"REAL. W3ird." Artist Spotlight - S.w. Rand

Join us for the opening of "REAL. W3ird." on August 12 at Southington Community Cultural Arts!  - More Info HERE



"Queen Annes"

S.w. Rand

Graduating from The Hartford Art School in 2008 with a BFA in New

Media, S.w. has been a working artist and freelancer ever since. He has
exhibited in esteemed galleries such as AXIOM Gallery (Boston,MA) and

Oceanside Art Gallery (Oceanside,CA) among many others. Currently S.w. is
running a media production and design company (Euphio Films) while creating

new multimedia works on the side. S.w. has been featured in arts journals


and magazines throughout the country; most noteably receiving the cover


of Abstraks magazine and Hartford Courant Itowns.






 "Slay My Bells"



"Tony"

.

"REAL. W3ird" Artist Spotlight - Wanda Buda

Join us for the opening of "REAL. W3ird." on August 12 at Southington Community Cultural Arts!  - More Info HERE



"In Clover"

Wanda Buda



I've had an interest in art painting most of my life.  After I

retired I was glad to have had the time to experiment and take lessons from various

art teachers, the last of whom was Sean Michanczyk at Paris of Plantsville Gallery. 

There I found that you can only learn so much by yourself.  

The pictures here are a result of art classes at Sean's gallery.

  I've enjoyed various media, but my

preference is painting landscapes in oil. 

"
Pink Rose"

"REAL. W3ird." Artist Spotlight - Johanne M. Beerbaum

Join us for the opening of "REAL. W3ird." on August 12 at Southington Community Cultural Arts!  - More Info HERE

Johanne M. Beerbaum

Primarily self-taught with key workshops by artists including Claudia Post-Freitas, Robert Zappolarti, Paul Leveille, Will McCarthy and David Dunlop, and Frank Covino.  Johanne has been drawing and painting all of her life.  Striving to improve her craft, she’s been working in Pastel, Colored Pencil, Oils and Oil paint Sticks.  Many art reference books have come into play to round out and improve technique.  Many classically trained artists in groups she has joined have been gracious enough to be helpful in nurturing the quest for improvement.

Within the past 5 years there have been 2 first place awards from SACA, several first place awards from the Berlin Fair and a Best in Show for Art at the fair, a second and third place award from the Bethlehem Fair for pastel and oil, and several first, second and third place awards from the Cheshire Grange for photography, oil and pastel.

For the most part original photos are used for portraits and landscapes to get the feel of the subject’s personality.   Some commissions have been done posthumously of loved ones and pets.   She has also done colored portraits from old black and white or sepia photos.   Over the years many commissions have been done of children, adults and beloved pets.

jothim@sbcglobal.net

"REAL. W3ird" Artist Spotlight - Michele Tragakiss

Join us for the opening of "REAL. W3ird." on August 12 at Southington Community Cultural Arts!  - More Info HERE

"The Left"

Michele Tragakiss

Michele received her BFA from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and studied graphic design for an additional year at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. After working many years in graphic design she decided to stay home and raise her two boys. 2013 marked a return to her roots as a fine artist. Her most recent series of paintings attempt to bridge the gap between the dream world and reality.

“Pulling from an otherworldly place and using multiple layers of paint and glaze, I hope to bring forth a personal story—a visual stream of (sub) consciousness. Most often my paintings begin with only a color scheme in mind. At the start of my work I spread paint in an exhilarating period of complete freedom, energy and expression. Moving paint around the canvas, I’m guided only by my gut and instincts - one color guides another, one shape dictates the next. After this initial development the real work begins—the work of tearing down and rebuilding. There is always struggle  before the resolution but it is in the act of painting that a narrative emerges and perhaps even some meaning from this mysterious place”.

Exhibition History

BWAC Wide Open 8 National Art Show - Brooklyn, NY  2017

Saatchi Art - “Inspired by Cy Twombly” collection 2017

Hartford ArtSpace Gallery - 20th Anniversary Exhibition - Hartford, CT. 2017

SoCCA Juried art competition - Southington, CT. - 2017

Light Space &Time Online Gallery - Abstracts competition - Special Recognition and Special Merit award -  2017

Light Space & Time Online Gallery - City Scape's Competition - Special Merit Award and Special Recognition Award - 2017

Niji Magazine.com - Featured artist of the week - 2016

Paris in Plantsville "FIN-End of an Era" group exhibit - Plantsville, Ct. - 2016

Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery - Abstracts Collection Special Merit Award - 2016

Paris in Plantsville - 6th Annual Juried Exhibit - Plantsville, CT. - 2016

ABEX 2015 Hartford ArtSpace Gallery Hartford, CT. - 2015

Artist of the Day - Saatchi Art 2015

8th Annual Berkshire Salon - North Adams, MA. - 2015

OCAC Gallery Art Showcase - Oxford, CT. - 2015

Paris in Plantsville 5th Annual Juried Exhibition - Plantsville, CT. Juror's Award - 2015

MAC650 Gallery - 2D Winter Juried Exhibit - Middletown, CT. - 2014

Paris in Plantsville, “Life and Death” Visual Interpretation of the Human Experience, Plantsville, CT. - 2014

Saatchi Art - “New this Week" Nov. - 2014

Short list - Moxy Milan Blank Canvas competition sponsored by Talent House - Milan, Italy - 2014

Castle Fitzjohns 12×12 – New York, New York - 20142

MAC650 Gallery, Juried exhibit - Middletown, CT. - 2014

Oxford Arts and Cultural Center Juried exhibit – Oxford, CT. Best in Show - 2014

Paris In Plantsville Juried exhibit – Plantsville, CT. – Honorable Mention - 2014

David Hunt Gallery - Falls Village, CT. - 2013

Publications:

Studio Visit Magazine - Summer 2016 edition

Niji Magazine.com - Featured artist of the week - 2016

LisaSalerno.com Art Blog - Featured artist of the week - 2016

ProteusMag online art blog, “Artist of the Day” 2015

Solo exhibitions:

The Art Gallery at Shutter Speed - Middlebury, CT. July 2016

Oxford Art's and Cultural Center - Oxford, CT.

Cachion Gallery/Southbury Public Library - Southbury, CT. - 2016

Gallery 13 - Danbury, CT. - 1994

Three Person Shows:

Laurie Klein Gallery, Brookfield, CT. - 1994

Laurie Klein Gallery, Brookfield, CT. - 1993

"The Right"

website: www.micheletragakiss.com

twitter: twitter.com/matraggi

https://www.instagram.com/matraggi/?hl=en

matraggi@earthlink.com

"REAL.W3ird." Artist Spotlight - Jacquelyn Etling

Join us for the opening of "REAL. W3ird." on August 12 at Southington Community Cultural Arts!  - More Info HERE

"Window Silhouette"  

  Jacquelyn Etling 

     "Awakening"

Jacquelyn Etling is an award winning photographer and art historian. She has traveled extensively in both Europe and the United States, photographing the natural and man -made worlds. She works primarily in the infrared photographic medium. This process picks up the infrared end of the light spectrum that plants give off, which is unseen by the human eye. Jacquelyn hopes that through using this process, that her photographs uncover the beauty and magic of the world , just beyond the visual spectrum.            

Jacquelyn is a member of the Pleiades Gallery in NY, NY. She currently is the volunteer coordinator of the Fire House Gallery a subsidiary of the Milford Arts Council in Ct. She is also a member of numerous arts organizations including the Ct Women Artists and the Cambridge Art Association in MA. Her work has been seen in a number of gallery and museum exhibitions around America. Some of the venues include the Salmagundi Club, NY, Wade Wilson Gallery, Houston TX, The Queens Museum, NY, the Mystic Art Museum, Ct , the Slater Art Museum, Norwich Ct, and the New Britain Museum Of American Art. 

"REAL. W3ird." Artist Spotlight - Craig Frederick

Join us for the opening of "REAL. W3ird." on August 12 at Southington Community Cultural Arts!  - More Info HERE

"Wand 1 and 2"

Craig Frederick

­Craig Matthew Frederick, Sculptor

Biography

Craig has been studying, making and teaching sculpture since 1981.  Born and raised in New Britain, Connecticut, Craig was influenced by the New England countryside changing with the seasons and filled with rolling hills, valleys cut by rivers and streams, outcroppings of colored stone, and towering deciduous and conifer trees.  In contrast, his small urban town was a typical rust belt community suffering from years of boom and bust.  A factory town in its glory days, it found itself home to people of many different cultures who brought their skilled labor to the industries.  After the factories left, the town and its people fell into a depression the effects of which impacted Craig’s life, views and work.  His concerns and philosophy are global, and he believes art is for all people.  His sculptures are informed by these influences and by poetry, existential thought, psychiatry, mythology, perception, physics and the human figure.  In a review of Craig’s sculpture, “Sparrow,” Steve Starger of The Art Guide writes in the January 2007 issue of the Northwest edition, “The piece is simultaneously complex and simple, strong and vulnerable, a visual haiku that releases the poetry immanent in natural objects.”

Craig holds a B.A. from Skidmore College where he studied with sculptor, John Cunningham and an M.F.A. from The University of Pennsylvania where he studied with sculptors, Robert Engman and Maurice Lowe.  Craig’s works are in private, corporate, and public collections in numerous states and countries.  His pieces range in size from maquettes to monumental structures, and have been exhibited in fine galleries in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Texas and New York.  Along the way, Craig has worked in three arts foundries where he continued to hone his skills in methods of casting and metal hammering and fabrication.

In addition to his own artwork, Craig has been teaching art since the mid 1980’s in various educational institutions across the USA including The University of Pennsylvania (Figure Sculpture), Galveston College (Metalsmithing/Jewelry) and Central CT State University where he has been teaching art since 2004.  Courses taught by Craig at CCSU include Three-Dimensional Design, Sculpture, Digital Photography, Drawing and Video/New Media Arts.  Craig has also held Sculpture classes and lectures for groups and individuals in his private studio and gallery periodically since 1994.

Craig considers the revitalization of New Britain, Ct and the development of a vibrant arts community in his hometown as an essential part of his Life Work devoting significant time of volunteer and design consultation work for over 20 years. Craig is one of the original four founders of The Greater New Britain Arts Alliance, served as the GNBAA’s first elected President, and championed the development, construction and mission of The New Britain Artists Cooperative. Lastly, during this same time of his life, Craig has served as producer, juror and/or curator for many and various art shows and institutions in Ct and NY.

"REAL. W3ird." Artist Spotlight - Cathy Michanczyk

Join us for the opening of "REAL. W3ird." on August 12 at Southington Community Cultural Arts!  - More Info HERE

 "On the Bridge at Panthorn"

Cathy Michanczyk

Cathy Michanczyk, a native of Southington, has studied oil painting with local artists--the late Bruce Raven from Gallery 53 in Meriden and Sean Michanczyk, former owner of Paris in Plantsville.  She has also taken graphic design and illustration at Tunxis Community College where she primarily did renderings in pencil and pen/ink.  Cathy’s landscapes and seascapes are rendered in acrylics and oils and usually reference places visited within the New England area.  She tries to capture those “at a glance” moments through the camera lens and then uses them to create her own interpretation onto canvas.

Cathy’s interest in art dates back to early childhood.  She was always active with drawing, designing, sewing, crafting, and painting.  Some noteworthy   accomplishments include

illustrations for a school nurse emergency manual for the Department of Pediatrics at UCONN, drawings for a poetry book written by her brother Michael, and a coloring book for her sister’s dance studio.

For more than 30 years, Cathy’s paintings have been displayed in various town libraries, hospitals, nursing care facilities, banks, restaurants, gift stores, and art galleries.  Currently, she volunteers at the SoCCA Gift Store where she sells handmade items. 

"Artist of the Month” Exhibits held at:

·         Farmington Library “The Great Outdoors” – July-August, 2016

·         The Spear Gallery at The Stanley-Whitman Museum in May, 2016 and September, 2012

·         Southington Public Library in May, 2014

·         Paris In Plantsville in July, 2014

·         SACA at The Orchards in July, 2012

 

"Spring on the Trails"

"REAL. W3ird" Artist Spotlight - Eric Stegmaier

Join us August 12 for the opening of "REAL. W3ird" at Southington Community Cultural Arts!

More Info HERE

 "Achaean Fleet"

Eric Stegmaier

"In Stark Contrast - For Ajay"

Eric Stegmaier was born in 1980 in New Britain, CT. Upon graduating with a BFA in illustration from the Hartford Art School in 2002, Eric worked as an archaeological illustrator for several excavations in the Middle East. His academic interests in religion led him to pursue a master's degree in religious studies from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT in 2007 while continuing his archaeological endeavors. His work has been published in several books and articles, and his working relationships include the Yale University Art Gallery, Yale’s Department of Egyptology, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Hartford, and the University of Tennessee.

Eric’s paintings are inspired by his love of history, literature, and nature. In addition to his career as the Senior Conservation Assistant at the Yale Center for British Art, Eric is currently writing and illustrating a children’s book and is a former member of the Salmagundi Club NYC. 

"REAL. W3ird." Artist Spotlight - Sean Michanczyk

Join us for the opening of "REAL. W3ird." August 12th at Southington Community Cultural Arts!  More Info HERE

"Home Is Where You Make It"

Sean Michanczyk

Sean Michanczyk Bio

           Sean Michanczyk is a 2008 graduate of the Hartford Art School (BFA illustration ). His passion for art began to develop with his first memories as a child, and was always supported by his family and close friends. His work has evolved into a harmony of emotions and merging styles, paying homage to old masters and contemporary idols while keeping a trompe l'oeil edge. His areas of tightly rendered paintings and keen sense of balance create harmonious story telling through symbolism and self reflection. "What it is, isn't always what it is".

Life, Death, and the unknown of whats after all of this is what drives him as an artist. The relationships along the way that have left a lasting impression had always been with people who can offer the other way of looking at the glass half full. Seeing the beauty in death, finding new life for an object that has already had it's time to shine....the hope in the end to realize what you thought may be gone forever, is really just waiting for next time...this is his search as an artist.

Sean was the creator and founder of Paris in Plantsville Gallery & Studio in Plantsville,CT from January 2010 to January 2016 curating over 50 exhibitions and another 50+ events. He has juried and curated numerous shows throughout Connecticut at many different spaces.  He and his wife Jacqueline, Great Dane and dachshund reside in Southington, CT at his now private studio. Sean is not only working in the fine art industry but also currently head designer for his family Hearth and Fireplace company, where he assists clients, manufacturers and architects across the country with concept designs and product design and development.

Sean Michanczyk Artist Statement

As an artist, I paint as my therapy, for myself only. Yet, my work subconsciously follows patterns of exploring the relationship between emotional memories and the relationships that have been built and lost throughout my years thus far.

With influences as diverse as Caravaggio, Gustav Klimt, John Haberle, Ajay Brainard and Salvador Dali new combinations are created from both traditional and modern structures.

My whole life I've been fascinated by the essential unreality of relationships. What starts out as triumph soon becomes manipulated into a manifesto of futility, leaving only a sense of dread and the possibility of a new reality, while still having a sense of hope and positive feelings for my future.

As wavering phenomena become transformed through diligent and critical practice, the viewer is left with a glimpse of the limits of our future.

Painting pictured above:

"Home Is Where You Make"

Oil on Panel

24" x 36"

Contact for Price

REAL. W3ird.

The Official PARIS IN PLANTSVILLE reunion show is upon us!

Let's get REAL.  W3ird.

Opening August 5th and running through August 26th the ol' gang from Paris In Plantsville is coming to Southington Community Cultural Arts!

Please join the past, preset, and future friends of the retired Paris And Plantsville Gallery and Studio (2010-2016) at Southington Community Cultural Arts center on August 12 from 5:00 PM to 7:PM for the Opening Reception on “REAL W3IRD – A Paris In Plantsville Reunion”

The line-up of artists for this show is amazing, featuring artists that have featured in just about every major gallery in the Tri-State area. We’re proud and excited to get the group back together for the exhibition… They work created, some real, some weird, all unique.

And here they are – The Real, The Weird, The Unique –

Clinton Deckert, 

Paul Baylock, 

Craig Fredricks, 

Christine Ivers, 

Cathy Michanczyk,

Sean Michanczyk, 

Eric Stegmaier, 

Steve Rand, 

Jackie Etling, 

Greg Shea,

Florin Ion Firimita,

Brie McDonald,

Michele Tragakiss, 

Stephen Southerland, 

Wanda Buda, 

Johanne Beerbaum, 

Mary Decroce,

Andre Rochester, 

and Jon Bristol, 

Join your friends and fellow artists and collectors on August 12th for the opening reception, we’re looking forward to seeing you.

The show runs from August 5th through August 26th , during normal gallery hours.

As part of the show Paris In Plantsville’s favorite puppets will also be screening! August 19th Elmwood Productions will be bringing their newest series “The Risley Brothers” for a laughter filled evening, more detail to follow soon!

One Year Later!

Paris In Plantsville may have closed it's doors as a physical gallery and art space, but the community created there lives on!

Several of the regular artists and resident artists fro PiP are coming together this April for a group show at The Firehouse Gallery in Milford Connecticut!

Here's the lowdown on this first reunion of many to come!  We hope to see you there for the opening!

Invitational Group Exhibit                                                   

April 13, 2017 – May 5, 2017

Opening Reception Thursday, April 13, 2017, 6- 8 pm

“Springtime Showcase” Invitational Group Show

Firehouse Gallery

81 Naugatuck Avenue

Milford, CT 06460

Phone: (203) 306-0016, email:  fhgallery@optonline.net

The Milford Arts Council’s Firehouse Gallery is proud to present, its “Springtime Showcase”, an Invitational Group Show of artists from around Connecticut.  The show highlights a diverse group of artists working in multiple styles and media. The exhibition runs April 13-May 5, 2017, Reception Thursday, April 13, 2017 6-8 pm at the Firehouse Gallery, 81 Naugatuck Ave Milford Ct,  Tel: 203-306-0016. For more information, go to milfordarts.org/firehouse-art-gallery/exhibits/ or call 203-878-6647, Tuesday-Friday, 10-5 pm.

Exhibiting Artists are:

Paul Baylock is the current President of the Art League of New Britain.  Baylock is a retired art educator who had taught for over 38 years in the New Britain school system. He now focuses his time creating his own work.   At the moment, he primarily works in acrylics exploring the theme of old advertisements from popular science magazines depicted in an abstract manor.  His work has appeared at the Underground Gallery in Collinsville CT, the Good News Café in Woodbury Ct, and the New Britain Museum of American Art.

Jon Bristol is an award winning filmmaker, puppeteer, and artist. He is the founder and creative director of Elmwood Productions, a small but mighty film studio in Central Ct. Jon’s most recent feature film "Head" has won a number of awards around the world at various, independent film festivals.

.

Clinton Deckert is an award winning contemporary artist and art advocate, having served as Curator and Juror in many regional art events. His artwork was represented internationally when selected for inclusion into the Societé Nationale Des Beaux Arts international exhibition at Carrousel Du Louvre, Paris, France. Deckert was also a featured guest on WNPR radio’s “rock star panel of artists and art critics” for the “Ebb and Flow of Dada”.   He served fourteen years on the board of directors for Artworks Gallery Hartford including a two terms as President.  In New York he exhibited in Chelsea, SoHo, Williamsburg and Woodstock. He has several artworks represented in the acclaimed Jack & Susan Warner Collection of American Art in Alabama. Deckert recently had a solo exhibition in the New Britain Museum of American Art’s New/Now program and had work unanimously selected into the museum’s permanent collection by the Collections Committee and Board of Trustees.

Jacquelyn Etling is an award winning photographer and art historian who works primarily in the infrared photographic medium. She is a member of the Pleiades gallery in New York City.  Her work has been shown in numerous museum and gallery exhibitions around the United States. Some of the venues include Wade Wilson Gallery in Huston TX, The Queens Museum NY, The Slater Art Museum Norwich Ct, and the New Britain Museum of American Art in New Britain, CT.

Florin Ion Firimita is a visual artist, educator, and writer who immigrated from his native Romania to the United States to pursue his artistic career. This award-winning artist is versatile in a variety of mediums from painting to mixed media and from writing to photography. From 1991-2016 he has participated in over 300 solo and group art shows in both Europe and America. His latest photographic exhibition the Bookstore Project has been touring the U. S. and  Europe.  It is currently on view at MAC Gallery in Middletown, Ct and at Galerie Gadcollection  in Paris, France  .

Sean Michanczyk is a graduate of Hartford School of Art. His award winning oil paintings pay homage to the old masters while keeping a contemporary trompe l’oeil edge. His tightly rendered work and keen sense of balance create harmonious story telling through symbolism. He was the owner and founder of Paris in Plantsville Gallery in Plantsville CT a cornerstone of the Southington arts scene for over eight years until its closing in 2016.

Andre Rochester is an artist and curator from Hartford Ct. He works in several diverse media, which include acrylic, charcoal, and pastel.  He is the founding member, and current chairperson of Pro+Cre8 Artist Group in Hartford Ct, and is also, a co-founder of the Hartford Artist  Co-Op, a collective of literary, performing, and visual artists from the greater Hartford area. Andre is also a 2015 100 Men of Color honoree.

Greg Shea is an award winning photographer and craftsman. He has a wide variety of creative interests, which include drawing, painting, and sculpture. For over twenty years, Greg has worked as a Senior Museum Preparator at the Yale Center for British Art. This award winning artist’s work has appeared in a number of museum and gallery exhibitions.  Some of the venues have included the Norman Rockwell Museum, the Delaware Art Museum, and the Yale Center for British Art. He is also the current Vice President of the New Haven Paint and Clay Club and a board member, of the Art League of New Britain.

Eric Stegmaier is a graduate of the Hartford Art School. He is the Senior Conservation Assistant at the Yale Center for British Art . He has worked as an archaeological illustrator on several excavations in the Middle East. His archaeological illustration work has appeared in a number of books and article.  Eric is also a member of New York’s famed Salmagundi Club. His most recent work is inspired by his love of history, literature, and nature.

Cheryl Wilczak Psy.D. is a photographer , illustrator and clinical psychologist . She is a graduate of Pratt Art Institute in New York City and worked as a commercial illustrator for over 15 yrs. She later returned to school to earn an advanced degree in Art Therapy from New York University.  Her award winning photography has been show at a number of venues around the United States, including the Salmagundi Club in New York City, the Pleiades Gallery in Chelsea, NY, and Paris in Plantsville Gallery in Plantsville, Ct.

Tonight is the night! FIN.

After six amazing years we're calling it a day.

And for the night we welcome all to join us for one last amazing art show.

Click the image above for all the info, and we hope to see you all there!

Thank you.

One week left! - A small look back...

Thank you to everyone who came out the our last screening this past Friday night from Paris In Plantsville and Elmwood Productions!

As we head into our final week open we wanted to share some images of showcards from the past.

It's not all of them, but we hope you get a kick out of seeing some of the amazing, interesting, and unique events we've had sine 2010!

Enjoy!

 

And make sure to join us for our last opening, this Saturday - April 30th FIN

LAST SCREENING! THIS FRIDAY!

 

As you may have read, heard, seen, and lamented over: 

Paris In Plantsville is ending it’s amazing 6 year run in May!  

So Elmwood is coming back for one last screening just in time to wrap it up with them! 

Since our first screening there Labor Day weekend 2010 we’ve been a staple of the gallery, and sold out many of our screenings. 

And we’re bring ing back two of the biggest for one nite only!

So if you’ve been saying:

“Hey, I really need to get out to the gallery and see the art” or "Hey, I really need to get out to see one of those flicks” 

NOW IS THE TIME!

First up at 7:30 is “Josh and Todd” The Story of A Man and His Puppet” followed at 8:45 by the multi-award winning horror/comedy “HEAD - Horror The Elmwood Way”

And there will even be a few surprises too!

Following the films will be a Q & A session with members of both casts, and the film makers.

And starting at 6:00 PM we will be joined by The Hartford Flavor Company! They will be doing a tasting of some of their amazing Wild Moon, a line of unique, flavored liqueurs made of all natural ingredients. Check them out at http://hartfordflavor.com/

Also as the doors open at 6:00 make sure to say hi to S.W. Rand and Euphio Films! Euphio will be there doing a little showing off, and selling DVDs of their film "The Hollow Waltz"! More about Euphio Films at  http://www.euphiofilms.com/

This night will be a great chance for local film makers, puppet-heads, and artists of all types to meet up and network before and after the flicks!

The doors open at 6:00 PM, and the films start at 7:30. Admission is $5.00! Where else can you see two films for only five bucks!?

And it's BYOB! Let's have a party!

For more info click here!

Both films are Rated R, so please leave the kids at home!

And look for some great new Elmwood events at some amazing spots later this year!