I attended the opening reception for A Northern Refuge: Cherish, Protect at the Work Gallery this past Friday evening. Stamps lecturer Cathy VanVoorhis curated the exhibition and also contributed several paintings to the exhibition. Other contributing artists included the painter, Nora Venturelli, and the photographer, Lisa Steichmann.
A moderate amount of people attended the opening reception. A Northern Refuge: Cherish, Protect spotlights the natural environment. The natural environment has been a source of inspiration for artists for centuries and the exhibition highlights its ongoing utility to contemporary artists. Several of the pieces were old-school and impressionistic paintings rather than more contemporary installation or mixed-media pieces.
The following is an excerpt from Venturelli’s artist statement: “I find an overwhelming, therapeutic tranquility while painting outdoors, and a spontaneity that does not happen in the studio. The rush of the breeze, the heat of the sun, the sounds of the fields. It all adds freshness and vivacity to my work. I am usually drawn to long vistas, wide-open spaces. I’m attracted to subtle changes in textures and color, the overlapping and layering of planes.” The piece included in the exhibition was a sepia-toned and slightly melancholic landscape painting. Click here to visit Venturelli’s website.
Steichmann’s photographs were scattered between the paintings. The photographs were also shadowy and slightly melancholic. The photographs were the most contemporary and visually-surprising pieces of the selection. Click here to visit Steichmann’s website.
Here is an excerpt from VanVoorhis’s artist statement: “For me, a landscape painting is a portrait of a specific place with the plants and terrain of that location. All of the species together create a community of interdependence, with a life of its own.” She continues with the following couple of sentences: “There is great satisfaction for me in using the time-honored materials and craft of oil painting. I’m glad to get away from electricity and technology for a while, to simpler processes that feel very direct and immediate.” VanVoorhis’s pieces exhibited artistic talent yet were visually-predictable. The piece, Tamarack Lake, is displayed prominently. Click here to visit VanVoorhis’s website.
The exhibition will end on Thursday, November 12.
