A Royal Stitchery Commendation, Motherhood Distinguished Service Medal and Cultivation Cornerstone Citation are among the beautiful found-object medals crafted by Firefly Beth Atkinson
Fireflies light up our life! We have long appreciated artist among artists Beth Atkinson’s honoring of materials and her gift for found-object sculpture. Now, she’s applied that craft as gifts to honor those we appreciate during the the Great Quarantine of 2020.
Beth offers credit and a great resource for the idea: “My daughter Katie May, an incredible art teacher found a website to inspire her students to make art. She inspired me too! The idea is to create Medals of Honor for “whomever (or whatever) you feel moved to express gratitude to at this moment: your grocery bagger, delivery driver, medical personnel, DJ, dance instructor, poet, beloved book, favorite vegetable, cookie recipe, song, movie, toothbrush, friend…check out the website:
Art Yard page of “Order of Everyday Humans Distinguished Medal Awards”
You can see Beth’s own process for making one of her medals here.
Please feel free to bestow these heartfelt Medals for COVID-Era Meritorial Service upon the walls of those you are grateful for. More will be added as just the right pieces come into place.
We’d love to see what you create, too!!!
Honoring Long Island’s Best Young Artists:
We at the Firefly were also honored to be able to offer some modest scholarships — The “Firefly Artists Next Generation Award” — as part of the Long Island’s Best 2020 Virtual Reception and Awards Ceremony hosted by the Heckscher Musum.
Our honorees were Maya Alschuler-Pierce of Valley Stream South H.S. for her charcoal “Two As One.”
and Katarina Kobetitsch of Hicksville H.S. for her digital photography, “Hosta Leaf Study #1”
The Heckscher expanded this program to 100 works in honor of it’s own centennial. These kids did not let them down. They’re ALL amazing — and we can’t wait to be able to show some of these works in person ourselves!
Check out our website, The Firefly Artists facebook page, and our brand new group, The Firefly Artists Gallery & Community Square, where our artists can speak for themselves and post art for sale! Let us know if you want to sign up for the Firefly Lights Newsletter.
About the Firefly Artists
We were established in 2011 to create a gallery setting for local artists, where they and those who appreciate them could meet, support one another, and display and sell their beautiful creations. In our main galleries and pop-ups throughout the community, we have been privileged to showcase well over 150 local artists, offering a stunning variety of media including oils, acrylics, watercolors, photography, collage, etchings, lithographs, jewelry, textiles, ceramics, sculptures, woodcraft, metalwork, stained glass and encaustics.
Katie, who is a Managing Partner, finds it wonderful to work with so many diverse talents and to be a part of Northport’s Main Street. Having this community has been a lifeline as we together navigate the incredible year that is 2020. We are grateful not only to be open, but to continue to expand our offerings for local artists and for all who appreciate them.
