The Art Gallery at Eissey Campus presents “Collective Synergy,” a juried exhibition by members of the Palm Beach County Art Teachers Association at Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, May 17 through September 2.

The 25 instructors in the show teach kindergarten through twelth grade with the School District of Palm Beach County. There will be 65 works of art in the show, from photography, digital photography, mixed media, ceramics, to collage on paper, oil, watercolor and acrylic painting, and pen and ink.

Kovachik

Vase by Kovachik. 14 by 8 inches, wood fired ceramic, $350.

Usefulness, interaction, sharing, involvement, and history are all words Brian Kovachik uses when he talks about creating his functional artworks utilizing the potter’s wheel. Kovachik is a teacher at Jupiter High School.

“My works are made from various stoneware clay bodies exposed to wood firing processes. The emergence of earth tones in colored glazes and slips address visually a relationship between the vessels and the origin of the material. There is an immense connection with the past, present, and future that I find very gratifying.”

From ancient eastern methods of wood firing to modern day wood firing, this process connects a community of potters with the past. Though formed and manipulated to serve a purpose, pleasure is taken continuing this developed connection with the user in everyday life by having his works used with a purpose, he said. “My works are intended to be used in common everyday rituals such as eating meals, socializing, and aesthetic enjoyment.

“I receive gratification from taking form, function, and comfort into consideration as I create works that will connect the user and myself for many years.”

Cappella

Diane Cappella, a teacher at Independence Middle School, said she’s been an artist as long as she can remember.

“I love being in the zone”and escaping to my right brain,” she said. Cappella has a B.F.A. degree

"The Look of Love" by Cappella. a 20-by-20-inch photograph on canvas, $300.

from Penn State University, with a major in painting and a minor in sculpture and photography. “I love all of them. I also have an M.S.E. degree from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. I have been teaching art most of my life. Now that I’m retiring, I will be able to devote more time to my own art. In the past several years, I have become an avid nature photographer specializing in wildlife and taking it upon myself to crusade for our diminishing wildlife and their much needed habitat.

“I have been exhibiting my photos for several years now and will publish a book in the near future.”

Feingold

In her artwork, Britt Feingold, a teacher at Bethune Elementary School, strives to stimulate thoughts and provoke feelings in the viewer.

“I want them to be curious, interested, and thinking about the work even when it is no longer visible.

Feingold's "Reflection," photography 17 by 14 inches, $200.

“I am proud of the work that I choose to do and hope that I can ignite the senses. While deciding what to create, I try to visualize the piece finished, how I want it to look, and what I am trying to say. I like using a variety of media and as to how I choose what to use, it depends on what I am trying portray and how I want the viewer to feel. I enjoy the satisfaction that at least in my eyes, I have accomplished my point and created something worth paying attention to.”

As an artist, creating is time consuming, she said. “Works might take a day, a month, or what seems like an eternity. The process is different for each individual artist. When I have finished that work though, the satisfaction of seeing what I have visualized come to life fills me with unbelievable pride. In that moment, I am so happy to be an artist and to be sharing my joy with others.”

Feingold enjoys photography because she likes to document the world around her and how she sees it. In certain frames it is the colors, shadows, reflections, stillness, an emotion, or simply the natural beauty of what is being shot that appeals to her. “I mix up color and black and whites; I feel that certain shots can only be one or the other, other times both. I have a great admiration for nature and strive to show that in my work.”

All of the artwork is for sale, with prices ranging from $50 to $1,200. The opening reception is Tuesday, May 17, from 5 to 8 p.m. The juror for the exhibition is Sherry Stephens, an associate professor at the College. The opening reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.

The Eissey Campus Art Gallery atPalm Beach State College is at 3160 PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens. The gallery is located in room 113 the BB building. Gallery summer hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday – Thursday. For more information about the exhibit, call Karla Walter at (561) 207-5015.

“Visions: Real & Imagined,” featuring the work of artists Elle Schorr and Nathan Selikoff, opens at Palm Beach Gardens City Hall, Monday May 9.

This exhibition explores two different approaches to capturing and portraying the complex world surrounding us, juxtaposing the photographic images of real city life as seen by Schorr with imaginative and abstract computer generated imagery by Selikoff. Both present representations of the world around us: Schorr’s based on reality as seen through her camera, Sellikoff’s based on the underlying, and unseen, realities of science and math as imagined through his computer.

Schorr

“My photographs are reflections taken on city streets, and explore the intersections of past and present, old and new, shadow and light as captured by my camera in real time,” Schorr said.

“I seek out the cacophony of city life, looking for a fuller experience of the streets, the neighborhoods, the mood, the changes in lifestyles and eras in which the city was built.

At times, my images become mysterious, even magical. They are of real life, but often not realistic, nor literal.” More of Schorr’s work can be seen on her Web site.

Selikoff

Said Nathan Selikoff’: “My explorations take place in the fuzzy overlap between art, mathematics and programming, transforming the non-visual reality of equations and systems into abstract imagery in the form of prints, animations, and installations.

Using the computer as my primary artistic tool and pulling from such diverse areas as chaos and population simulation, I mix mathematics with traditional elements of design to create experimental cutting edge art.” His work can be seen on his site.

"Downtown Blues" by Schorr, 30" w x 22" h, 1/10, $1,200.

"Death Mask 1" by Selikoff, 33" h x 23" w, $315.

"Evolution" by Schorr, 28" w x 40" h, 1/10, $1,500.

"Helios" by Selikoff, 36" x 36", $985.

The exhibition, part of Palm Beach Gardens’ GardensArt program, opens in Palm Beach Gardens City Hall, on Monday, May 9, with an reception on Wednesday, May 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. It continue through June 23. Palm Beach Gardens City Hall is located at 10500 North Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens. Exhibition hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information, call Amy Stepper at (561) 630-1116.

Fine Art at West Best hosts Collaboration Art Show April 23 through May 5. Featured artists are: Aidana Baldassarre-wearable art, Anthony Burks Sr.-mixed media, Barbara Cheives- fiber artists, Christina Major-painting, Ilene Adams- photography, Kristy Garloff-painting, Norman Gitzen-sculpture, Rainer Lagemann-sculpture, SAMM-vocalist; photography, Trina Slade-Burks-author; mixed media, Ursula Fernandez-painting, Verónica Volani Inza-painting.

Fernandez

Ursula Fernandez, an artist from Lake Worth who has a studio at West Best, explains that the piece pictured here is one in a series of three that portrays faces of farmers.

“This man, from my previous hometown in Cuba, is a typical hard-working farmer smoking a cigar that he made from the leaves of tobacco he has cultivated all his life. An old straw hat protects him from the hot sun. His features show that he is old and tired, but not ready to give up.”

"The Old Farmer," ink on paper. 25 by 30 1/2 inches, $700

Adams

Tracy Rosof-Petersen, prices range from $400 to $1,200.

Clay Glass Metal Stone Cooperative Gallery presents “Earth, Bowl- Sky, Basket,” celebrating Earth Day’s myths and legends on Friday April 15, from 6 p.m to 9 p.m. as Earth and its gifts inspire artists to produce the wide variety of work.

Rosof_Petersen

Tracy Rosof-Petersen, curator of the event, exhibits pottery with native clays, pigments and firing techniques that echoes Native American art.

Showalter

Maria Hayden and Jesse Showalter use ancient pit

Hayden

firing and saggar techniques to create works that are contemporary, yet echo the past.

They take their works from 1,200-degree fire and plunge them into smoking debris that imparts color for controlled surprises with each piece.

Using polishing stones similar to Native American burnishing technique,s they compress the clay surface until it shines and then apply grasses, seaweed, oats, horsehair and naturally found chemicals to the surfaces.

Maria Hayden, price is $100.

Since the survival of the coral reef along the Palm Beach County coastline is cause for concern, Reef Rescue is the gallery’s guest on this evening.

Jesse Showalter, price of vessel, $45

Reef Relief work to increase public awareness, strengthen grassroots support and promote eco-tourism that protects and preserves coral reef ecosystems.

Pianist Nino DiSilva will entertain visitors to the gallery and wine and food will be offered.

Clay Glass Metal Stone Cooperative Gallery is located at 605 Lake Avenue, Lake Worth. Gallery openings are the first and third Friday of each month from 6-9 p.m.

For information, call (215) 205-9441.

Coffee: some see it as an essential to the day, and insist on Starbucks. Artist Sam Perry fits into that category, and calls himself a “Starbucks junkie.”

Sam Perry

“When I’m not teaching at Palm Beach Atlantic University, the Digital Media Center, Armory Arts Center AND The Lighthouse Center for the Arts in Tequesta, I’m at Starbucks — morning and nights,” he said.

Perry has always enjoyed observing people, studying them and DRAWING them. His latest body of work, “The Starbucks Series,” exhibited at Liman Gallery March 25 through April 9, comprises oil paintings, pen and ink sketches and prints and are the product of his many Starbucks hours.

Take, for example, the elderly disabled gentleman that Perry observed, a flashy patron reminiscent of Perry’s favorite rock star, Brian Ferry. He became the subject of “Old Get Wiser.”

“Old Gets Wiser,” 72 by 48 inches, oil on wood, $14,800

A young woman, portrayed in “Studying for the Bar,” becomes the subject of Perry’s artistic study and composition.

Perry believes people should not take themselves so seriously, and, as such, his work reflects a lightheartedness and whimsy, a freshness and unusual perspective.

Watch out the next time you visit Starbucks on Clematis. Perry might be drawing you!

Perry’s show opens at Liman Gallery on 4-7 p.m. Sunday, March 27, with a painting demonstration at 3 p.m. Liman Gallery is located at 139 N County Rd., Palm Beach. Hours 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For information, call the gallery at (561) 659-7050.

Liz Segall and Jim Sagui

JF Gallery in West Palm Beach is presenting “The Muses Are Heard (and They’re Loud),” an exhibition of the work of Liz Ghitta Segall and James Sagui, a married couple who work and create together, February 24 through March 24.

There is no escaping the sound (sometimes a low, carefree humming, sometimes a noisy, nagging whining) of the Muses that pass between them at any given moment whether it be over morning coffee at home or across the parking courtyard that separates their two studios in the Northwood section of West Palm Beach, they say.

This particular exhibition showcases new work from each which was inspired by the other.

For example: Segall found herself using her husband’s woodshop materials — walnut stain for furniture — in her paintings and Sagui discovered a link in his line figure drawings not too dissimilar to his wife’s sketches.

"Madrigal #1" by Liz Segall is an oil-on-wood, 24 by 48 inches, priced at $3,200

James Sagui's "XXY," metal & gold leafed, 7 by 9 by 25 inches, $4,500 each.

JF GALLERY is at 3901 S. Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach. The opening night reception is on Thursday, Feb. 24 from 6-9 p.m. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For information, call (561) 478-8281.

Thought to have some fun at the American International Fine Art Fair by looking for narratives — what the visual works of art have to say, so to speak, and, dealers enjoyed playing along.

Boy and Girl, $7,500.

Above is a scarf, part of Whitford Fine Art’s collection. A young man approaches a young woman straight on. Her dog is trying to keep him away, because it does not want to share its mistress’s affection. The young lady faces her viewers, and appears uninterested, but her right foot is turned toward him , she is about to turn, (don’t you think?), and face her beau.

Art historian Gabriel Toso, a representative of Whitford, said, that’s possible, but maybe the young man was bringing her flowers, because he was sorry for something that he’d done…

… In truth, Zika and Lida Ascher, famous textile designers in the 40s and 50s (even the Queen of England wore dresses made with their fabrics, he said, adding ladies knew how to dress in those days), asked some well-known artists to collaborate by creating designs. Then the scarves were sold, worn, and enjoyed. Some, though, were preserved. Like this one, “The Lovers Boy and Girl,” which was designed by Andre Derain.

Barry Friedman was showing some of Wendell Castle’s chairs. This one, a table and chair looked very soft, for wood — it’s made of Peruvian walnut. And comfortable, too, a Friedman representative said.

Wendell Castle, $90,000.

Very organic, it looks like it took root and just started to grow. The grains are lovely, too. How much weight would it hold, since the seat looks to extend from the base of the table? 650 pounds, Friedman said without blinking. He admitted he just made up that number for fun, but added the chair was very sturdy, and it could handle an elephant…

Stone Fossils $48,500.

These natural stone fossil murals were at the fair last year but this year, one is hung in the sushi bar — don’t you love it? These, though, are not on the menu — they might be kinghtia escaena…

These fossils are unearthed, extracted by hand from a quarry in the Northwest, and are exhibited by Eostone.

Below are two examples of works by Australian Aborigine artists; they come with stories freely. They are shown at Leslie Smith Gallery and researcher Robbert Hovenberg pointed out that the one directly below shows patterns of animal tracks and baskets.

Australian Aborigine Art

Australian Aborigine Art

And this one, directly above, looks somewhat like a map. Before the Aborigines were rounded up, they would make these map-like designs of the desert, a watering hole or some important part of their cosmos. At birth, an Aborigine would have a custodial site (like a watering hole) and the snake would come down from dream time, and curl up around the watering hole, and that presented a clear image to that Aborigine so that he could find the spot again.

This one looks like a bird’s eye view of sand dunes.

Over a period of time, these spiritual symbols morphed into geometric designs, as the Aborigines transferred their talents from a drawing on a “canvas” comprised of their skin or part of their environment to expressing themselves through art with paint on canvas. Often, Hovenberg said, the background would be black, because they used to draw these symbols on their skin. Or red, because they drew them in the sand or on stone.

And this changeover from the spirit world to the artistic world is a fairly new development, he said. Three of the artists, for example, walked out of the wilderness in the 1980s, naked, and having lived all their lives as hunter-gatherers…

The fair continues through February 13. Hours are noon until 7 p.m., and until 6 p.m. on the 13th. It is held at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. A one-day pass costs $15.

by Christine Davis and Beate Rodewald

Northwood University’s Jeanette Hare Art Gallery presents works by members of the National Association of Women Artists (NAWA), February 4 through March 25. with an opening reception, Thursday, Feb. 25 from 3-4 p.m.

"Atlantic Avenue Reflections," by Emalee Andre is 24 by 20 inches, framed photography. $350.

Emalee And

Thirty NAWA members will be showing 51 works in the show.

“My paintings are usually layered with different images,” said Emalee Andre of Palm Beach Gardens.. “So during a walk down Atlantic Avenue one morning I saw this reflection in

Lori Baer

a shop window and immediately snapped the picture to capture that same kind of look in a photograph.”

Said Lore Baer: “The welding process requires such intense concentration and focus that it takes me to a different world, where I can be someone I never knew I was. I have tried to express that feeling in this sculpture.”

"Grounded," by Lore Baer, is a 38-by-14-by-32 inch sculpture. $7,500.

"Everywhere Poppies," by Lynn Morgan, is a 20-by-28-inch pastel. $650.

Lynn Morgan

“This painting was based on many vistas I saw on a painting trip to Southwestern France this past June,” said Lynn Morgan. “The poppies were in bloom everywhere and were irresistible to paint.”

Baer and Morgan are also Palm Beach Gardens residents.

The Northwood University Jeannette Hare Art Gallery is located at 2600 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach, Florida (It is located on the first floor of Northwood’s Turner Education Center.) Gallery hours are 9 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday; and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For further information relating to the exhibit, please call Northwood University’s Cultural Arts office at (561) 478-5532 or (800) 458-8325 or e-mail mccreery@northwood.edu.

Wellington resident, Arnold Levine’s photography, “Arrivals and Departures,” will be exhibited at the Jan and Gary Dario Gallery, Lake Worth Campus, Jan. 20 – Feb. 24.

An  artist and graphic designer, Arnold Levine is a three-time Grammy award-winning art director and designer for Columbia Sony Records and former senior V.P. creative director of Sony Music. This installation exhibits the current directions of Levine’s lifetime of work.

“Arrivals and Departures” features 45-by-30-inch black and white images of Levine’s 26-hour Amtrak ride from New York to West Palm Beach. For this installation, the gallery will be transformed into an actual train station, complete with constructed sets from the theater department, large standing photographs and an Amtrak ticket booth. This photographic display documents the narrative of constant travelers moving quickly from one place to another.

The exhibition’s opening reception is from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 20. Palm Beach State College is located at 4200 S. Congress Ave., Lake Worth. Gallery hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. For more information, contact Kristin M. Hopkins at (561) 868-3909.

Egrit with Hibiscus

The Wellington Art Society’s first meeting of the new year will be followed by a collage demonstration by one of its member’s, local artist Adrianne Hetherington.

Hetherington began her career in 1972 as a textile designer in Miami. Her wallpaper books and hand-painted fabric designs were parts of collections in interior design showrooms in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and the DCOTA building in Dania, FL. She also paints murals and has recently added to her repitoire, handmade tiles with her own carving and glazing technique.

She was a tile-art instructor at the Ceramic League of Miami for three years, 1998 to 2001, before moving to Royal Palm Beach. She also worked as art director of an 8 by 20 foot tile mural at Baptist Children’s Hospital in Miami. Her work has been on display from Miami to Palm Beach in exhibitions that include Art in Public Places in both Wellington and PBIA. Among her awards are the People’ Choice Award.

Hetherington

Founded in 1981, The Wellington Art Society is open to artists of all mediums and patrons of the arts, providing both local and regional artists the platform to share their work, learn more about their craft and serve the community through their art. The Wellington Art Society is open to any resident in Palm Beach County. Membership forms will be available at the Open House if you would like to become a member. A 501(c)(3) charitable organization, its mission is to educate and encourage originality and productivity among its members and area youth through programs designed to further the advancement of cultural endeavors in the western communities. For more information, visit their website, www.wellingtonartsociety.org, or call W.A.S. president Suzanne Redmond at (561) 791-2194.

The January meeting and Hetherington’s demonstration will be at the Wellington Community Center, 12165 West Forest Hill Blvd. Light refreshments will be served beginning at 6:30 p.m. The general meeting begins at 7 p.m., followed by the collage demonstration. Entry fee is $5 for non-members and the demonstration is expected to begin around 7:30 p.m.

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