Patterns come to Belmar

Tonight we had a different kind of opening, a collaboration between two artists.  The exhibition is called "Patterns"  Art, Mysticism, & Science "An Escape into Reality", and the artists are David Levy and Paul Hansen.  One thing they have in common is a love of pattern, which show up in the paintings of Hansen, the optical art and photographs of Levy, and a few things they collaborated on.

Perhaps because of this common theme, the work was all hung side by side, with only small number tags to specify what was being seen.  Sometimes common colors helped to unify the collections of works.

The large paintings and multimedia installations come from Paul Hansen, and include such common themes of heads and of the Vitruvian Man made famous by Leonardo da Vinci. Bold colors and shapes are also typical of these pieces.  There are 13 works from Hansen found scattered throughout the front and back galleries.

Meanwhile, David Levy's pieces tend to make use of moire patterns, a kind of interference pattern that results from layering one pattern over another with some transparency or spacing, creating odd optical effects.  Included are some early experiments that go back to his teen years involving wood frames and carefully spaced thread, but most involve wooden backs and painted patterns on both the wood and plexiglass suspended in front.  Every small movement of the viewer's head results in new optical patterns as the lines in different directions visually intersect.  There are 28 such pieces scattered between the two galleries, along with 8 photographs of industrial scenes- mostly architectural items that display strong patterns.

Shows with just two artists can be a risk in terms of attendance, but this one worked out. The artists had many friends and fans who showed up to enjoy the bold art.

Over in the Lounge Gallery, another show, this one featuring work from the Fiber Fridays group, which meets monthly to try materials and processes related to fiber based arts. 20 assorted pieces.

Which leads to this large installation on the stage, involving furniture, a mannequin, quilt and geometric themed wall hanging.  Was it a Levy, a Hansen, or part of the Fiber Friday show? Seemed like it could have been any of them.  Answer was none of the above. Turned out to be a collaboration between our two main artists, and the Friday people not involved in any way, though I'd guess they admired it.

This exhibition built around the idea of patterns, painted, constructed, or just optical, remains on display at the Boatworks during posted gallery hours through December 21, 2019.  As of now there are plans for a closing reception on December 21st from 5 to 7 pm, but you don't want to wait that long to see this fun and thought provoking show.

Cornucopia of Color in Belmar

A few days ago a new show came to the Boatworks, and tonight was the official opening.  The show is called Cornucopia of Color, and that title is certainly true.  This exhibition is organized by committee chairs Eileen Petruch and Rupa DasGupta. No specific medium, though it seems painting dominates, but there are examples of collage, photography, drawing, fibers, and mixed media.  No specific subject either.  What it all has in common is an abundance of color.  The proposal indicates that reds, yellows, and oranges of autumn were the inspiration for the show theme, but were not a requirement, and artists will do what they are going to do, so any color you can think of can be found on these walls.  In any case, it's a cure for gray days of autumn, such as the one we had today.  

The show fills both the front and back galleries, almost 60 works total.  The reception had a slightly earlier than usual start time, due to a musical event happening a little later, but we still got a pretty good crowd.

The crowd was eventually bolstered by the arrival of some of the artists connected to the show in the Lounge gallery, which was also quite colorful.  The artists were youthful, members of the Boys and Girls club of Monmouth County, located Asbury Park.  Curated by Donna Mechura, the over 40 works include a wide variety of media, such as painting, collage, mixed media, cut paper, and collage.  If you are going to come see the main show, you may as well check out the side gallery and see these colorful works.

If you have a desire to get out of the gray and into the color, stop by the Boatworks between now and November 23rd, when this show comes down.  As always, admission is free.

In connection with this show, there will be a Salon event on Saturday Nov 9, from 3 to 5 pm.  All participants are invited to come and present their piece(s) from the show to all who are in attendance. This event is free and open to the public. So if you want to know more about this Cornucopia of Color and want to get in out of the cold, be sure to stop by.

2019 Photography Show

Once again it is time for one of the more popular shows around here, the annual photography show.  Some years there has been a theme, some years (like this one) there has not, but one thing that has been consistent in recent years is the format.  Photographs must be printed at 13" x 19" (can be vertical or horizontal), which fits glass they hang behind.   But subject, style, black and white or color- the rest its wide open.  The show was organized by committee chairs Michael and Beverly Miller.

The decision was made in advance to limit the show to 50 pieces, which still fills both the front and back galleries. The side gallery/Lounge displays several woodcut prints by Paul Bonelli.

Around the halfway point in the reception David Levy was introduced.  The significance is that he, along with longtime member Bonnie Smith, were the exhibition jurors.  David, who will be featured in another show later this year, was present tonight and spent time talking about the difficulty of cutting the number of pieces down to 50 (as a lot more good things had come in) and in reaching a consensus with Bonnie on work selection and awards.  But reach it they did, as we were given the list tonight.

2019 Award winners

Merit Award Color 

Lightsout

Carl Rothchild

Merit Award Black and White

GWB

Steven Kushner

Merit Award Black and White

Carousel Sunrise

Amanda Kuscera

Merit Award Color

Space Invaders

Kristopher Schoenleber

Honorable Mention Color

Smile

Edward Deverell

Honorable Mention Black and White

Wisdom of the Ages

Susan Dugan

Best in Color

Labor Day

Joanie Mansfield

Best in Black and White

Two Furry Friends

Jody Huss

The 2019 Annual Photography Exhibition will remain on display during gallery hours through October 18, 2019.  All works are for sale, at a mere $99 each, an excellent price for quality fine art.  Admission (and looking) is free.

Love The Shore Opens

It seems like everyone loves Belmar, especially in the summer.  Crowds keep arriving in town, by car, by bus, by train. Some come for the bars and parties, some for the fishing and seafood, some even come for the art, but probably most come for the beach.  It's very popular this time of year, including for many who live around here all the time.  The current art show at the Boatworks is an open show, that comes with the theme of Love The Shore- Oceans First.  And the work is all about what the participants love about the shore.

The show was organized by chair K. Dorsey Lucas, who took a turn (along with husband Rich) in this underwater scene painting at our opening reception last Saturday.  There are well over 60 works in the show. filling all three rooms of the Boatworks.  Mediums include painting, drawing, sculpture, collage, mixed media, and photography. 

Our chair even took time to work with students at the Belmar Boro Summer Camp, having then make artworks about what they love about the shore.  These works are hanging in our Lounge area, each labeled with the creator's name and age.  At the reception, donated works were auctioned off for the benefit of Clean Ocean Action, which will also be given a percentage of sales from the exhibition.

The Love the Shore Oceans First exhibition opened on August 14th, and continues through September 14, 2019, viewable by the public any time during regular gallery hours.  As always, admission is free.

And if you like the Love the Shore show, you should probably stop and check out the underwater mural on the side of the Boatworks, created by members over a decade ago.

Reception photo courtesy of Diane Cioffi