Works on Paper—National Show, juried by Al Miner
Click here to enter: Smarter Entry, SSAC Works on Paper
July 18–Aug 31
Bancroft and Dillon Galleries: BLUE RIBBON MEMBERS’ SHOW
judged by Linda Shoemaker, Executive Director of Arlington Center for the Arts!
Sponsored by:
FACULTY FEATURE: Valerie Forte Vitali
OPENING RECEPTION: July 18, 6–8 PM
BLUE RIBBONS awarded to:
Patricia's Studio, David Bohl, Stripe Disguise, Sue Gallagher,
Cool Surroundings, Laurinda O'Connor, Oxidation, Joe Norris
Honorable Mentions awarded to:
June, Joanne Kaczowoka
Etude, Jan McElhinny
Farmyard Shadows, JoAnne Chittick
Spring Flower, Ariana B. Clark
Self portrait,> Cooper Lagsdin
I Coulda’ Had a V8, David A. Lang
Three in a Row, Polly Pyne
Judge’s Statement
I would like to thank South Shore Art Center for the opportunity to act as judge for the 2014 Blue Ribbon Members’ Show. The impressive array of artwork, the wide variety of media, and the diversity of creative vision on display made my task challenging indeed.
Against the soaring lines of the Bancroft Gallery and the warm intimacy of the Dillon Gallery, the SSAC’s Members’ Show is at turns intimate, energetic, challenging, charming, humorous, and extremely fresh and accomplished throughout.
I enjoyed viewing all the work and had a difficult time selecting only 4 Blue Ribbon winners from such a strong field of submissions.
My four choices are pieces that drew me in, kept me there, and drew me back again.
Laurinda O’Connor’s pastel Cool Surroundings achieves an extraordinary range of light, from the darks of the deep forest to the luminous brights of the farmhouse beyond. Together, the glowing sky, the house in half-shadow, and the deep woods create a magical, dappled scene that draws the viewer into this beautiful small world and creates a distinct sense of place.
Of all the non-representational pieces in the show, Joe Norris’ Oxidation brought me back again and again. The layers and textures, the marks, materials and symbols, and the use of color all drew me to explore its depths and surfaces. The colors and textures play expertly with the rusty metal panel, creating a strong and compelling conversation and composition.
My remaining two Blue Ribbon choices are both photographs, but with very different styles and strengths.
I don’t know the Patricia in David Bohl’s photograph Patricia’s Studio, but I sure want to. Her cocky gaze, her gnarly hands, the circle of portraits, that cigarette front and center – there’s a big personality here, and I’m guessing a big story, too. A powerful and engaging portrait with a compelling air of mystery.
Sue Gallagher’s Stripe Disguise looks like the one in a million reward for roaming the world with the eye of a photographer. The split-second moment, the street, the child, the gesture, the sweater—even the tiny socks—all create an unforgettable and supremely appealing image.
In addition to the four Blue Ribbons, I had the pleasure of selecting several more pieces to receive Honorable Mentions.
Polly Pyne’s Three in a Row is both bold and intimate, with a striking and confident use of color in this small study of three red apples against a magnificent blue field.
JoAnne Chittick’s Farmyard Shadows doesn’t have a single wasted paint stroke. Her use of color, light and shadow create a clean and compelling farmyard scene.
Joanne Kaczowka’s June creates a magnificently big sky feeling on a very small canvas.
Nearby, Jan McElhinny’s abstract Etude similarly creates a vast landscape in a very small space.
David Lang’s playful kinetic wire sculpture “Coulda Had a V-8” is funny, inventive – and it really runs!
Among the children’s work, Cooper Lagsdin’s cut paper Self-Portrait exhibits a strong sense of color, shape and composition, and Ariana Clark’s watercolor Spring Flower bursts off the wall with a bold and confident use of color and an ability to make a small flower big enough to fill the page!
Congratulations to the SSAC and all the artists for a truly wonderful show. This exhibit is a celebration of the diverse creative talents of your membership and it was a great pleasure for me to be part of it.
Thank you.
Linda Shoemaker
Executive Director, Arlington Center for the Arts
Sep 12 –Oct 19
Sponsored by Gloria and Tony DiPaolo
Bancroft Gallery: Printmaking Show – Ann Guiliani, Curator
Dillon Gallery: The Marks of Men—Andrew Anderson-Bell, Bernard Korites, Colin Moore, Sergio Roffo,
Mike Sleeper
Faculty Feature: Lilly Cleveland
OPENING RECEPTION: Sep 12, 6–8 PM