Two openings Thursday at Middlesex Community College

Middlesex Community College The Niche
100 Training Hill Road, Founders Hall, Middletown, 1-800-818-5501
Jessica Schwind: Cultivated Castaways
Through Mar. 6, 2010.
Opening reception, Thurs., Feb. 18, 5—7 p.m.

Press release

Jessica Schwind's mixed media works synthesize animal and vegetal worlds into unexpected juxtapositions that express an existential view of the natural world. Animal imagery, as in "Pigeon," is transformed to harmoniously dwell within the color infused realm of the backyard garden. Schwind writes that:

Cultivated Castaways brings focus to the lives of creatures that are commonly regarded as nuisances or irritants in our culture. We sometimes celebrate the death of these creatures as a result of our victory to control nature. This exhibition attempts to highlight their existence as part of our interconnected eco-system.

Her works have been included in exhibitions at the Fresno Metropolitan Museum, (CA), Contemporary Art Center of Virginia, (VA) The Hudson River Museum, (NY), McDonough Museum, (OH) and The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, (CT).

The Niche is located on the first floor of Founders Hall and open: Mondays through Thursdays 8:30 a.m.—6 p.m., Fridays & Saturdays 8:30 a.m.—4 p.m.

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Middlesex Community College Pegasus Gallery
100 Training Hill Road, Chapman Hall, Middletown, 1-800-818-5501
Jorge Costa: Dystopia
Through Mar. 6, 2010.
Opening reception, Thurs., Feb. 18, 5—7 p.m.

Press release

Jorge Costa's process derived imagery evolves out of a morphological exploration of perception. Paintings and drawings twist, spin and distort imagery to reside indeterminately between the recognizable and the highly abstract. Viewer visual cognition is thoroughly exercised by these works as they propel tangible forms through an intriguing series of fun house mirror effects and mutations. Costa's work has been included in exhibitions at Westfield State College, (MA), Artists Space. (NY), Real Art Ways, (CT), Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, (Kobe, Japan), and Oporto Foundation for Artists, (Oporto, Portugal).