OLD FORGE — View, center for arts and culture, will kick-off the new year with four new art exhibits:
• “Recycling Nature: Revitalizing The Handmade Tradition” by Rachel Singel. This exhibit is on display now through May 2.
Rachel Singel is an Assistant Professor at the University of Louisville. She grew up on a small farm in Charlottesville, Va., and received a bachelor of arts from the University of Virginia in 2009 and a masters of fine arts in printmaking from the University of Iowa in 2013.
Singel has participated in residencies at the Penland School of Crafts, the Venice Printmaking Studio, Internazionale di Grafica Venezia, and Art Print Residence in Barcelona, Spain. She has also studied non-toxic printmaking at the Grafisk Eksperimentarium studio in Andalusia and recently continued her research at Wharepuke Print Studios in New Zealand. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and represented in private, public, and museum collections.
As she explains:
“My imagery comes from what I see in nature. From a hollow in a tree to a break in the clouds, absence is a recurring motif. These spaces intrigue me, and I begin to wonder where they might lead. The work is my response to the intricacies and depth of natural forms. I seek to observe the processes of nature and embody them in my own works of art.”
• “Inside Woodland Textures and Layers.” On display Jan. 18 to May 16.
“Inside Woodland Textures and Layers” seeks to focus on a multi-sensory experience of the worlds hidden from view within the trees, plants, animals, and birds inhabiting a woodland environment.
“We can see, smell or hear wind, trees, bark, leaves, bugs, birds, and animals, but we cannot see the science and ecology at work in insect communities under bark, molecular structures of plants, tree rings, photosynthesis, and botanical details — to name a few,” organizers noted. View Arts Center sought artists to capture these hidden details inside the textures and layers of the woods and is proud to present visitors and members with “Inside Woodland Textures and Layers.”
• “Beneath the Layers + Ekphrasis: Art that Inspires Poetry” by Susan Behrens. This exhibit will be shown Jan. 25 to March 14.
Behrens’ current work is in abstract painting with oils and cold wax medium. Her paintings have been exhibited at 4Art Space at the Zhou B Art Center in Chicago. Behrens’ work has also been in invitational and numerous juried exhibitions. She received her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1983 with an emphasis in ceramics. Her ceramic works consisted of both functional ware and nonfunctional pit fired pottery.
As she explains:
“My paintings begin not with a preconceived idea, but in a playful manner with paints, shapes, and marks. Layers build up and are later scraped back to reveal what is hidden beneath the surface. Textures and shapes find their way to the surface allowing my paintings to evolve naturally.
“I am attracted to the organic textures, materials, and life forms that nature offers. Not knowing what the final outcome will be when I begin a painting is exciting. Being surprised at the outcome brings me great joy. This is a creative process that demands experimentation, playfulness, focus, and attention. It teaches me trust, patience, and awareness. For me, painting is both liberating and calming. I love the process and delight in the outcome.”
• “Textures and Layers: A Walk in the Woods.” This national juried show will be shown from Feb. 1 to March 28.
“Textures and Layers: A Walk in the Woods” is a multi-sensory experience created by the varied textures and layers of the Adirondack environment.
“From micro to macro scale, we are bombarded by the combined visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory event. View Arts Center wants to recreate the impression of these sensory experiences in its inter-connected galleries. It is looking for artists’ responses to the textures and layers of the woods and invites artists to submit to the show,” organizers said.
Its Juror of Selection and Awards is Susan Behrens. Behrens’ is a nationally-exhibited artist. Recent awards include 1st place in Natural Homes: Nests, Burrows, Caves and Trees at View Arts and 1st place at the Artragious Bird Exhibit in Whitewater, WI.
An opening reception will be held for all four exhibits on Feb. 21 from 4-6 p.m. View is located at 3273 Route 28 in Old Forge. To learn more about View programming, go online to ViewArts.org, or call 315-369-6411.
Source: View announces upcoming exibits | Rome Daily Sentinel
