1st Saturday, March 1st, "Wild About Weaving"

FOOD, FUN and fabulous art. Every 1st SATURDAY, the artists, restaurants and merchants of Three Rivers, California, open their doors and invite you to join in a town-wide celebration from 11 to 5 o’clock. You can pick up a map and schedule at Anne Lang's Emporium or the Historical Museum – the flier shows all participating venues, art to see, locations and times for special events. Anne Lang's Emporium serves a great breakfast sandwich, so you might grab a bite first, or try Antoinette’s Coffee and Goodies to start your day. Later on taste the amazing fare at Sierra Subs and Salads. They all offer discounts for 1st Saturday.

THERE ARE several galleries to see. Nadi Spencer has a colorful studio and gallery – showing  original paintings, along with prints, cards and gift items.  The Art Co-op features 20 artists, and offers jewelry, masks, print-making, pottery, paintings, and more.   Colors Art Gallery highlights whimsical furniture and oil paintings by Wendy McKellar, along with weaving, jewelry, quilts, pottery and metal art from 20 local artists.

A DIFFERENT theme each month flavors the paintings, decorations and edible treats. This year we are WILD about the letter W, continuing with "Wild About Weaving" for March. Have you been to Nikki's weaving studio? What an experience! I know it's a way up South Fork Drive, but what a beautiful drive! And you will NOT be sorry. Nikki's passion for her work shows in every piece, and you can't help but get inspired as she explains her process. A very special experience.

IN ADDITION to Nikki's studio, you can also visit Spirit Hill Studio this month.

EVERY MONTH is different – the best way to keep informed is to visit the website. It is up-dated monthly. If you are an artist and would like to show your work at the event, the cost is only $7 to participate and the deadline to enter is always the 15th of the previous month.

NIKKI first sat down at a loom in 1983. She has been on a learning odyssey ever since. Her favorite pastime is designing new pieces and playing with colors, sometimes dyeing her own yarns.

MATH plays a big part in weaving and Nikki takes it to a higher level by using the Fibonacci sequence in many of her designs. Natural fibers such as cotton, wool, silk and rayon are her favorite choice for the beautiful and useful items she weaves.

IN KEEPING with her preference for natural ingredients, Nikki uses soy to make her colorful and healthy hand-poured candles. Join Nikki in her studio on South Fork Dr.

Nadi's Art Gallery

NADI SPENCER has been painting full-time for 40 years. When not working on a commissioned mural she paints what she loves – Three Rivers, Sequoia, horses, dogs and food. Her colorist style can also be seen throughout Three Rivers in the murals she has painted with grades K – 8th each year.

"1ST SATURDAY has been fabulous. What can I say – good food, good people – lots of laughing.  And, sure, I make sales. But, more than money, I need to be passionate. Those who enjoy my studio and my art are all talented people in their own right- and it's that bouncing off each other's ideas that I love. It's such a rush."

JOIN NADI in her studio on February 1st. She will be showcasing her new Three Rivers Calendar 2014, for those that still need one.
41838 Sierra Drive

Spirit Hill Studio

SHIRLEY KELLER explores nature through photography, art, ceramics and writing. Multi-media collages, drawings, and "stitching" with ink, make up what Keller calls Ink Quilts. Many of the Ink Quilts are illustrations of chapters of a memoir that is a work in progress.
FACES attract Keller so when she began to play with clay, ceramic masks became her focus. She was introduced to Clay Mono Prints at a workshop in Petaluma and, since then, set up a workshop with three of her friends, where they gather to learn more about this medium. Shirley is also co-ordinator of 1st Saturday.
THROWN AWAY OBJECTS made into art is a recent exploration. Keller takes rusty items, such as tools and machine parts, and transforms them with paint.
SPIRIT HILL STUDIO is tucked up against a hill, filled with food for the eyes and a delight to visit. Shirley opens her door every 1st Saturday, offering you a glimpse into her world. 43641 Skyline Drive.

Anne Lang's Emporium

ANNE LANG grew up in Exeter, and while in high school, fell madly in love with Dick Lang, a builder from Three Rivers. She married him the day after she graduated, and began a 42-year adventure with him. In 1979, in the smallest of the Newman building spaces on Sierra Drive, Anne opened up a bakery called "The Staff of Life", where she taught women to bake bread. She also carried 200 herbs, spices and teas. While shopping for display baskets at a gift show, Dick liked the greeting card idea, and that's how the store became a gift shop.

ANNE'S SUCCESS is partly due to her genuine desire to help. "When people ask for something, I try to find it for them," says Anne. "One day, a bride-to-be came in and asked if I could make a bouquet. I thought, 'I can make a bouquet', and that's how the store became an FTD flower shop. Then one cold day, a man came in wishing for a hot bowl of soup and I thought, 'I know how to make soup.' Next, a man came in hungry for a sandwich and I thought, 'I know how to make sandwiches.' And that's how the store became a deli."

THE STORE grew and Anne moved into both of the other spaces in her building, needing a bigger space each time. In 1984, it moved to its final destination – the house on the corner of North Fork and Sierra Drives. With Dick's remodeling talents and Anne's marketing skills, "Anne Lang's Emporium" has become just that – a place to find all your needs, a space of familiarity and a hub for our little community.

Watercolor Class!

KACEY FANSETT has lived in Three Rivers for 14 years. Her art career spans more than 30 years, continuing today with her own Graphic Design Business and Teaching Career. Kacey's favorite medium is watercolor, and she currently instructs Adult Watercolor classes at Arts Visalia on Monday nights and local Senior Living Centers. Kacey especially loves teaching art to kids and can be seen doing crafts with children at many of Three Rivers' annual events.

ON 1ST SATURDAY, you can paint with Kacey at Anne Lang's Emporium, getting a sneak peek at the artist in you. Kacey can explain it better. "When you're in kindergarten, everyone's an actor, everyone's a dancer, everyone's a singer, and everyone's an artist. Something happens in the summer between kindergarten and first grade. Someone asks you to draw an elephant, they think it's a giraffe, and you never draw an elephant again. I'm helping people rediscover what they knew in kindergarten - they are still an artist."

JOIN Kacey this 1st Saturday to paint watercolor for FREE, and take home a framed masterpiece – it just might be the 1st of many.