Drawn Together, a group art exhibition, is scheduled for display at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in downtown Pittsfield, MA from November 13, 2009 through January 9, 2010. Running in sync with the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, Drawn Together includes the work of Linda Baker-Cimini, Betsy Dovydenas, Julie Edmonds, Paul Graubard, Barbeio Barros-Gizzi, Susan Hartung, and Grier Horner, who have met regularly in the Berkshires to critique and mentor each other through their artistic journey. The exhibit will open with a free reception on Friday, November 13, from 5 to 7pm. Refreshments will be served and attendees will have the opportunity to meet and talk with the exhibiting artists.
[flickr album=72157622781552018 num=5 size=Square]
The group began when artist Betsy Dovydenas and Paul Graubard were enrolled in classes at IS 183 in Stockbridge and working with a teacher, Cham Hendon, who emphasized the importance of camaraderie with other artists. Dovydenas said, “It wasn’t so much that we critiqued each other, although we did; it’s that we were friends. His gift was respect to us as artists.”
Hartung, who helped organize the show, notes, “We are a community, coming together regularly as a group, meeting in each other’s studios, engaging in ongoing dialogue about a particular work we bring, or broader issues of a working artist. We talk about methods and materials, about artists who particularly interest us. We learn from each other. We try to balance critical suggestions with support and encouragement.”
Baker-Cimini’s pen and ink drawings are cryptic, weird, and funny and serve as an invitation to a world parallel to what we already know. Dovydenas’ work is sensual and mysterious and draws from imagination and intriguing real-life experiences. Edmonds’ dynamic oil paintings reveal the essence of her perspective on life, whether a landscape, a person, or a situation. Graubard’s lively paintings reflect his pleasure in storytelling with whimsical and joyful exuberance. Barros-Gizzi’s textural, meditative, multimedia works are exquisitely executed and evoke a range of cultural traditions. Hartung, coming from an abstract tradition, works with the expressiveness of line, its way of drawing our attention to the patterns of life. Horner brings his interest in history and culture to the canvas in painting series inspired by literary works such as Dresden , The Scarlet Letter, and Joan of Arc that are expansive, exploratory, and bold in images and technique.
Drawn Together is scheduled to run from November 13th until January 9th , 2010 at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in downtown Pittsfield, a city-owned community arts center featuring a gallery/performance space, nine working artist studios, a ceramics studio, darkroom and community room. Gallery hours are noon to 5pm, Wednesday through Saturday. Please note that the gallery will be closed for the holidays from December 23rd through January 2 nd, 2010. For more information about the exhibition, visit www.culturalpittsfield.com, call 413-499-9348 or email rweightman@pittsfieldch.com.
More Berkshires Christmas holiday events scheduled …
Visitors to the Berkshires and Berkshire county residents have a variety of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holiday events to add to their schedules, ranging from the first annual Holiday Farmers markets in Gt. Barrington and Williamstown to long-time favorites, A Christmas Carol at Berkshire Theatre Festival, and the Festival of Trees at the Berkshire Museum.
- Berkshires holiday farmers markets – Nov. 21, 2009 – Gt. Barrington & Williamstown
- Drawn Together, a group art exhibition, is scheduled for display at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in downtown Pittsfield, MA from November 13, 2009 through January 9, 2010;
- Tomáseen Foley’s “A Celtic Christmas”in performance at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown on Friday, December 4, 8pm;
- Festival of Trees at the Berkshire Museum – November 13 to January 3, 2010;
- A Christmas Carol, Berkshire Theatre Festival – December 12 through December 30, 2009;