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01/20/2021 11:01 PMSpectrum Art Gallery and Artisans Store of Centerbrook presents its newest exhibit, The Human + Animal Bond, with an opening weekend Saturday, Jan. 23, from 12:30 to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 24 from 12:30 to 5 p.m. The six-week exhibit will run through Sunday, March 7 at 61 Main Street, Centerbrook.
“We all bond with animals, both wild and domesticated. We awake to birds singing. We tell our pets our secrets near the fireplace. We even cover our eyes and ears to avoid witnessing the obvious fact of life that animals can be both prey and preyed upon,” says gallery owner Barbara Nair. “And during these months of quarantine, this powerful human-animal bond kept many of us grounded and hopeful. Presented through a variety of mediums, the exhibit explores formidable aspects of human and animal interactions.”
Several artists will be newly presenting at Spectrum Gallery, including painter Anna Pikos, whose work flows between abstraction and surrealism creating dense and precise patterns. Artist Cheryl Bartley, known for her colorful folk art paintings in both oil and acrylic, depicts stories of happy scenes of simpler times. Kathleen Emery is a fine art oil painter whose work includes landscapes inspired by New England and her travels to Italy, as well as nature and portraiture.
Joanna Chapin, also new to Spectrum, is a watercolorist who presents a work capturing a gentle human-animal scene. And Patricia Parente, an award-winning artist who has worked in many mediums including watercolor, oil, acrylic, cut paper, collage and graphic design, presents a close relationship between a cat and his owner.
Returning artists to Spectrum include Maria Johnson, who explores everyday life using emotionally expressive brushwork in her paintings. Ted Genard presents a lush oil on canvas for this exhibit; he works in a variety of mediums in addition to oil using graphite and charcoal, photography, and gold leaf. Teri Glassman returns with a new oil work; she explores multiple mediums and is often found working en plein air. B. Rossitto, an award-winning painter, returns to Spectrum with an oil that demonstrates a powerful human and animal bond. Catherine Satsuk presents a tender oil on canvas that captures the spirit of a child and animal connection. Patti Maher presents a new watercolor piece; she uses pencil, pen and ink, watercolor, and at times a combination of all. Also at the gallery are painters Pat Damiani and Julianna Cameron with oil on canvas works, as well as painter and calligrapher Ned Farrell with a new mixed media piece using gold flakes.
A variety of original photography and limited-edition prints are presented including those by Sezgi Hermans, a photographer and painter born and raised in Turkey and based in Philadelphia; she has exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the East Coast. Larry Bilansky specializes in “nontraditional portraiture” and live-action photography such as the performance of theater, sports, and dance. Other photographers offering new work include Dianne Roberts, Elin Dolle, Faith Bilansky, and Elaine Sych.
The Human + Animal Bond includes the work of many fine artisans as well.
Spectrum Gallery recently relaunched its online shopping site, Spectrum Anytime, at spectrumanytime.com, so that customers can browse and shop online with shipping available throughout the United States.
Spectrum Art Gallery and Fine Artisans Store is open Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.. It adheres to all safety measures and asks that visitors wear masks and use hand sanitizer upon entering. More information is available by calling 860-767-0742 and visiting spectrumartgallery.org. To follow on social media visit facebook.com/spectrumartgallery, instagram.com/spectrum_art_gallery, and twitter.com/spectrum_ct.