EXHIBITIONS / EVENTS

Three New Exhibitions!
 
OF WOMEN - Art by and about women
 
BLACK & WHITE - The world in black and white and shades of gray
 
THE HUMAN FIGURE - The art of world's most enduring subject
 
Exhibition plus special events:
April 19 – May 18, 2008
Opening Reception:
Sunday, April 27
1 PM – 3 PM

The Rockaway Artists Alliance is pleased to announce three huge reasons to visit Fort Tilden galleries now that Spring is here.

On Saturday April 19 Of Women, Black and White and The Human Figure, three exciting new exhibitions, at the Rockaway Center for the Arts (Roca). Each of these shows runs to Sunday May 18.

A grand reception celebrating all three exhibitions on Sunday, April 27 from 1-3pm. RAA openings are noted for their liveliness, robust attendance and surprises. Artfully arranged refreshments and engaging entertainment will fill the afternoon and many of the artists will be on hand. Gallery goers may not only enjoy the arts but also support them, as many of the works will also be offered for sale by the individual artists.

Of Women, in sTudio 6, showcases the women artists of RAA. It explores the vast diversity of women as each gives her own perspective in a variety of media. "I use color, expressive brush strokes and vibrancy to convey the joy I feel… ," says painter Susan Conrad. Or as Mary Volovar, painter, poet, and graphic artist, puts it simply "I have always been an artist."

Of Women is scheduled to run over the Mother's Day weekend, a perfect time to share the experience of these accomplished artists and their work with someone special. With this in mind, Sophia Pulkoski-Skeans, whose mixed media installation weaves together her mother's photos and mementos with her own paintings, says "This is in part a tribute to my (own) mother, and of course, all women."

Meanwhile in sTudio 7, the Black & White exhibition will be seeing things from yet another perspective. It invites viewers, through drawing, painting, photography, mixed media and more, to step into a new world of black and white and all the shadows and shades of gray in between. Proving that black and white is not the absence of color, but the opening to a world of new depths and insights, this exhibitions gives new focus and new meaning to sometimes everyday things. The draw of imagination is irresistible. Says artist Stephanie Schmidt, speaking of her photo of tulips, "I tried to capture them in as simple a manner as possible to show off their inherent beauty." The same could be said for the multitude of images that make up Black & White.

"Hot Pink"
by Susan Conrad, Oil & Acrylic on canvas

"The Moon"
by Sheryl Humphrey, Oil on linen

"City Hall Station"
by Jessica Schulman, Pen & Ink

"Iron"
by Eileen Morrissey, Oil on canvas

From the timeless medium of black and white, sTudio 7 also hosts many interpretations of the world's most enduring subject as RAA presents The Human Figure. The body human becomes the canvas on which each artist brings out their own interpretation of an artistic frame that goes back nearly to the beginning of time.

Said painter and photographer Dan Guarino, "Paintings of people found on cave walls go back to even before written words and language. I think the fascination is that as human beings we instinctively recognize the human form, in it we see ourselves."

Artists for these shows include: Penelope Atheras, Madeline Braisted, Casey Brouder, Susan Conrad, Janet Dever, Nancy Ebert, Amanda Francin, Esther Grillo, Ann Hourigan, Shirly Holt, Jena Homsey, Mitzi Humphrey, Sheryl Humphrey, Martha Elliot Killian, Ruth Kraiem, Larisa Levina, Gabrielle Mangano, Mary Meade, Eileen Morrissey, Ann Murray, Maria Said, Stephanie Schmidt, Sophia Pulkoski-Skeans, Lois Stiene, Ludmilla Vaynberg, Mary Volovar, Stephanie Volovar, Susan Baldwin. Marybeth Bruner, Erin Garrity, Dan Guarino, John Grillo, Jeanette Israel, Denis Macrae, Joe Rothenberg, Jessica Schulman and Stephanie Saunter.

Gallery hours are Saturday 12-4p.m., Sunday 1-4 p.m. and by appointment. For information call (718) 474-0861, e-mail rockart116@aol.com

RAA works in partnership with the National Park Service at Gateway National Recreation Area and in part is supported by NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, JP Morgan Chase, The Independence Community Foundation and Brooklyn Brewery.

Fort Tilden, located in the Rockaways, is an historic and now decommissioned U.S. Army post. Today it is home to many cultural, community and sport activities and serves as a premier part of Gateway National Recreation Area, a unique urban national park that spans several boroughs and incorporates beaches, marshlands and bird and wildlife refuges. Winter and summer its beaches, fields and trails offer sanctuary to many a city weary traveler.

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