Opening reception at Silver Circle Gallery in Putnam Fri., Oct. 4

Silver Circle Gallery
75 Main St., Suite 3, Putnam, (860) 928-2900
Selections from CT ArtList
Oct. 4—27, 2013.
Opening Reception: Fri., Oct. 4, 6—9 p.m.

Press release from Silver Circle Gallery

The Silver Circle Gallery in Putnam, CT. is proud to present Selections From CT ArtList, a group show featuring new work from Amy Almeida, Jessica Bartlett, Tiffany Johnson, Ashleigh Kay and Lori Warner. There will be an opening reception on Fri., Oct. 4 from 6—9 p.m. at the Silver Circle Gallery. The show will run from Oct. 4—27, 2013.

Amy Almeida is a New Fairfield-based painter. She has an MFA from Western Connecticut State University. She says of her work, "I reproduce recognizable inanimate objects by portraying them in unrecognizable situations rooted in my own experiences. By altering the scale and color, I create a visual tension between the familiar objects and how they are functioning. My paintings symbolically embody sadness and despair allowing for an experience that is authentic. While confrontational, I paint visceral awareness that suggests something happening beneath the surface of our immediate understanding."

Jessica Bartlett who also has an MFA from Western Connecticut State University, and lives in Torrington, CT will exhibit her contemporary landscape paintings. "I find that landscapes have provided me the ultimate opportunity for seeing my environment (and my work) in an excitingly unpredictable way while kneading line into paint and paint into line. As the seasons pass I find myself preoccupied with the concept of painting fluidly and directly and using strokes of color to separate planes and depth through light. I have also found myself noticing the qualities of the surface of the paintings and their ability to either draw in and/or keep a viewer out of the picture space. This realization in particular has allowed my work to become more than just the study of my environment but to also become an outlet for expression."

Tiffany Johnson has an MFA from Western Connecticut State University, and has completed residencies at The Vermont Studio Center, The Chataqua Institution, and most recently Weir Farm National Park in Branchville, CT. She currently lives in Danbury CT, but she has created series of paintings about exploring, and developing an intensely personal relationship with the places she depicts, including Harlem, NY, Vermont, Chataqua and CT. When asked to describe her paintings, she says, "My work is based on an idea of interpreting a situation of who I am—of the past and present—and how I absorb and gather the settings I am placed in through color to express a moment or feeling."

In addition to being an exhibiting artist, Ashleigh Kay is also the Marketing & Outreach Coordinator of the Silver Circle Art Center, and has been instrumental in organizing and promoting the CT ArtList exhibition. She has a BFA in Painting from The Hartford Art School at The University of Hartford, and has been actively engaged in the local arts community since graduation in 2009. She exhibits her work locally and internationally.

Lori Warner has a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, and owns and operates the Lori Warner Studio and Gallery in Chester, CT. Lori creates unique woven monoprints, and encaustic paintings.

The Silver Circle Gallery was established in 2008 by Carly Martin, longtime resident of northeast CT, who envisioned having a fresh and inspiring space where local and regional artists and artisans could exhibit their work, sell one-of-a-kind handmade gifts and boutique items, and individuals of all ages could improve their quality of life by taking art classes. With the support of many passionate and dedicated individuals, Silver Circle has become a haven for the artistic community and an advocate for the benefits of creativity for any and every one.

CT ArtList opens inaugural pop-up show this Saturday

CT ArtList
703 Kent Rd., Gaylordsville
CT ArtList Pop-Up ExhibitionFeb. 9—28, 2013.
Opening Reception: Sat., Feb. 9, 4—7 p.m.

Press release from CT ArtList

CT ArtList (www.ctartlist.com) is presenting it’s first pop-up show of artists from the website’s curated image bank.

The art and artist resource website was founded in September, 2012 by Danbury painter Megan Marden. Marden, who has an M.F.A. in painting from Western Connecticut State University, created the site to provide visibility and valuable information to working Connecticut visual artists. In November 2012, the website was profiled on Sharon Butler’s art blog Two Coats of Paint.

Painting by Amy Almeida

The website lists information on 155 (and counting) Connecticut galleries and art spaces. Additionally the website provides listings for arts employment, internships, grants and residencies. Calls for artists and exhibition opportunities statewide are updated on a regular basis.

The curated image bank currently features 18 artists from every corner of the state, and in all different stages of their careers. An overwhelming majority of the featured artists are graduates of Connecticut art schools.

Marden maintains the website with the assistance of Hartford artist Joe Bun Keo. Together, they have spent hundreds of hours updating, promoting, and improving the quality of the web-project on a strictly volunteer basis.

"As artists ourselves, we examine all of the information we put up onto the website personally. We make sure that everything we post is of real value," says Marden.

Keo’s artwork, which often humorously deals with the eccentricities of language and interpretation will be on exhibit along with 13 other artists from the image bank.

New Fairfield painter Amy Almeida who has an M.F.A. from W.C.S.U. says of her large-scale paintings, "I reproduce recognizable inanimate objects by portraying them in unrecognizable situations rooted in my own experiences. By altering the scale and color, I create a visual tension between the familiar objects and how they are functioning."

Painter and sculptor Yelizaveta Masalimova's hyper-realist, and emotionally charged sculptures invoke memories of her early childhood in Kiev, Ukraine. Masalimova earned her B.F.A in Sculpture from the Lyme Academy in Lyme CT., and her M.F.A. in painting from the University of Connecticut.

Daniel Bohman is currently a graduate student at the University of Connecticut says of his work, "My paintings are comprised entirely of found imagery which range from commercial photographs to anonymous pictures from image searches. Piece by piece the work progresses through trial and error- disparate images and the points of view inherent in them are constantly rearranged and consolidated. Understanding is altered as the paintings grow and new elements re-contextualize existing realities. I welcome this awkward exchange as I seek to highlight absurdity and contradiction present in everyday life."

Marden says, "I’ve selected these artists based on the strength of their work alone, but I must say that I have been so thrilled that so many of the applicants have been young artists, and recent graduates just like me. These artists’ works vibrate with a youthful vigor that isn't always well represented in the Northwest Corner’s arts community."

The opening reception will include free food and drinks, and a trunk show by Twitch and Whiskers - up-cycled jewelry made by Danbury artist Mei-Ling Uliasz. The event is free and open to the public. Donations to support CT ArtList will be accepted.

ARTISTS:

Amy Almeida
Matthew J. Best
Daniel Bohnam
Ethan Boisvert
Matthew Cassar
Charlie Cunningham
Kevin Ferreira
Jim Felice
Matthew Hester
Jana Ireijo
Tiffany Johnson
Joe Bun Keo
Janet Lage
Yelizaveta Masalimova