Does "Snoopy" from the "Peanuts Gang" and Mischel Baryshnikov think dance is equally important to life?  Aberdeen's Pat Meacham Fries, nationally acclaimed calligrapher, thinks "Snoopy" and Vince Lombardi's opinions are as important as Baryshnikov and Balanchine's on her latest calligram creation.
  
    "Homage to Dance", the newest work by Pat Meacham Fries, was created from more than 38 authentic quotes about dancing and the love of dance, artistically arranged to create the most vital parts of a dancers body. In the cotillion, "Snoopy" says, "To live is to dance and to dance is to live." Also quoted are Anna Pavlova, George Balanchine, Martha Graham, with a record five quotes; Jacques d'Amboise, Maya Angelou, Charles Baudelaire, Isadora Duncan, and Mata Hari among many more. As with most of her calligrams, Fries credits the research librarians at Alexander Mitchell Library for helping her find many of her quotes, especially Jody Vaux for the dance piece.
 
    Fries is the ArtWorks Co-operative's featured artist for April, and "Homage to Dance" will premiere from 6 to 8PM on April 11th in the Aberdeen Recreation And Cultural Center Gallery at 225 S.E. 3rd Ave. [west entrance, off the parking lot, south side of the historic Central High School]. Fries is a charter member of the co-op, having designed it's logo when the co-op began six years ago. She has studied the art of beautiful writing for forty years and recently retired from thirty years of teaching calligraphy. Her art work has received numerous awards and honors including having three pieces displayed at the Smithsonian, when only 100 were chosen from the U.S. and it's territories.
   
    Another large piece that Fries will be debuting at the Co-op show features the word "Eternity" with wedding, marriage, and love quotes intertwining. Also new are unique family keep-sakes; family name initials done in olde English with gold, silver & copper ink on black paper in co-coordinating gold, silver & copper frames. Around the large initials are woven first names of family.
  
    Fries says that she loves being a member of the ArtWorks Cooperative. "It's inspiring to an artist, our group comes from different backgrounds, ages and schooling but we try to all support each other, give each other ideas and buoy each other up.  It's the most exciting and supportive, long-lived artistic experience I've ever had. I only hope other artists, working independently, could have this in their creative lives, the artistic support and joy of working together for a common goal of success for all, and it’s truly inspiring.”
          
    ArtWorks Cooperative is located at the Aberdeen Recreation and Cultural Center at 225 3rd Ave, SE. All are welcome to attend the artist reception which will be held on Wednesday, April 11th from 6-8 pm. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served. For more information, please contact ArtWorks Cooperative at 605-725-0910 or visit www.sdartworks.com.