March 11 – April 15, 2006

Opening Reception, Saturday, March 11,  6 - 8 pm
 
Reception for Young Professionals Connection
Saturday, March 25,  6 - 8 pm
 
Gallery Talk by Michele Leavitt
March 26, 2 - 4 pm
 
Grant Writing for Artists Workshop
Monday, April 3, 6:45 - 9:45 pm  
 

SELECTIONS, an exhibition of works by eleven members of the Art League of Rhode Island, will be on view at Hera Gallery in Wakefield, RI from March 11 – April 15. The public is invited to attend the opening reception on Saturday, March 11 from 6 – 8 p.m.

Founded in 2000, the Art League of Rhode Island is a non-profit organization that seeks to inspire artistic growth and excellence, to bring national recognition to Rhode Island and its arts community, to encourage education in the arts, and to improve the quality of life in our state by enhancing cultural opportunities. In addition to organizing exhibitions of members work, the Art League offers classes and workshops to artists and the general public. With an artist membership selected by a jury of peers, the Art League counts some of New England’s most prominent artists among its members.

Exhibiting artist Michele Leavitt will present a gallery talk entitled “First, Do No Harm: The Art of Recycling,” on Sunday, March 26th from 2 - 3 p.m. Michele Leavitt, a graduate of Cornell University's MFA program, describes her painterly fabric collages as "Textile bits selected from the scrap bag..."  Her approach to artmaking is influenced as much by the contemporary use of unconventional materials as it is by her family's tradition of reinventing recycled materials.  In her recent artist's statement Leavitt writes, "Necessity required my ancestors to recycle: we are part of folk art traditions such as quilting and rag rug making born to meet everyday needs."  To hear more about her artistic process, and to see how ordinary materials can find a new creative life, join us on Sunday, March 26th from 2 - 3 p.m.

Sculptor Belinda Gabryl and printmaker Margot Rubin will give an informal talk about their art from 3 - 4 p.m, following Michele Leavitt's presentation.

The exhibition will showcase pieces in diverse media from oil painting to photography, textile collage to digital rendering.

Representing works in three dimensions are ceramic sculptures by artist Belinda Gabryl. Like many pieces in the show, Gabryl gives a nod to tradition through her figurative representa-
tions, while pursuing an imaginative exploration of the both human and natural forms.

Artists Marjorie Ball, Dora Atwater Millikin, Sandra Aarons Krupp,
Nancy Gaucher Thomas and Madolin Maxey, all of whom work in the traditional mediums of oil painting, drawing and printmaking, challenge the conventions of these mediums with poetic grace and playful energy. The delicate translation of a winter landscape by Bell transcends the reality of these cold New England months, while graphite renderings of a female nude, provide moments and space for quiet lingering.

Mixed media artists, Michele Leavitt, Margot Rubin and Felicia Touhey combine materials to create complex visual statements, provoking thought and sensation through texture and vibrant color. These materials allow images to avoid a narrow reality, creating an imaginative and lively interaction.

Represented as well, are prints from photographer Hiroko Shikashio and images from digital artist, Krzysztof Mathews. The artists’ use of digital media differ in content and presentation, representing a diverse picture of work in new medias.

Each artist exhibiting in, Selections: Work from the Art League of Rhode Island, derives inspiration from disparate sources. This body of work emerges as a whole through the consistent attention to craft, and the strength of each artist’s personal voice.

Left:
Marjorie Ball
The Path to the Training School, Oil, 23" x 23"

 
 

Click any image to view
larger version

Right:
Hiroko Shikashio
Leaves Pattern the River
Digital photograph, 15 " x 15 "
 

 
 
Left:
Michele Leavitt
Northern Shore
Fabric collage, 20" x 20"
 
 
 

On Saturday, March 25th, the Art League's Young Professionals Connection (YPC) will host its first Gallery Networking Reception at Hera Gallery from 6 - 8 pm. The reception is free of charge and includes complimentary wine and hors d’ oeuvres.

The YPC was formed in late 2005 with a goal to expose Rhode Island professionals, ages 21 - 34, to the art world, providing them an opportunity to network with their peers while meeting artists, learning about collecting art, and contributing to the community through the venue of the arts.

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A workshop on Grant Writing for Artists will be held on Monday, April 3 from 6:45 – 9:45 PM.
The goal of this workshop is to demystify the process of grant writing, explaining the various components for a successful grant including budget, time lines and researching appropriate funders. It is an appropriate workshop for individual artists, collaborative artists and arts organizations.

Pre-registration is recommended. Suggested donation: $10.

The workshop is presented by Barbara Bernstein, a practicing artist and currently a Senior Critic at Yale's School of Art MFA program. For the past five years, The College Art Association has invited Bernstein to present the workshop to its members as have other art groups and academic art departments. She has been fortunate to receive grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts among others.

These programs are presented with partial support from The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, Hera Educational Foundation, The Friends of Hera, and the Art League of Rhode Island.