“Emergence” a solo exhibition of acrylic paintings by Mary Schuler, will be shown at State of the Art from August 3 through 28, 2011. A reception for the artist will be held on Gallery Night, Friday, August 5, from 5-8pm with a wine tasting courtesy of Americana Winery. About her painting, Schuler says: “I use color and abstraction to evoke emotions about cities and nature. These abstractions and exaggerated colors are intended to focus our attention upon these conflicting and essential realities while providing a pleasing pattern on our wall.”
State of the Art is located at 120 W. State Street. There is curbside parking and the gallery is ADA accessible. Hours are Wed. – Fri., 12-6pm and Sat. & Sun., 12-5pm. Contact information: 607-277-1626, www.soag.org and http://maryschuler.com
Leslie Brill’s show at State of the Art during June presents scenes of Ithaca and studio creations painted both stateside and abroad in oil paintings on canvas and tempera paintings on paper. Of interest to Ithacans, is “Slope Day”, a painting that “humorously acknowledges the presence of academic and transient people who populate the city.” A reception for the artist will be held Friday, June 3, 5-8pm with a wine-tasting courtesy of the Red Newt Winery.
Show dates are June 1-26, 2011.
Gallery hours: Wed. – Fri., 12-6pm and Sat. & Sun., 12-5pm. 120 W. State Street.
The gallery is ADA accessible with curbside parking.
More info: 607-277-1626, www.soag.org // www.lesliebrill.com
Elisabeth Gross-Marks presents “Color Cascades,” an exhibition of paintings and collages, in April, at State of the Art Gallery. About this work, the artist says: “I did paintings on paper and made collages using all kinds of materials and found objects. I like to experiment and to find new ways to express my joy for colors, shapes and movement. I want to create exuberance and excitement for the viewer of my art.” Her show will run from March 30 through May 1, 2011, with a reception at the gallery on Friday, April 1 from 5-8pm. Thirsty Owl Winery of Ovid, New York, will host a wine tasting at the reception.
State of the Art, located at 120 W. State Street, is ADA accessible with curbside parking. Hours: Wed. – Fri., 12-6pm and Sat. & Sun., 12-5pm.
There is something about symmetry that has always fascinated me, particularly radial symmetry. This is the symmetry of the mandala. I have been drawing mandalas for many years. The past few years I have taken photographs of flowers and foliage and used the computer to turn them into what I call “Botanical Mandalas.”
I decided to spend the past year exploring the mandala form and variations on radial symmetry. I kept a journal of my thoughts in this process, along with the images, in blog format. Over the course of the year, I tried to create a new work each week. Images and text are chronicled in my blog: http://ayearofmandalas.blogspot.com/
“A Year of Mandalas” is at State of the Art from Feb. 2 through Feb. 27, 2011. A reception for Daniel will be held Friday, Feb. 4 from 5-8pm at the gallery.
FOUR DIMENSIONS, the first exhibition of 2011, will showcase the four new members of State of the Art: Mary Ann Bowman, Ileen Kaplan, Janet Byer Sherman and James Spitznagel. Bowman will show ceramics and photographs, Kaplan and Byer Sherman will exhibit paintings and Spitznagel will show digital abstract prints.
A reception for the artists will be held Friday, January 7 from 5-8pm. A wine tasting will be provided by Bet the Farm Winery (http://www.betthefarmny.com/) from Aurora, NY. In addition to this reception, a second reception will be held at the gallery on Friday, January 21 also from 5-8pm in conjunction with Ithaca’s LIGHT IN WINTER festival. Then, on the last day of the show, Sunday January 30 at 3pm, the WOMEN’S CHORALE OF 171 CEDAR, a singing group to which Ileen Kaplan belongs, will give a concert at the gallery. The Chorale is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2011, by having a series of small salon-type concerts in various venues and they have chosen the State of the Art Gallery for one of their performances.
Show dates for FOUR DIMENSIONS are January 5-30, 2011.
The gallery will host its second Members’ Show of 2010 in September and the work of twenty-five of the gallery’s members will be exhibited. Members will exhibit paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, sculpture and other three-dimensional work. Those members not showing work in September, will show work in our May 2011 Members’ Show. A reception will be held Friday, September 3 from 5-8pm. Show dates are September 1 through 26.
“The Sky’s the Limit,” an exhibition of paintings in pastel by Carol Abitabilo Ast will be at the gallery August 4-29. A reception for the artist will be held Friday, August 6 from 5-8pm with wine tasting compliments of Damiani Wine Cellars.
Carol says: “Much of the work in this exhibit demonstrates my fascination with the sky. Always the backdrop, whether looking out a window or being out-of-doors, here it becomes a prominent feature. With the sky emerging from the chorus line to stardom, the nature of the land is also changing in this exhibit. Landscape is often associated with shades of green, but only a few of these paintings have any green in them at all. Winter, rock and dusk rob the land of its traditional color, but present the viewer with beauty of a different sort.
Basically I use my pastels to preserve and share what I find beautiful. The world is packed with controversy, stress, frustration, anger. To allow loveliness in any manifestation to enter the mind is to regain humanness. I hope this exhibit succeeds in some way in this direction.”
The artist periodically conducts pastel landscape workshops in New Mexico, New York and Maine and much of the work in this show represents her views of those places. You can visit Carol’s web site and see more of her work: www.carolast.com.
The artist will be sitting at the State of the Art Gallery every Saturday during the month of August.
“Landscape and Light,” a show of photographs by David Watkins, Jr. opens June 30 and runs through August 1, 2010, at State of the Art. These photographs are from several of the photographer’s favorite places: his own perennial garden, the Maine coast and woods and country around Laramie, Wyoming. Watkins says: “In this show I’ve tried to exhibit a range of images all based on how the light at the time affected my own response. Most of the images in the show have a strong graphic sense. Some represent just a mood or experience while out with the camera…some a more manipulated, graphic representation of the original image.”
A reception for the artist will be held Gallery Night, Friday, July 2, 5-8. Watkins will be sitting at the gallery July 2, 3,10, 31 and August 1. Hours: Tues. – Fri., 12-6pm, Sat. & Sun., 12-5pm. The gallery is ADA accessible with curbside parking.
Ithaca sculptor explores gay and interracial marriage debates
Basics
Couple on Display
Couples Young and Old
Growing Up
A Concise History of Marriage Equality in the U.S.
Public v. Judges
Relics
Sad Irony
Spooned
State Birds / Flowers / Marriage (New York)
Temple
What Makes a Marriage
In January 2010 Eva M. Capobianco will present “What Makes a Marriage?” at State of the Art Gallery in Ithaca, NY.The show will be a benefit for Marriage Equality New York and the Ithaca Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender Task Force (ILGBTTF).Fifty percent of the profits from all sales at the show will be shared equally by these two organizations.
The exhibit dates are January 6-31, 2010.There will be a reception for the artist on Friday, January 8th, from 5-8pm.Harpist Myra Kovary has generously agreed to perform at the reception free of charge in support of the fundraiser.State of the Art Gallery is located at 120 W. State Street, Ithaca, NY.Hours are Wed. –Fri., 12-6pm and Sat. & Sun., 12-5pm.The gallery is ADA accessible, free and open to the public.The artist will be present at the gallery from 12-5pm each Saturday during the exhibit.
The work for this exhibit began during the general election in November, 2004.Ms. Capobianco states: “I found myself deeply upset by how the issue of gay marriage had been used by conservatives as a wedge issue to mobilize their base.”Feeling discouraged, she began to explore ways to use her art to compare today’s struggle for gay marriage equality with the fight for legal interracial marriage that culminated in the historic Loving v. Virginia case in 1967.Reading and researching these two issues has lead to some fascinating comparisons.The artist has incorporated quotes and ideas from these parallel debates into her sculptures in ways that she hopes will foster a healthy discussion about them.
Gay marriage has now become legal in several states, but it has also seen major setbacks in recent months and years.Capobianco says “My partner and I have been together for 27 years.Right now we COULD choose to get married in Canada or Iowa or several other states and that marriage would probably be recognized by our home state of New York.But it would not be recognized by the federal government.That would leave us without most of the benefits and protections that straight couples enjoy.It is important to support organizations that are working to educate the public about the fundamental unfairness of our current system.”
This exhibit is also part of the Light in Winter Festival, www.lightinwinter.com.There will be a second reception during the festival, on Friday, January 22nd, from 5-7pm.
