts. She was a leader who serves as an inspiration to us today.

With her minutely observed drawings and etchings she illustrated her husband's 7-volume treatise on orchids. Ames' talent extended well beyond art. She was a feminist, a suffragist, a leader in civic and charitable affairs, an inventor, an engineer and an author.

A more extensive biographical sketch can be found by clicking on Blanche Ames. After her death, the Ames family homestead, including the mansion with her studio, became a Massachusetts state park with more than 1800 acres of recreational space. https://www.mass.gov/locations/borderland-state-park

A new documentary film - "Borderland: The Life and Times of Blanche Ames Ames"- was released in 2020. Go to https://www.borderlandthedocumentary.com to watch the trailer and find out how schedule a private viewing or sign up for a community event at which the film will be shown.

(The short link to this page is frederickuu.org/gallery).