Today: Nov 11, 2024

Creative juices flowed at gallery reception in Lyman

Robin Glynn | general assignment reporter The exhibit featured pieces of art that expressed nature, life and abstraction.

Amanda Brail – General Assignment Reporter

The artists participating in the City Gallery Artists Reception say they are excited to have their artwork on display at Southern Connecticut State University.

“This is one of the first times I have seen all of their artwork up and out and displayed together,” said Linda Drazen, wife of City Gallery artist Meg Bloom.

“There’s a certain dialogue from one artist to the next that nothing is the same,” said Judy Atlas, also one of the 19 artists in the City Gallery group. “But there’s this commonality that speaks of nature, life and abstraction.”

Atlas says that since she began painting in 1988, it has been a progressive curve. She is now a creative arts workshop teacher and has been a member of the City Gallery group since 2008.

“When they asked me to join I said ‘Really?’, because I thought they were so good,” she said. “I was very flattered.”

According to Atlas, the process of getting into the group is a tough one. She says that artists must bring in their portfolio along with a bit of “intent and discussion” and then the group decides if the new artist “is a good fit.”

It’s more than “Is the work good enough?” because there are a number of wonderfully gifted artists all over,” she said. “We’re a working group and we want everyone to be a family, be able to work together, and have that work be of a certain level.”

Kathy Kane, a member of the publicity committee, said the group’s work is very mature and all of the artists are fairly accomplished.

“Everyone involved has been doing this for many, many years,” she said.

Mary Lesser, artist and one time President of the group, has years of experience under her belt since she began painting at eight years old.

“My mother sent me to a children’s art school in Washington, D.C.,” she said. “I loved it and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Kane said that without the help of group member, Paulette Rosen, and Associate Director of the Lyman Center, David Starkey, the event would not have been possible.

“I put out a query to all New Haven artists and Paulette responded right away,” said Starkey.

“I’ve been looking for venues for us to display all of our work together for a couple of years,” said Rosen. “Fortunately, Dave got back to me right away.”

According to Rosen, the group’s work is on display until the second week of March when it is taken down in order to make way for Southern’s end of the semester student show.

Kane said that each artist in the City Gallery group gets a solo show at their gallery on State Street in New Haven every two years. According to her they have a year and a half to prepare for an entire month display of their work.

The group also has an exhibit every December called “Give Art”, which encourages people to buy artwork as gifts for the holidays, according to Atlas. This is exhibit is one of the only other times all of the artists works are displayed together, however, the work is shrunk down in order to fit into their small gallery.

“We’ve seen all of our little pieces together at the December exhibit, but never our big pieces,” said Atlas. “It’s remarkable how wonderful they look together.”

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