Show of Naumann paintings opens Saturday at New Haven Free Public Library

New Haven Free Public Library Art Gallery
133 Elm St., New Haven
Inner Feelings/Inner Thoughts: Paintings by Dana Baldwin Naumann
Mar. 14—Apr. 9, 2009.
Artist's reception: Sat., Mar. 14, 2:30—4:30 p.m.

Press release

Dana Baldwin Naumann usually creates fanciful and fabulous sculpture, mostly crafted from hammered lead sheets. Like his sculpture, Naumann's paintings also depict whimsical, mythic and archetypal scenes. But his paintings have never been shown publicly. Until 1994, Naumann had a successful career as Vice-President of Sales and Marketing with the Westinghouse Corporation in Pittsburgh, but then determined to devote his life to his art, a decision he says he has never regretted.

Mr. Naumann's works are in the permanent collections of The Aetna in Los Angeles, CA, and in Hartford, CT, and Villanova University, Villanova, PA. He designed and contributed sculptures to the permanent collections of United States Special Olympics, and a sculpture created on the theme of the Holocaust was given to the Thomas Dodd Center, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. Other gifts of work were made to the East Shore Adult Day Care Center in Branford, CT, and to the Aids Project in New Haven, CT.

For many years Naumann maintained his artist studio at Bittersweet Farm, Branford, until that property was lost to developers. He and his wife Terrell, who specializes in women's fashions, now share the Naumann Gallery in a former chapel they own at the conjunction on Route 139 and near Route 80 in North Branford. Dana's artworks have been shown at Homestyle Gallery in Providence, RI, Broadfoot + Broadfoot in New York City, Artworks in Hartford, Art Expo in NYC, the Mystic (CT) Art Guild, Vital Gallery in Hawaii, Fre Wil in Los Angeles, CA, at the York Square Cinema Gallery in New Haven, and at the Jewish Community Center in Amity, CT.

Art critic Steve Starger wrote about his work: "Naumann's finely wrought sculptures aren't depressing or oppressive. He draws on African and mythological references to create monolithic faces that are inspired by ritual masks and statuary, like monuments or totems left by a long-vanished civilization. These elongated faces appear aloof and ascetic, but are also strangely poignant, and each emanates a sense of mystery and longing."

There will be an artist's reception for this show tomorrow, Sat., Mar. 14, from 2:30—4:30 p.m.