New Albany studio features local art, dance classes and live music

By Heather Crabtree
The Entertainer

ALBANY — There are many forms of communication: Written, spoken, sign.

Communicating Vessels Center for Meditation, Yoga, Dance & Art uses a different way to communicate with Albany — the arts.

Jim “Jimpi” Piercey and Brooke Bigelow opened the center, which is located at 238 Third Ave. in downtown Albany, in September to give the members of the community a place to come and relax, Bigelow said.

They offer a variety of classes in yoga, dance, meditation and art, as well as a gallery for mid-valley artists to display their work.

Currently on display is Piercey’s work. Many of his pieces evolved out of life. He and Bigelow grew up in Utah when the government tested nuclear warheads in Nevada and New Mexico.

One piece, Anti-Nuclear Warhead, is a clay sculpture of a head, crafted so that when you look at the top from the right angle it looks like a mushroom cloud. The piece does not have eyes, to reflect the effect the weapons had at Hiroshima.

“I consider it to be very much a zen thing,” he said about making his pieces. “The faster you go and you’re in the zone, the better they are. When you take your time, they don’t seem as life-like.”

Other pieces include clay pots with faces, a lizard on rock, a clay bird that is also a whistle, and figures with the human form in yoga poses.

In the studio down the hall from the gallery, Piercey works on projects and teaches classes. Some of the offerings so far are watercolor vision from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, and Kids Love Clay from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Piercey taught kids from all economic backgrounds in Santa Barbara, Calif., so he had to come up wtih something for everyone. He also worked at the Corvallis Waldorf School after school care program.

Piercey and Bigelow are working with the city of Albany to bring in works from mid-valley artists to display in the downstairs gallery; offer art classes; and provide a venue for musicians in the larger upstairs area, which has great acoustics.

This Saturday, Communicating Vessels will host flutist Melanie Place and harpist Laura Zaerr from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the upstairs room.

Place and Zaerr will play a combination of classic and Celtic music. There is a suggested donation of $5 for the musicians.

Also upstairs is where the yoga, meditation and dance classes are held.

A schedule is available for a variety of yoga classes for individuals, and there’s also a family yoga class from 7 to 8 p.m. Mondays.

Dance classes are offered daily and set up by age group. One that Bigelow teaches is a creative dance class for small children through high school age, which uses props such as silk scarfs, drums and balls.

“There isn’t a kid I know that doesn’t like a ball,” she said. “In dance, I might ask them to have the ball to help with their movement.”

All the props are used as instruments, she said, to teach the kids to move to their own music and promote their artistic side.

If you go

WHAT: Flutist Melanie Place and harpist Laura Zaerr perform.

WHEN: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14

WHERE: Communicating Vessels Center for Meditation, Yoga, Dance & Art, 238 Third Ave. S.E., Albany

Cost: $5 suggested donation