Patrick Hyland at the Star Gallery

Patrick Hyland, long time favorite son of the Youngstown art scene, will be showing a body of recent work at the Star Gallery, Oakland Center for the Arts, in conjunction with the near sold out theater performance, "How the Drag Queen Stole Christmas".

The work in this show may not be quite what collectors of Mr. Hyland's work would expect. Known for his photographs of dramatic landscapes, this show, in contrast, features abstracted images of geological formations. Strange faces  and other body parts emerge from rocky surfaces, much in the same vein as a Rorchache Test. Nearly everyone who has entered the gallery is taken aback not only by the  bold images themselves but how their minds blatantly interpret what is being perceived. At the very least it makes for entertaining conversation. At the most, one is left with a profound sense of unease and self questioning. Without going in to great detail, let's just say that in some strange way, this show, with it's Freudian implications, certainly fits well with the gender bending theme of the theater performance.......!

Artist Reception, Oakland Center for the Arts

                          Large Format Digital Image by Nea Bristol/Michelle Orostin

     The Star Gallery, Oakland Center for the Arts, will hold a reception for the artists participating in "Candied Macabre", a show of dark and disturbing images. 

 The reception begins at 6pm and runs until 8pm on Friday, October 31st. We will serve wine and food. 

 The Oakland will also be featuring "Night of the Living Dead" which begins at 8pm and a midnite performance at well.

 Find out just how  scary Youngstown culture can be! Visit the Oakland and Star Gallery on Halloween and cap it off with a long night of partying in haunted downtown Youngstown!

See the post below for more information on the participating artists.

Candied Macabre

Candied Macabre, a show of work by Youngstown based artists James Pernotto, Michelle Orostin and William Youngman will open tonight, October 24th at the Oakland Center for the Art's Star Gallery in conjunction with the theater performance, "Night of the Living Dead".

 James Pernotto is considered a keystone figure in Youngstown art community. He has provided us with advice and opportunities but garners most respect from his peers due to his high skill level and artistic vision. Pernotto is showing 4 large format paintings, 2 of which are from his "Side Show Series".  The works  from this series are paintings on handmade, sculpted paper and are titled "The Wildman of Borneo" and "Scarface, The Human Zipper". Currently Pernotto is teaching  Drawing at Penn State University and keeps a studio in downtown Youngstown.  View Pernotto's Website.

 Michelle Orostin, professionally known as Nea Bristol, is a master of traditional photography who has delved into the world of digital imagery. Her work is dark and surreal, with an emphasis (in this show) on childhood, spirituality and domesticity. I find her work disturbing and controversial. Initially, as curator, I was concerned the work would require me to post warnings outside the gallery. Orostin is currently teaching Photography at Youngstown State University and keeps a lavish studio in an historic mansion on the city's North Side. She  is currently showing her work  in a gallery at the  Devil's Night Deposition in the Hasting Street Ballroom, Detroit. Read about it  here  and   View a sample of her work.

William Youngman, professionally known as Atrijata, is an emerging artist on the Youngstown scene. A young father of 2, Youngman's work places a great deal of emphasis on his children and domestic life. His work explores the fears and deep concerns that parents face  while living and raising children in a severely disturbed world. Metaphor and visual poetry are Youngman's strong points. Elements such as giant spiders and nuclear blasts hint at the powerful, yet undefined problems that haunt a society which enshrines domestic bliss. I suspect we will be hearing a great deal more of Mr. Youngman in the near future. View his website.

 We are working diligently on a reception for the artists, but we have not yet settled on a time. However, please visit the gallery during theater performances of  Night of the Living Dead. We will be open throughout all performances on October 24th, 25th, 26th, 30th, and November 1st, starting at 8pm. You do not have to attend the performance to visit the Star Gallery.

We are located at 220 West Boardman Street in Wonderful Downtown Youngstown!

  

Front Page Headlines!!!!

Yep, that's me on the FRONT page of  the latest edition of The Catholic Exponent! Thanks to Debora Shaulis Flora for her fine article and photography. I  especially appreciate that she included my family history in the article as this sheds a light of insight on my artistic and spiritual life. 

 Many people have been asking me where they can find a FEROCIOUS  RED and GOLD WILDCAT ROLLERCOASTER T-shirt like the one I am wearing in the photo.  Contact  atrijata.com 

 Also a shout out to my friends at St. Columba's for all their support over the passed year.

Hannah Woodroofe at the Star Gallery

 Starting Friday,  September 5th,  at  8pm, the recent work of Hannah Woodroofe will be on display at the Star Gallery, Oakland Center for the Arts, downtown Youngstown, Ohio, in conjunction with the theater performance "Doubt".

 Woodroofe's collage's have a stark, post industrial, perhaps even apocalyptic tone. Drawing from sources such as antique Sears Roebuck catalogs and family snapshots,they strongly reflect American history, culture and the Great Dream not quite realized.  The unrelenting power of nature features prominently in her work as well, with images of mutated plants and trees growing up through floor boards of her melancholy, dreamlike houses.

 Woodroofe's work has shown in galleries in New York City, Chicago, London, and several traveling shows, including one aboard an Amtrak train. Many people I've spoken to say that this is perhaps one of the  strongest, most contemporary  and compelling shows  to be hosted at the Oakland for many years. 

 This show can be viewed during  "Doubt" theater performances from 8PM until 9PM, September 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, and 13.

 Woodroofe's work can be viewed online at: wow-wow-wow-wow.com

The Eagle in Mill Creek Park

In late July of this summer, while driving through Mill Creek Park,  I saw a mature Bald Eagle perched in the branches of a tall pine, high above the waters of Lake Cohasset.  I was able to get a few quick shots with my Nikon D-80 at a distance of about 200 yards. Later I cropped, enlarged and enhanced the photos. Unfortunately the pics are low quality because of these circumstances but are indeed authentic.

It was an amazing experience for me to witness an Eagle for only the second time in my life, and within the Youngstown city limits no less. To me this was a sign that bodes well for our city for many reasons. Perhaps the most notable is that our post industrial environment is getting much cleaner and our shrinking city is providing  additional habitat for these large, majestic birds.

 In my life, I tend to look at the symbolic and spiritual side of things. This creature represents freedom, strength and pride, 3 things that we as Youngstowners have struggled for years to achieve. I believe those virtues have now  come to our city on the wings of this mighty bird.

Jess Adkins

Showing at the Star Gallery, Oakland Center for the Arts, is an impressive body of sculpture by the artist Jess Adkins. This ambitious show features 21 carved wooden figures displayed on the ends of steel rods. Each expressively carved figure is approximately 12 inches tall and garishly painted. The rods are over 5 feet tall, which permits the viewer to look at each figure squarely in the eye.

In his statement, Adkins says that each figure is based on people from his Youngstown neighborhood where he lived during his childhood. He says that these figures are not necessarily true, physical renderings of these people, but rather vivid impressions distilled from distant, childhood memories. But as we can all attest, our memories from our childhood are often the strongest and still haunt us through our dreams and reveries.

I found this work to be very strong and compelling. It is well thought out and constructed, not only on an expressive level, but on a fundamental design level. Adkins very economically and esthetically combines the carved wooden figures with the welded steel rods and bases.

Adkins also states that his carving skills reach back into his Appalachian roots. With the high number of Appalachian Whites (a Federally designated minority) who live in Youngstown, it is no surprise (and is certainly a pleasure) to find this cultural expression arising in our city. Despite this obvious cultural connection, Adkins work strongly reminds me of the African tradition of wood carving, specifically the Colonial Dream-Spirit figures carved by the Baule people of West Africa. The Baule develop close relationships with the mystical people that inhabit their dreams and they honor them by carving likenesses of them from wood. In recent times these carvings have taken on the accouterments of contemporay society, such as uniforms or anything that would indicate the personalities and professions of the "Dream People". They can be policemen, firemen, doctors, soldiers, housewives etc., and each is carved in a close physical likeness.

Adkins carving are very much like this, the images having been molded by his deep, subconscious, childhood memories. Each carving bears a strong resemblance to the original person and each carry the accouterments of their lives, such as Bocce balls, six packs of beer and pans of fresh baked cookies.

This show can be viewed during the performance hours of The Full Monty which s now showing at the Oakland, Friday , Saturday and Sunday starting at 8PM.

Mei-Tai: an Exhibition of Ceramics

From March 31st until April 27th, 2008, Bliss Hall Gallery at YSU will be hosting a show of small scale ceramics. The work was created by YSU students and in 2007 was sent to the National Taiwan University of Art, Department of Craft and Design, in Biancou, to be displayed with the work of students from that university. The work is now back with the additional work of the Taiwanese students.

The Chairperson of the show, Po-Hsien Lin, describes the criteria for the show in the catalog stating: "The exhibition features small scale work that would fit within the dimensions of a shoe box. Convenience for transport was one of the important considerations. Additionally we encouraged our students to express the delicacy of ceramic creations using a limited quantity of material".

It is a privilege to see work from the Orient where ceramic art and technology reached the highest level in world history. It has also been great to see the talents demonstrated by YSU students who have access to one of the finest ceramic studios in America, namely the YSU Ceramics Department. Michael Moseley, Head of this department, deserves an immense amount of credit for his vision and efforts with the students.

Overall the show tends toward sublime beauty, featuring traditional work that is skillfully built and glazed. For me, the most aesthetically pleasing piece is by Johanna George entitled "Canopic Jar for Preserved Bluetooth". This a finely crafted Earthenware vessel is reminiscent of ancient Egyptian Funerary pottery. It is delicately glazed and has the appearance of fine porcelain. I enjoy the concept of our modern technology placed in the context of ancient artifact. Also I understand that Miss George made the wonderful strawberry shortcake that was served at the opening last night. Whether her art is baked in kiln or oven, she is definitely of substantial talent.

There is however, and artist who takes and extreme divergence from the traditional ceramic approaches presented in this show. My favorite work and obviously the most intellectually and spiritually challenging piece is by Jess Adkins. Entitled "Saint (insustainable) George W. Bush with Service and Sacrifice Rosary". An Earthenware figure of George Bush, painted in acrylic, wrapped at the waist with and American flag, bottle of oil in one hand and pistol in the other, looms over a child's toy battlefield surrounded by toy "army men" rendered in porcelain. A handmade Rosary, painted in "camouflage" style, encircles this diorama.

Congratulations to Brian Misavage, Curator of this show and YSU

student, for his successes. His emissary work on International levels has done Youngstown and all of us a tremendous amount of good.

Why I love Art Youngstown

When I first encountered Art Youngstown, I had my doubts. They were taking on a huge challenge with little money and human resources. While working with them however, I found a group of people with a level of dedication that rivaled the former Dutton Alley Art Community. When preparing a show, people of Art Youngstown work long hours, unpaid, sometimes under extreme conditions. Almost all the founding members have full time jobs and some have small children in their care. There were times some were very ill and after a hard day of work wanted nothing more than to be home in bed. Yet they came down to the galleries to work. When I say work I mean mopping large areas of floor, washing walls, basic carpentry work, painting large areas of walls, tedious computer work, dealing with the public and fund raising, to name just a small number of chores. These are jobs for which museum workers at the Butler and McDonough are highly paid.

And the efforts of Art Youngstown have borne fruit. So many unrecognised artists who cold not break into the local art venues were given the opportunity to show their work and build their resumes. Many of these artists made dramatic sales which they ploughed back into their art businesses.

The Inaugural Exhibition brought nearly one thousand people downtown on opening night. These people then visited the clubs and the restaurants after the opening. Art Youngstown has been creating a great deal of positive energy and good will amongst the Youngstown residents as well.

What was most impressive to me was the DEMAND by the public for original art. I saw a few incidents that almost amounted to conflict between art buyers over pieces for sale at the first Art Youngstown event. Those naysayers who constantly chant "You Can't Make Money Selling Art In Youngstown" really need to get out more and experience the reality of the art business in this city.

Art Youngstown is doing things right as well. On staff they have a Certified Public Accountant who handles the finances and a Lawyer who handles the contracts and legal matters. Two of the younger staff members are very skilled in promotion and Internet Technologies.

Artists, business owners and public, please respect and support At Youngstown. They have made the downtown a better place and you are directly benefiting from their presence.

Art Youngstown-Great Room Show

Dylan Weaver, my favorite Youngstown Artist.

Timmy, you need to wear that suit out more often!

I had no idea you could play, Mr. Terlecki. A True Renaissance Man.

Rock on Art Youngstown! The large, live potted palms were a very nice touch. The Music was great as were the professional ballroom dance demonstrations. The event was like one of those wonderful dreams but I didn't wake up. When it was all over I stepped outside into the misty night. The city was full of night life with people hanging on the corners outside the restaurants and clubs and the traffic pouring from the convocation center. This is how it's suppose to be. We are a REAL CITY.

James Pernotto at Trumbull Art Gallery

The Trumbull Art Gallery will host a show of recent work by the artist James Pernotto beginning Sunday, March 2nd at 2pm. So much has been said about Jim, his career and his place in our community that I risk redundancy in this blog.
Of course you can expect to see high quality work that has been tried in the fires of time and the unforgiving , sometimes brutal ,art world. You will also meet a man of extreme dedication to his work and to the Mahoning Valley.
Jim lived in worked in Youngstown during a time when many were fleeing the city for greener pastures, and when he did eventually work for a time in Manhattan as the director of Pacifico Fine Art Gallery, he made sure his peers from Ytown found art connections in his new home. Even while in NYC he still found time to have his hand in Youngstown art concerns.
I'd like to thank Jim for the time and effort he has put into helping me with my art career over the years. When I arrived at the YSU Art Department from the deep country side of Central Ohio, I was a young, brash redneck boy with a lot of energy and not a lot of brains. Jim saw my talent, encouraged me in his printing classes, and was one of the very few people I knew that took a real concern for my future as an artist. Throughout the years he has given me valuable and hard to come by art business advice and even today, when my stubborn redneckedness rears its ugly head, he has enough patience and vision to point me in the right direction.
We are very lucky to have such a high caliber human being as Jim living and working in our city and I urge all my dear readers to make it to the opening on Sunday. I suspect you will have a great time, not only for the promised "Chocolate Decadence" to be served but because Jim does indeed know how to host and art opening.

Frederic Molden at the Star Gallery

Showing at the Star Gallery, Oakland Center for the Arts, in conjunction with their performance "The Colored Museum" are the fine paintings and installations of Frederic "The Count" Molden. A Youngstown based artist with a substantial resume', his work has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and is in the collections of such personalities as Michael Jordan and Jerome Bettis.

When I first entered the gallery I was struck by the installation pieces that feature many fine antiques from Molden's personal collection and which are family heirlooms. The most impressive of these is the assemblage(above) entitled "The Black Press: Soldiers with Swords" which addresses a family members involvement in early print media. Detail Shot of "Belly Rubbin' With Da Back Breaker" Oil on Canvas. 4x5 feet.

Detail shot of " Jukin' With Daddy Long Legs". Oil on Canvas. 3x4 feet.

As an oil painter myself I was greatly impressed with every aspect of the paintings and is is rare for me to make such a statement. (Please note that my photos do not do justice to the high quality of the original work). The skill level is amazing as is the use of color and composition. Much of the work is heavy with history and nostalgia, which some people may feel is a negative in certain artistic circumstances. However, Molden's rich technique and insight take this genre to a new and pleasing level. In many ways I am reminded of the great African American painter from Cleveland, Huey Lee Smith, although Molden certainly has his own unique style.

This show is a must see for those with a penchant for Regional Art. The entire gallery is warm and inviting and every piece in the show is compelling.

The Star Gallery is open during regular performance hours and one does not have to attend the performance to visit the gallery.

Art Youngstown Wine Tasting at the Youngstown Club

Congratulations again to Art Youngstown for yet another successful, well attended art event. Thanks to Emerine Estates and the Youngstown Club for the Wine, the use of the hall and the staff.

These pics were shot well before most of the guests arrived and the place was full by mid evening, but not uncomfortably so.

To say this event was a "wine tasting" is an understatement as the wine flowed freely and abundantly all night.

Several artists demonstrated their skill and their paintings were auctioned later in the evening. Above, Karen Wennberg (Art Youngstown's computer whiz) works on a delicate painting of a heart shaped galaxy.

Willie Duck, artist extrordinaire, creates an interior painting of the event.

The local gentry enjoying the wine warmed atmosphere.

Purple is such a fine color for a Lenten wine tasting, no?

Needless to say there were many charming, beautiful, well dressed ladies in attendance.

Ah, the music.

By the way, I still had plenty of time to make it to the Oaks for the Pavlick fight with plenty of time to spare once the Wine Tasting was over. Shame on all you art supporters who opted for a pre-fight party in a bar somewhere.

Graffiti Pics from Bear's Den

The graffiti shown is within 50 feet of Bear's Den Cabin. These are just a few of the examples to be found here. Approximately 15 are in this immediate area and more are farther downstream from the Cabin.


This piece is well over 3x5 feet and is within view of Bear's Den Cabin.

This very expressive piece, rich in emotion and drama, incorporates the use of Fluorescent Chartreuse spray enamel over moss, lichen and raw stone. It is 3x2 feet.

This is an unique piece amongst the works at Bear's Den as it incorporates a Living Tree! How original! Bravo!

This piece, modestly placed in a crevice, appears to be the latest work on a boulder that has been sandblasted. It seems those anti art park caretakers have removed previous works! It is well that they did for it allowed this talented young person to leave his artistic statement for future generations.

This piece is truly the coup de' tat of the Bear's Den Graffiti Collection. It is a large work well over 4x10 feet. Multiple colors are used and appears to be the cumulative work of several artists. One can see the anguish, joy, fears, and spiritual electricity that pulse through the veins of our youth. Those old cave painters of Lascaux have nothing on this bunch!

Gallery in the Fellows Riverside Garden

Last week a friend of mine visited me from Chicago and he insisted we have lunch at the cafe' in the D.D. and Velma Davis Education and Visitor Center at Fellow's Riverside Garden in Mill Creek Park. Once again he was jaw droppingly amazed at the view from the cafe' with the new fallen snow clinging to tree branches and Lake Glacier glistening like polished silver. We had the soup, mine being vegetable and his potato. Needless to say it was delicious and perfect for a cold winter day.

When we finished we strolled into the Andrew and Carol Weller Art Gallery within the Visitor's Center where my friend Vallene Hardman-Weeda is having a solo exhibition. The show is entitled "Meltdown: Beneath Thin Ice" with over 11 large pieces on display.

Vallene works with found natural materials (animal bones, leaves) combined with traditional materials such as ceramics. In this show she introduces modern materials such as stainless steel hooks and epoxy resin as visual elements of design rather than merely structural supports.
This show addresses issue of time, history and our place within them. Science and mythology get equal billing here, and are in fact carefully combined to present 2 sides of the same coin. Vallene even goes so far with her work as to suggest that one cannot fully experience the Mythic without embracing Science and vice versa.

My favorite work is the "Drying Specimens" series. These are mixed media pieces which feature Ginkgo leaves and various natural materials adhered to sheets of ragged paper with a glaze of golden-brown epoxy. They are suspended from the walls with stainless steel specimen clamps and underneath sheets of Plexiglas. This presentation is truly unique and I am certain I have not seen one quite like this. On a certain level these works seem mundane and distant, much as science specimens are, but due to the compositions and the compelling nature of the found objects, a haunting feeling is conjured.

Vallene is truly a professional artist and her work is very sophisticated. If you are in any way involved with the sciences such as Paleobotany, Archeology or Geology you will find this work to be provocative. Should you be a Theologian, Priest or Minister you will find plenty of spiritual material on which to meditate. I would think this show would put a smile on the face of even the most jaded Historian.

In addition to Vallene's show in the Art Gallery, there is also an informative exhibit in the John C. Melnick Mill Creek Park Museum downstairs dealing with the major renovations of the Silver Suspension Bridge. There are photos documenting the deterioration and renovation and large blueprints of the bridge.

Make sure you stop by the gift shop on your way out and check out the Easter display and gifts featuring a large rabbit tureen (rabbit soup anyone?). All very humorous and prone to get one thinking about Spring.

71st Area Artist Awards

The 71st Area Artist Annual Exhibition was a great success. The turnout, as usual, was extraordinary and everyone had a great time. It was wonderful to see so many people from all aspects of the community coming together to celebrate the Arts.
Best of Show was awarded to Amy Kreiger of Youngstown for her work entitled "Adam Sullivan" done in colored pencil. It measures 48 x 72 inches and is very large for this medium.
First Prize went to Chris Leeper of Canfield for his large acrylic painting entitled "Into the Night". Richly colored, this painting depicts a forest in the glow of the setting sun.
Second Prize went to Don Williams of Youngstown for his acrylic painting entitled "Sofa and Phish", a whimsical trompe l'oiel.
Third Prize went to Ann Miller of Warren for her oil painting entitled "Apple Branch", a very traditional image done with great skill.
The Mahoning Valley Water Color Society Award went to William Perry of Harmony, Pennsylvania for his painting entitled "Cannery Row", a brilliant, highly developed rendering of glass canning jars in dramatic light.
The Honorable Mentions went to William Danielson of Yougstown; Heesung Sung of Hubbard; Ellie Stiens of West Middlesex, PA; Donald Nelson of Beaver, PA; Carol Begley of Beaver, PA; and Don Pedecini of Beaver, PA.
Congratulation to the winners and all who were accepted into the show. Your hard work and dedication were recognized and awarded.
I would also like to thank the Butler, Dr. Zona, Kathy Earnhart and all who were involved in bringing this years' Area Show to fruition. It has been a great addition to our community as a whole and more specifically to the art community. Personally I have gained great benefits from the opportunities that the Area Show has provided.

71st Area Artists Annual Exhibition-Butler Institute of American Art

The Butler Institute of American Art will hold the 71st Area Artist Annual Exhibition opening on Sunday, January 13th from 1-3 pm. There will be light refreshments by Winslow's Cafe'. This is FREE event but reservations are required. Call 330-743-1107, ext. 210. The show will run through February 3rd, 2008.
The "Area Show" as it is affectionately known, is perhaps the most prestigious show in the region, second only to the Mid Year Show (also held at the Butler). It is a difficult show to gain entry as the competition is stiff and only a relatively small amount of work is accepted. Artists over 18 years of age who live within a 40 mile radius of Youngstown are eligible to enter.
This year the juror is Thomas McNickle, a nationally recognized artist from our region. He is realist painter of landscapes, and his work is of the highest skill and vision.

Should you be looking to purchase the very finest of regional artwork or to network with artists of our community, the Area Show presents some excellent opportunities.