Marina May Raike New Work at A.D. REDUX | Almonte Art Crawl & Exhibit | August 28, 2021

On Saturday, August 28th, 60 Mill St., formerly known as Franberries, will be transformed into an art gallery.

Stephen Brathwaite and friends are the folks behind the project. The show, entitled AD Redux and Salon de Réfus Eh?! is part of the Almonte Art Crawl and Exhibit.

Also included are Sivarulrasa Gallery, General Fine Craft, Carriageway Studios, Jean Morrow Gallery, JB Arts, and the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum. I remember when I first discovered Franberries, the iconic shop full of antique toys and collectibles. I had just moved to town and was talking with Chandler Swain at General Fine Craft. She said, "There goes Fran Kronstal'', and introduced us. Afterward, I would occasionally pop into Franberries to say hello. Frequently, our conversations would turn to the subject of cats: my cats, her cats, and especially the needy and desperate stray cats for whom Fran so lovingly cares.

It's Fran's heartfelt compassion for animals that gives me a sense of kinship with her. We both see the innocent souls behind their eyes. More importantly, we understand our responsibility to care for them.

For this reason, I've chosen to include a painting that features a cat. The model for this portrait was my own stunningly beautiful Scarlett. You can see this piece and the work of many other local artists on Saturday and through the month of September. ~ Marina May Raike