
DATE: Sunday, May 18, 1997                  TAG: 9705160259

SECTION: CAROLINA COAST          PAGE: 24   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: ART BEAT 

SOURCE: Mary Ellen Riddle 

                                            LENGTH:   80 lines

ART WITH A VIEW OWNER'S PASSION FOR COLLECTING FILLS GALLERY WITH ETHNIC AND COASTAL ART.

Lee Greenberg is a bottle lover.

Scads of vintage glass vessels are showcased among the art she sells at her Upstairs Art Gallery in Rodanthe. She dug up some of the bottles after storms in the Florida Keys. ``Everyone dug the Key West dump until the road caved in,'' said the 67-year-old Nags Head woman.

The old glass is sold along with new pottery and paintings, wood carvings, lacquer boxes, scrimshaw jewelry and limited edition prints and maps in the second story gallery.

Located up one flight of stairs at Pamlico Station, Upstairs Art Gallery offers art with a view. Blonde-haired Greenberg stands on the deck just outside the shop door, gazing toward the sound. In between puffs on her cigarette, she talks about getting old, about selling the stock at the collectibles shop she also owns that's housed just below this one, to concentrate on her gallery.

Though Greenberg hasn't created a lot of art herself - she's dabbled in painting a bit - she certainly has a passion for collecting it.

Soundside breezes float into the room behind her that overflows with coastal and ethnic art and crafts. Inside, hanging by a window, are textural Native American mandelas or, as Greenberg calls them, shields of good luck. The wool, feather, wood and glass bead wall hangings are made by Nags Head artist David Cowan.

Limited edition fish prints are displayed as well as ghost fleet maps of shipwrecks off Outer Banks shores, Green Heron glassworks, Wild Rose pottery, hand carved and painted gourds, hand painted furniture and whimsical ceramic and bronze hobos and cowpokes.

Also on the lighthearted end are cyprus roots carved and painted to resemble Coast Guard bunnies, santas, angels and carolers.

Dover pottery - glass-like ceramic pieces decorated with ginkgo leaves and painted with green, blue and yellow glazes - is some of Greenberg's favorite stuff. ``Which I consider art pottery,'' she said.

Greenberg calls herself a color person. Many of the prints and paintings at her shop reflect a love for bright, warm hues. Island-style watercolors filled with ebony figures sing with magenta, yellow and green tones.

She also offers outdoor art.

Gardeners will love the smiling, leafy cement plaques, bunnies, fish and carved wooden painted birds. Four windows that line the gallery's northern wall are filled with art that can be enjoyed from within or outside - dangling stained glass fish, turtles, herons and lighthouses. The lighthouse motif takes center stage at Upstairs Art, with plenty of prints to choose from including Kill Devil Hills artist James Melvin's group portrait of six Carolina lighthouses: Currituck Beach, Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras, Ocracoke, Cape Lookout, Bald Head and Oak Island.

Greenberg likes to feature mostly North and South Carolina artists. Paintings by Melvin and another Outer Banker, Chris Haltigan, are her most popular sellers.

But whether you're looking for an original painting or something more affordable, Upstairs Art provides a wide range of offerings with many reasonable prices.

You can choose from the crafty and cute to the arty and serious here. Dollar signs span the gammut, from $6.50 to $1,200.

Stop by Upstairs Art and have a chat with Lee. She may tell you that nobody ever wrote a rule book about getting old, and in the same breath, impart wisdom that should make her the best candidate for the job.

And you'll get an opportunity to browse an unusual gallery for eclectic art with a lighthouse view. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY ELLEN RIDDLE

Lee Greenberg offers an eclectic mix of art and crafts at Upstairs

Art Gallery in Rodanthe.

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HOW TO SEE IT

Upstairs Art Gallery

What: Art and craft gallery

Where: Pamlico Station, N.C. 12, Rodanthe

When: Monday through Saturday

Prices: $6.50 to $1,200 per piece

Call: 987-1088