"Self Ease" reception at Perspectives Gallery Sat., May 10

Perspectives: The Gallery at Whitney Center
200 Leeder Hill Rd., Hamden, (203) 772-2788
Self Ease: Contemporary Portraiture
Through Jun. 17, 2014.
Artists' Reception: Sat., May 10, 3—5 p.m.

Press release from the Arts Council of Greater New Haven

The Arts Council of Greater New Haven presents a new twist on the "selfies" trend. Organized by Debbie Hesse, Self Ease: Contemporary Portraiture brings together seven artists who work within the tradition of portraiture. The exhibition features artwork by Eileen Carey, Steven DiGiovanni, Megan Marden, Larry Morelli, Katro Storm, Erika Van Natta, and Jeff Wrench. The exhibition is on view now at the Perspectives Gallery at Whitney Center, 200 Leeder Hill Drive, Hamden, Connecticut. Gallery hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4—7 p.m. Join us for a special public reception on May 10, 2014 from 3—5 p.m.

Self Ease focuses on the psychological nuances regarding how we see ourselves and how we choose to be seen, commemorated, and remembered. Eileen Carey paints colorful portraits of people she knows in great detail as well as faceless crowds that explore the interaction of people in a fast paced culture. Jeff Wrench sketches faces of strangers on paint swatches and wallpaper samples creating casual portraits that are both specific and mysterious. Steven DiGiovanni puts people into ambiguous settings, using the surrounding objects as props to draw out meaning. Katro Storm, Megan Marden and Larry Morelli rely on personal, gestural and painterly mark making to create ambiance and psychological tension. Erika Van Natta creates a video portrait, via a self-designed kaleidoscope of herself singing original lyrics that finds cohesiveness thru geometric fragmentation.

Artwork by Eileen Carey

In addition, digital portraits or selfies emailed in from the general public will create a collective tapestry of how we see ourselves in a rapidly changing technological world. These fleeting digital captures offer a counterpart to the paintings and video in the exhibition, framing a dialogue about the history and future of this artistic genre. To participate, send digital selfies to selfeaze@gmail.com. Selections will also be included in an online exhibit at NewHavenArts.org.

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