First Friday for September is Art-Abundant!
By Lele Galer, Columnist, The Times
Although many of us will be looking to enjoy one last burst of summer, either sitting by the pool or spending time with friends, there are a number of interesting art happenings this Labor Day weekend.
In Kennett Square, Mala Galleria welcomes abstract painter Ellen Catanzaro in a new gallery show entitled “Nature in Abstract”. Ellen paints in oil on large wooden surfaces, and often works in collaboration with an interior designer or home owner to fit just the right size and colors into a given setting. Ellen has 8 large paintings in this show. Each shares an airy quality that resembles a natural setting, but is purely abstract.
An abstract painting by Ellen Catanzaro, as featured at Mala Galleria.
With her lovely choice of colors and wispy paint application, you can easily see why this artist is so popular in our area. Ellen Catanzaro’s Mala Galleria show has its opening reception this Friday, September 2 from 6-9pm at Mala Galleria on 206 East State Street in Kennett Square; sponsored by Kennett Brewing Company.
Also, the one and only Kennett Flash is teaming up with Mala Galleria for the entire month of September, where Mala will donate 20% of the proceeds from original painting sales to support the Kennett Flash. Mala Galleria owner Stella Scott wants to help “keep Kennett Flash doing the great work they do – making us happy with good music!” What a great way to support the art community of Kennett Square – bravo to Mala Galleria and to the Kennett Flash for partnering up for September!
This Sunday, September 4th The Delaware Art Museum has an opening reception from 1-4pm for “Fluidity – Four Artists/Four Visions” in the Outlooks Exhibition Gallery at the museum. Since 2008, The Outlooks Exhibition Series has provided a unique (and highly sought after) exhibition space for selected group shows of local artists. The exhibitions are always compelling and beautifully hung and presented by the museum’s curatorial staff. “Fluidity” includes the works of 4 local artists: N. Sarangoulis, Libbie Soffer, Carla Lombardi and Valetta.
Curator Dr. Mary F. Holahan, writes “The women in this exhibition disclose their inner and exterior words…This excursion through the minds of four women encapsulates how hopes, dreams, memories and reflections of the past converge into an orchestrated presentation.” From sculpture to oil and water color paintings, this interesting group of artists use their talent, wit and intuition to present singular artistic points of view. The show runs September 3 -February 13, so there is plenty of time to see it, but only one time to meet all of the artists- this Sunday.
Next Tuesday, September 6th, there is an art opening for the esteemed Philadelphia Watercolor Society, which has their 116th Anniversary International Exhibition of Works on Paper at the John H Baker Gallery in West Chester University’s E.O. Bull Center for the Arts. This watercolor group is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the country, and I am looking forward to seeing such an exhibition of living masters! The award ceremony reception and Artist Gallery Talk will be later in October, but the starts with an opening reception this Tuesday the 6th.
“Verve” by Erica Loustau, at West Chester University.
While you are in the art center, also check out the exhibit “Glimpse/Glimmer” by artist and WCU popular art faculty Erica Loustau. The artist opening reception for this show is Wednesday September 7th from 4-7pm. “Glimpse/Glimmer” features one of her bright, airy flock of birds installations. It flies through the ceiling at the Knauer Gallery in the Swope Music Building (next to the E.O. Bull Center) and is captivating. It reminds me of the immense swarms of birds that we see from time to time in Chester County, with the coloration and fun of an Alexander Calder mobile. Wonderful things are happening in the galleries at West Chester University this month!
From West Chester to Wilmington to Kennett Square, galleries and art associations are gearing up for an art-filled Autumn, starting with this week’s First Friday opening receptions.
In West Chester, pop into “Mirage”, the new optical sensation show at The Art Trust, curated this month by board members Jeff Schaller and Lisa Strode. Three artists including photographer Keith Sharp, Phoenixville sculptor Tom Ransom, and encaustic monotype printmaker David Clark, challenge the viewer with ideas of perception.
In an interview, Jeff Schaller talked about the concept of a mirage, something that draws you to it because that is what you want to see, but as you approach it, reality and desire conflict and it becomes something else altogether.
Mirror, Mirror- photograph by Keith Sharp , The Art Trust.
In Keith Sharp’s image “Mirror Mirror”, three arborvitae are set against a white fence, where the shadows of one set of trees complete the bisected trees behind the fence. It is a tidy image of clean lines, bright blue sky, and absolutely ordinary landscaping of a parking space, which is made interesting by the shadow’s trick of the eye.
Jeff explains that all the artworks “have a sense of movement to them. David Clark’s ‘Arrow’ seems to shudder and blur, but it is a still monotype; Tom Ransom’s sculptures all have motion, but they are stationary, and Keith Sharp’s photographs move the viewer back and forth within the picture.” Come to the artist’s opening reception for “Mirage” at The Art Trust at The Meridian Bank, 16 West Market Street in West Chester Sept. 16 from 5-8:30pm.
