Heart on Your Sleeve
Without the familiar strictures of language or the confines of realism how would you convey what is closest to your heart? To find a visual vocabulary that can impart the rich and idiosyncratic interior terrain is a challenge that is at once daunting and liberating. In "FOCUS: Abstract Heart," an exhibit opening this weekend at Woodstock Artists Association & Museum (WAAM), 10 artists endeavor to portray their deepest emotions, hopes, passions, and personal character in abstraction.The FOCUS series was launched by WAAM in 2017 as a forum for exploring specific themes. Each exhibit is curated by a different juror who selects ten artists, who each submit multiple pieces that expound on the theme.
"FOCUS: Abstract Heart" opens on March 17 and is curated by Katie Schmidt Feder, Director at the Garrison Art Center. The show will feature the work of Paulette Esrig, Nils Hill, Henry Klimowicz, Jerry Michalak, Samantha Palmeri, Tracy Phillips, Stephen Rose, Barbara Smith Gioia, Kat Stoutenborough, and jd weiss. Across a variety of mediums, the artists use their own distinctive visual dialect to convey a personal truth. The alchemy of art is that it allows for the viewer and the creator to connect through a specific work, while each maintaining their own emotional experience.
On Friday, March 23, Schmidt Feder will give a talk at the gallery followed by an audience Q&A. The opening reception will be the following day, Saturday, March 24, from 4 to 6pm.
In her statement, Schmidt Feder writes, “It could very well be that the thoughts or emotions behind the creation of these works are not at all the same thoughts or emotions which entered my mind upon experiencing the work—but that is the power, wonder, and gift of art."
Details
The exhibition is on display from March 17 through April 29.Reception: Saturday 3/24, 4-6pm
Gallery Talk with juror Katie Schmidt Feder, Director Garrison Art Center, followed by audience Q&A: Friday 3/23 5pm, Free
