PRESS RELEASE: Local Artist Show at Village Frame Shoppe & Gallery in St. Albans

The Village Frame Shoppe and Gallery presents their Local Artist Show which opens on May 8, 2012 and features the art of Meta Strick, Tinka Theresa Martell, and Jill Snapp. Reception: Friday May 18, 2011 6:00PM-8:00PM; Refreshments will be served and the reception is open to the public.The exhibit runs from May 8, 2012 through Thursday June 7, 2012.

Meta Strick (image at left) is a lifelong artist with a Fine Arts Bachelor Degree from Carnegie Mellon University and 25 years teaching experience at Community College of Vermont. She is noted for her mixed media Art Dolls, wall hangings, and acrylic paintings which are produced with a number of mixed materials from buttons, to string, sand, wire and many other materials.

Tinka Theresa Martell (image at right), an abstract artist from Fairfax Vermont works with several media, wood, paper, canvas, she also uses many recycled and other found objects. Mostly she enjoys working with small scale collage, especially playing with copper leaf and ink. Her large scale works are often three dimensional, and her medium varies.She incorporates bold colors, using black to define her shapes she creates large asymmetrical compositions, adding hammered copper plate to imply a solid feeling and blends in soft muted colors till the right color arrives.

Artist Jill Snapp (image at left) was born in St. Albans, and grew up in Florida  and  Virginia.  She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree  in 1984 and her Master of Fine Art Degree  in 1991.  She taught in the theatre and arts deparment at  Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. Jill was also the scenic artist for the Virginia Opera, Virginia State an Virginia Scenic. She is now the stage artist for the Society of the Performing Arts (SASPA) here in St. Albans. Jill usually paints on a large scale, depicting colorful landscapes and barns. She has had numerous exhibitions in Virginia and Massachusetts. She is currently employed with Northwest Counseling and Support Services in St. Albans.

Village Frame Shoppe and Gallery is located at 72 North Main Street in St. Albans, Vermont.

PRESS RELEASE: Jacobie Z at BLCARTGRP Gallery in Chester

After a slow Spring season in Southern Vermont, BLCARTGRP Gallery in Chester is gearing up for an exciting Summer of fine art shows as well as performance art events which will be bringing a cast and crew together which artist Bryce LeVan Cushing has worked with for many years.

The first in a series of shows to kick off the high season is titled Modern Mayhem, featuring the textural encaustic paintings of Putney, Vermont based artist Jacobie Z. Mr Z uses figures drawn and painted from life and incorporates them into a setting of mixed media using color, tone and rhythm.  The materials he uses include cut paper, acrylic inks and paint, photographic prints and encaustic paint.

Jacobie and LeVan Cushing have collaborated on sculpture, fine art shows, and video performance art for the past 5 years. It is an honor to have the work of Jacobie Z on display now at BLCARTGRP Gallery. The show will be up until June 15, 2012.

As part of the opening for Modern Mahem, Jacobie Z will be painting live in the space on May 26th from 2-5:00 PM.  His encaustic style of mix media painting is quite unique and the public will be able to view the heated wax process and application to canvas.

Modern Mahem will also feature a live taping of Cushing’s comedy video performance art series Moondoggie Isreal.  Several NYC and Philadelphia based performance artists are scheduled to appear in this top secret fashion explosion.  Open call to all area musicians, comedians and trouble makers.  There is a fifty dollar cash prize for best costume.   The assembled cast will write a short script, rehearse the numbers, perform the piece, shoot the video and upload to the internet all in the same night.

For more information regarding the paintings of Jacobie Z please call 802-451-6655.  To find out more about Modern Mayhem performance art party please call 802-289-1663 or visit www.brycelevancushing.com  This is an Adult Only Event from 7-9 PM.  The event takes place at 295 Main Street in Chester, Vermont.  The entrance to the gallery and parking is in the rear of the building.  BLCARTGRP Gallery is open Wednesday thru Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM.

Image: My Parents

PRESS RELEASE: Carol E.S. MacDonald at VCAM/RETN in Burlington

The South End Art & Business Association (SEABA) is pleased to announce a major mid-career retrospective featuring the work of Carol E.S. MacDonald. Carol MacDonald has been an art activist and major supporter of the visual arts in Vermont for quite some time.  She has served on the boards of the Vermont Women’s Caucus for Art, the National Women’s Caucus for Art, and in 1986 she helped found Art’s Alive, a nonprofit organization that promotes the work of Vermont-based visual artists through an annual festival, and it is still active today.  She also served as its Director for a number of years.  Starting her career as a painter and then becoming best known as a printmaker, her creations span many media and genera. The work will be on exhibition at VCAM/RETN, 208 Flynn Avenue, Suite 2 G, from June 1 – August 31.  Artist Opening Reception, June 1, 5:30 – 8:00 PM.  For more information contact director@seaba.com or 802 859-9222.

Image: Carol MacDonald Knit-Structure

PRESS RELEASE: Sweet at Studio Place Arts (SPA) in Barre

“Sweet dreams” is a common bedtime wish that is the spirit behind the main floor show at Studio Place Arts (SPA). Part Willy Wonka factory tour and part bakery case, the Sweet! art exhibit reveals the serious and amusing relationships that artists and others have with sweet treats.

Sweet! includes 26 artists, from Vermont primarily but also from New York and the Midwest. Their media choices range from the traditional such as graphite, watercolors, and oils, to the far less traditional: bright furry fabric, strawberry-flavored Twizzlers, melted Gummy bears and an old door. Taken together, the show has an imaginative streak that, when fully digested, leaves viewers with much more than sugary, throbbing numbness.

Spaulding High School art instructor, Mary Reardon, who took up a temporary studio residency at SPA for the winter season to focus on a new body of work, demonstrates her facile use of pencil tones by capturing the rippled chocolate, soft cream fillings, and dappled cake surfaces of Hostess Ring Dings, Twinkies, and Cupcakes. In gray pencil tones, these luscious and often trivialized treats emerge as serious portraits.

A large expanse of the back wall is occupied by 10 pastel-toned, watercolor paintings of candies by Alan Alejo of Burlington.  These affectionately rendered, small paintings are presented behind glass with silver frames, and they conjure memories of banks of glass candy cases in neighborhood shops that specialized in sweets and wide smiles.  Rather surprisingly, the paintings of paper-wrapped candies like the Nut Zippers Squirrel and Mary Mary Jane Jane seem just as seductive as the “naked” Jelly Belly and Lifesaver images.

Food in motion is featured prominently in the gallery.  Spiraling peppermint hard candies are dynamically painted in Peppermint Racetrack by Jessica Nissen of Middlebury.  There are rainbow colored Gummy bears floating, surreally, against a dark black sky, painted by Suzy Kopf of Brooklyn.  A fork propelled by a large rocket ship is aimed at a dollop of whipped cream on a cherry pie slice in Stellar Pie, by Jonathan Schnapp of Rochester.  From his Dropped Food Series, Robert Brunelle, Jr., ofJericho, presents a painting of a chocolate layer cake tumbling from its plate, with a lighted candle intact.

A large sculpture of carved, wooden doughnuts, created by art student Roxanne Burton, You Are What You Sweet, looks like a big, rogue wave rising from the platter with sugar-coated surf.  Comically, Nancy Drew is attempting to solve mysteries involving fluffy meringue topped, chocolate pie (Lethal Layers) and a layer cake dredged with toasted almonds (Died and Went to Heaven) in Burlington artist Jude Bond’s Nancy Drew and the Baked Goods series.

A gigantic layer cake painted on the surface of a wooden door by Lisa Lillibridge, Burlington, possibly best captures the reasons behind our passion for sweets.  Her large-scale painting, I Made It For You, is a towering treatise to the deep emotional connections that many of us have in our memories of sweeter times.

Images: Partial installation shot
Watercolor paintings of candies by Alan Alejo

PRESS RELEASE: Joe Tucker at Equinox Village in Manchester Center

Equinox Village and the Greater Manchester Arts Council are pleased to host an exhibit of Joe Tucker’s work in May. The show is called Paradise. A Gallery Opening Event is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 17 at Equinox Village in Manchester Center. Kindly R.S.V.P. to (802) 362-4061 by Thursday, May 10. The show will be on display 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily from Friday, May 18 until Monday, June 11, 2012.

Joe Tucker once dreamed of being a toy designer and then in his thirties his dream changed— he wanted a career in the arts.  Determined, he obtained an art education certification through the School of Visual Arts in New York City and has been teaching art and creating art ever since.  Joe lives with his family in Dorset, Vermont and teaches art in New York City Schools.

 “I spend eight hours a week on the thru-way,” Tucker quips. “It was a personal search,” he says of his diverse resume. Perhaps that’s what his former work, his current artistic work, and even the joy he finds in teaching have in common: the search, the reach, the expansion, and—ultimately— the discovery.

The first thing that visitors to the gallery will notice is that much of Tucker’s work is abstract. Most striking among his pieces are bright watercolors with blocks or islands of color. “My current approach to making art encompasses a primal understanding of color and the creative process as well as a desire to inform, expand, and remind the viewer of additional artistic possibilities,” Tucker says.

Tucker has pledged to donate 10 percent of proceeds of sales of his artwork during the exhibit to the BOMA project . The project was started by Vermont Neighbor Kathleen Colson. “The project's mission is to improve the ability of women in Africa to earn their own income,” Tucker says.

PRESS RELEASE: Third Annual Art of Creative Aging at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier

Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA) invites the public to the opening reception of the 2012 Art of Creative Aging on Thursday, May 3, 5:00 - 7:00 pm at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier.  This is the third annual juried exhibit of older visual artists (70+) living in central Vermont. "We look at this as a way to celebrate creativity among older Vermonters," says Beth Stern, executive director of CVCOA. "Aging doesn't mean one becomes less creative. In fact, many people discover more complete expression of their creativity as they grow older."

The Art of Creative Aging will be on display May 3 - May 29 at the Kellogg- Hubbard Library.  Twenty-one artists are featured.  Among them are Ed Epstein and Elizabeth Warren of Montpelier, Aya Itagaki of Fairlee, Chuck Bohn and Helen Rabin of Marshfield, Theodora Danforth of Randolph Center, and Mark Markowitt and Vera Resnick of Warren.

All of the artwork is available for sale.   Artists are sharing a portion of the proceeds to benefit both CVCOA and the Library.  More importantly, the purpose of the exhibit is to raise awareness of the 35-year-old agency and, especially, of the talent and productivity of older Vermonters.  For more information, please contact Margaret Harmon at mharmon@cvcoa.org or 476-2681.

Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA) supports elders in leading healthy, independent, meaningful and dignified lives in their homes and communities in 54 central Vermont towns.  Visit the CVCOA website at www.cvcoa.org or call the Senior Helpline at 1-800-642-5119.  CVCOA is located at 59 N. Main Street, Suite 200 in Barre; regional offices are located in Morrisville, Randolph, South Royalton, and Rochester.

Image: Aya Itagaki's (Fairlee), Sumi-ink/gansai Iris

PRESS RELEASE: Andrew Orr at The Bryan Gallery in Jeffersonville

The Bryan Gallery in Jeffersonville is featuring the landscapes and still lifes of Vermont artist Andrew Orr. Orr's work will be in the Middle Room Gallery for the spring season, from May 4 to July 8.

Please join us on Sunday, May 6 for the Artist's Roundtable at 2 pm, and the Artist's Reception from 3-5 pm.

Bryan Memorial Gallery is located at 180 Main Street, Jeffersonville, VT, and is open Thursday through Sunday, from 11-4, and by appointment at any time. Participating artists can be viewed at www.bryangallery.org.  For more information call 802-644-5100.

Image: Andrew Orr, Raging Rapids

PRESS RELEASE: Rachel Gross at Two Rivers Printmaking Studio in White River Junction

A show of new prints by Rachel Gross will open on Friday, May 6, 2012. There will be an opening reception from 6-8pm on that night with refreshments and live music. Her work will be exhibited through May 31, 2012.

Rachel Gross is an artist and printmaker living in White River Junction, Vermont. She grew up in Swarthmore, PA and attended Oberlin College where she majored in Religion and Studio Art. Rachel received her MFA in Printmaking from Tyler School of Art. She has taught printmaking, drawing and design at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA. She is currently a faculty and board member of Two Rivers Printmaking Studio.

"I think of my prints as spaces to enter with the suggestion of landscape and essential architectural forms. Both the positive and negative shapes combine to form a sense of space and an illusion of depth. The new prints in this show combine woodblock relief printing with hand-painted elements. I have cut individual shapes out of wood and then juxtaposed them on the paper to create separate facets of a form. The transparency of the printing process creates one type of space, while the opacity of the painted shapes suggests another.

In many ways the process of printmaking, the suspension of control when the print goes through the press, the separation of multi-colored images into individual plates, the dialogue between plate and paper, has directly informed the content of this work. Working with layers, and color separations has made me think about how to construct a sense of space with flat forms. Having a matrix allows me to repeat forms, flipping the plates to create variations of a motif."

Image: Birds of Paradise

PRESS RELEASE: Ann Young at The Art House Gallery, Studio, and School in Craftsbury Common

People and Mass Transit

Ann Young will present her works of mass transit and people at the inaugural exhibit in our new space at 1376 North Craftsbury Road, just 1/4 mile from our current site. These images from underground cities and backwoods pubs will be on exhibit through the month of May.

Opening:
Friday, May 4
6:00 - 9:00 pm
First Friday Art Talk: 7:00 pm

PRESS RELEASE: UV PhotoSlam 2012 at PHOTOSTOP Gallery in White River Junction

The third Upper Valley PhotoSlam 2012 exhibit will be on display beginning May 4th  at the PHOTOSTOP Gallery.  An opening reception, open to the general public, is scheduled for May 4 (a White River Junction, VT First Friday) from 5-8 pm. The exhibit continues through June 1, 2012. Music, food, and award presentations will be part of the opening night festivities.

Gallery Director Lia Rothstein put out a call for photographers of all ages and levels of experience to submit their photos for this third annual photo event. Over 115 photographers of all ages (5 to who knows what), amateur to pro and everything in between, shared their photos for inclusion in the popular PhotoSlam event.

The Gallery had pledged to print at least one image from each photographer and, as a result, there will be over 185 photographs with diverse imagery on display once again. Color, black and white, and digitally manipulated images will all be shown.

PHOTOSTOP Gallery is located in Suite 150 on the first floor of the Tip Top Media Arts Building, 85 North Main Street, White River Jct.,VT 05001. Gallery hours are Weds. through Saturday from  12-5 pm during exhibitions. On First Fridays and opening nights, the gallery is open until 8 pm. Other hours are available by appointment.

For additional information, call 802.698.0320. PHOTOSTOP's website is www.photostopvt.com.

Images:
Love by Farren Stainton, 5 years old
Summer Rain by Shawna Gibbs

PRESS RELEASE: Kathrena Ravenhorst-Adams at Blinking Light Gallery in Plainfield

Spring in Bloom:
A Show of Watercolors, Oils and Pastels by
Kathrena Ravenhorst-Adams
At the Blinking Light Gallery May 1 - June 30, 2012
Reception for the Artist May 12, 4-6 pm

Scenes of the details of nature and the landscape are Kathrena Ravenhorst-Adams' favorite subjects. A resident of Northfield, Vermont, she received her BA from Mary Baldwin College and later studied watercolor under the late Mitsue Elston in Aberdeen, Maryland.

Ravenhorst-Adams relocated to Vermont in 1982, and earned her Master of Arts Degree in Art and Natural History through The Graduate Program at Vermont College of Norwich University, spending many hours wandering the fields and woods painting and drawing from nature.  During this time she taught watercolor painting, nature drawing and pen and ink sketching through Creative Education, Inc. of Northfield, Vermont. 

After moving to Natick, Massachusetts in 1986, she was active in the Concord Artists Association and the Framingham Artists Guild and taught watercolor at the Danforth Museum School, during this time exhibiting in many individual and group shows including the Guild's show in Symphony Hall in Boston.

Since returning to Vermont in 1992, Ravenhorst-Adams has taught watercolor at Studio Place Arts in Barre and is active in many local groups including the Barre Paletteers, Chandler Gallery in Randolph, the Art Resource Association, the Greater Barre Craft Guild, Bryan Memorial Gallery, the Vermont Pastel Society, Vermont Watercolor Society, Vermont Hand Crafters, and others.  She is a member of the art show committee of the Paine Mountain Arts Council and shows her work in the Annual Paine Mountain Art Show in Northfield.   Her work may be seen at the Blinking Light Gallery in Plainfield, Vermont, the Creative Space Gallery in Vergennes, Vermont, Studio Eleven Gallery in Lexington, Virginia and at her home studio in Northfield during the Annual Vermont Open Studio Weekend in May. 

Artist's Statement
My special love is nature. In celebration of the spring season, I've  assembled an exhibit of paintings featuring flowers, birds and spring scenes. Some of my watercolors show the point of interest in detail with the background in soft focus, calling attention to the subject. In others, I've chosen a more expressionistic, energetic style showing the excitement and exuberance felt when viewing the bright colors and patterns of the floral subject.  Although I am more known for my watercolors, also included in this show are several of my oils and pastels of garden scenes.

Image:
Dwarf Iris Garden, Watercolor

PRESS RELEASE: Marie LaPre' Grabon at Korongo Gallery in Randolph

Marie LaPre' Grabon will exhibit her work from April 27- June 3 at Korongo Gallery, 18 Merchants Row in Randolph. Vernissage / Reception:Friday, April 27, from 5 to 7

Over the past thirty years Marie LaPre’ Grabon has exhibited her work in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. She has had numerous individual exhibitions, the latest to be held at River Arts in Morrisville, Vermont, and Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury. “I am visually interested in the minutiae of my immediate environment,” Marie says, “but my intent when painting is to seek out the essence of the place—to create a personal language in order to express a pure feeling. As we humans push the land to the brink of disaster I have begun to think of my paintings as small prayers, small pleas to the world to remember, to love.” Marie received her undergraduate degree from Massachusetts College of Art in Boston and a graduate degree in drawing and painting from Goddard College. She continues to maintain her studio in her home in Hardwick, Vermont, where she is currently producing drawings, paintings, and mixed-media works of art.

Image: Spring Thaw, acrylic on canvas,  21" x 26 1/2" 

PRESS RELEASE: Tabbatha Henry and Sage Tucker-Ketcham at Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery in Shelburne and Select Design in Burlington

Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery will be presenting  

TWO/ Tabbatha Henry and Sage Tucker-Ketcham: Two Artists, Two Locations, Two Mediums

One part of the exhibit will take place at Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery, May 4-June 5, with an opening reception on Friday May 4, 6-8 p.m.

There will also be a concurrent exhibit of larger work by the two artists at Select Design,  208 Flynn Ave # 1A  Burlington, (802) 864-9075. This will be showing May 4-June 30, with an opening reception on Friday May 18, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Tabbatha Henry is a ceramic artist based in Vermont.  Having worked with clay for 20 years, she has chosen porcelain as her medium, designing and creating objects inspired by the landscape she inhabits. Her  sculpture has been exhibited and installed internationally. "I am continuously inspired by the Vermont landscape.  The ever changing seasons, the shifting light and shadows, the patterns and colors, all inform my work. I choose to create objects that reflect the tranquility and beauty I am able to experience only when alone in the woods.  I believe that as humans our lives have become increasingly hectic and separate from nature and her processes.  As such, I am constantly attempting to counteract that disparity.  It is my hope that during someone’s busy day they might find solace, or a place of rest, in the work I create.  Ultimately I hope that in that calm space they gain the ability to find their place in the order of things."

Sage Tucker-Ketcham is a tenth generation Vermonter who has her BFA from Maine College of Art and her MFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Many of her multi-layered abstractions in mixed media combine subtlety of color and texture with detailed ink drawings reminiscent of tattoo iconography. Others revel in boldness of design and a use of primary color, with a  surface tension that rivets the viewer.

The exhibit is curated by Chris Copley, who is affiliated with Select Design.

Images:
Sage Tucker-Ketcham, Painting Pattern,mixed media
Tabbatha Henry, Mountains, ceramic

PRESS RELEASE: Hal Mayforth at Studio Place Arts in Barre

My Sketchbook Made Me Do It:
Sketchbooks and Paintings by Hal Mayforth

April 17 - May 27
3rd Floor Gallery, Studio Place Arts

Opening Reception April 27, 7-9 PM during the Annual SPA BASH (a ticketed event; more information at SPA website)


Artist's Statement: I set aside time every morning to draw and brainstorm in my sketchbooks, which I started in earnest in 1973. From these sessions, concepts for paintings emerge; ideas are formed by my love of petroglyphs of the Southwest, outsider and self-taught artists, sideshow banners, vintage cartoons and comics and automatic drawing. What holds these influences together is a certain off-kilter sensibility that I am told goes way back many generations in my family history.

PRESS RELEASE: Northshire Artist Group at Equinox Village in Manchester Center

Equinox Village is showing work by the Northshire Artist Group from April 20 -- May 14 at Equinox Village, 49 Maple Street, Manchester Center.

Shown are six members of the Northshire Artist Group--Marilynn Morrissey, Mary Cardel, Katherine Buchmayr, Maynard Deen, Muriel Roeth and Dorothy Mulherrin, standing before their work at The Gallery at Equinox Village. The exhibit is open to the public from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily.

PRESS RELEASE: The Grand opening of the Vermont Institute of Contemporary Arts (VTica) in Chester

 The grand opening of the Vermont Institute of Contemporary Arts (VTica) in Chester is set for Saturday, May 5 beginning at 5:30 p.m.Watercolors in The Paradise Suite, a major thematic series developed over the past three years, by Jeanne Carbonetti will be on view. The exhibition marks the first time that many works will be seen in public.

On hand for the opening and gala ribbon cutting will be Megan Smith,  commissioner of Marketing and Tourism. Patricia Moulton Powden, deputy secretary of of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development and Alex Aldrich, executive director of the Vermont Council on the Arts.  As Smith said, “The arts have demonstrated their ability to be an economic driver in Vermont’s creative economy. With the opening of VTica dedicated to the contemporary arts  we have another voice to add  to our Green Mountain landscape of talented artists and innovative organizations that have made our State a special destination.”   

In her Paradise Suite works, Carbonetti tackles the imagery of landscapes, still life and the figure.  For her, paradise is “beauty, truth and love and represents the three faces of unity beyond the world of duality.”  Of the nearly 65 paintings on display, many are large 40” x 40” subjects.Carbonetti has developed a unique method for emphasizing the fluidity of transparent color. She uses this technique to reinforce her special vision: the theme of natural rhythms.  As she has written, “art is not a luxury; it is a necessity, not just for society, but for every individual as well.”  Carbonetti will explain her approach to a subject and its interpretation in a free gallery talk on Sunday, May 6 at 2 p.m. at VTica.

The show, The Paradise Suite:  Watercolors by Jeanne Carbonetti will be on view through June 17.  Throughout the exhibition, special events are planned including performances by Barbara Ween/George Kay duo on May 12, the jazz of LaVoz des Res on May 25 and the Scott Mullett Jazz Trio on June 2.  All performances are at 8 p.m.  On May 18 Bruce Duncan of  the Terasem Movement Foundation will present the final program in the three-part series with a live interview with Bina 48, the world’s most advanced social robot.

Image: For the Love of Matisse II

PRESS RELEASE: Helen Day Art Center features advance screenings of Art21 in May and June

On May 10, Helen Day Art Center, in partnership with Art21 as part of its Access '12 initiative, presents a sneak preview in advance of the premiere of the sixth season of Art in the Twenty-First Century, the only prime time national television series focused exclusively on contemporary art. The event features a preview of Art21 Season Six: Change. This event is free and open to the public.

Art21 Access '12 events are being hosted by museums, schools, libraries, art spaces, community centers, and universities worldwide. Each event features an exclusive advance screening of one or two episodes from Season Six of the documentary, as well as an educational component, such as talks by local, regional, and national artists; lectures; panel discussions; interactive art-making projects and question-and-answer sessions.

The following episode(s) will be screened during the May 10th event:
Episode 1: Change
This episode features artists who bear witness, through their work, to transformation—cultural, material, and aesthetic—and actively engage communities as collaborators and subjects. Ai Weiwei, El Anatsui, and Catherine Opie are featured.

MAY 24th:
Episode 4: Balance
Through sculpture, paintings, and installations, the artists in this hour grapple with equilibrium and disequilibrium as they create highly structured works that challenge conventional notions of perception and representation. Rackstraw Downes, Robert Mangold, and Sarah Sze are featured.

JUNE 7th:
Episode 3: History
In this episode, artists play with historical events, explore and expose commonly held assumptions about historic 'truth', and create narratives based on personal experiences. Marina Abramovic', Glenn Ligon, and Mary Reid Kelley are featured.

JUNE 21st:
Episode 2: Boundaries
This episode presents artists who synthesize disparate aesthetic traditions, present taboo subject matter, discover innovative uses of media, and explore the shape-shifting potential of the human figure. David Altmejd, assume vivid astro focus, Lynda Benglis, and Tabaimo are featured.

ABOUT ART21
Over the last decade, Art21 has established itself as the preeminent chronicler of contemporary art and artists through its Peabody Award-winning biennial television series Art in the Twenty-First Century. The organization has used the power of digital media to expose millions of people of all ages to contemporary art and artists and has created a new paradigm for teaching and learning about the creative process.
In addition to its PBS series and year-round series-based education and public programs efforts, Art21 has expanded its film production and educational efforts in recent years. Several new initiatives have been launched in the past year including New York Close Up, a new documentary series on Art and Life in New York City, and the premiere of Art21's first feature film, William Kentridge: Anything Is Possible. Art21 also offers Art21 Educators, an ongoing professional development program for teachers now entering its fourth year.

PRESS RELEASE: Annual Student Art Show at the Chaffee Art Center in Rutland

The Chaffee Art Center will open a new exhibit on Saturday April 28, 2012. The Annual Student Art Show will feature artworks from K-12 public schools and home school students in the Rutland Area. There will be an opening reception on Saturday April 28 from 1-4 PM at the Chaffee Art Center, the reception is free and open to the public. The opening reception will feature cookies donated by Woodstock Cookie Co., milk donated by Thomas Dairy, and Orange Drink donated by McDonalds on Woodstock Avenue. Other exhibit sponsors include the Rutland Veterinary Clinic and Surgical Center, and the Vermont Country Store.

On Saturday May 12, from 10 AM-3 PM the Chaffee is inviting students to stop in for Arts Exploration Day. Chaffee Art Teacher Kristen Partesi and volunteers will be assisting with various art projects throughout the Chaffee galleries based on famous artists. Arts Exploration Day is free, donations are always appreciated.

The Annual Student Art Show will run through May 19, 2012.

Image: artwork by Ella Lawkes, Wallingford Elementary School

PRESS RELEASE: Galen Cheney at BCA Center in Burlington

Burlington City Arts is pleased to announce a new exhibition by Vermont artist Galen Cheney, entitled Street Level, opening Friday, May 4th from 5-8pm with an artist talk and reception. Street Level, featuring Cheney’s large abstract paintings, will run through June 23rd on the main floor of The BCA Center on Church Street in Burlington.

In Street Level, Vermont artist Galen Cheney creates abstract paintings using a multi-layered technique that makes them chaotic, vibrant and dense. Drawing inspiration from Aramaic script and urban graffiti, Cheney’s ethereal landscapes evoke the emerging sense of hybridization encapsulated by contemporary culture and global society. With a diverse visual vocabulary, Cheney’s work uses line, form and color in a way that pushes and pulls the audience, creating a completely unique experience with each piece.

In a recent artist statement, Cheney says “I have long been attracted to the history, complexity, and form of language. Much of my current work includes the use of nearly recognizable letters as abstract forms. The use of spray painted letters/language, embedded in a painterly, abstract wall painting also evokes the tension between street/outsider art and establishment/insider art. That conversation interests me; as a formally trained painter still working on the fringes, I feel like I walk the line between those two worlds.”

135 Church Street Burlington, VT 05401 P 802.865.7166 F 802.865.7044

Image: Calligraffiti 3, oil on wood panel, 48" x 32", 2012

PRESS RELEASE: Ed Epstein at the Supreme Court in Montpelier

Ed Epstein
Recent Paintings

at the Supreme Court

May 2 - June 28
Reception on Friday, May 4, 5-7 PM

111 State Street, Montpelier
Hours: M-F 8 AM - 4:30 PM
Closed May 18, June 15 and holidays

Image: Self-Portrait, Route 40, Indiana, 1953