To a point….

“Relying on Each Other” (oil and graphite on panel), by Jeffersonville, Vt.-based artist Rose Umerlik, in her show ‘Intricacies,’’ at Atelier Newport (R.I.) through Jan. 1

The gallery says: "Rose tells her story by conveying emotion in form and movement through abstraction.’’   

She says:
”These compositions are a complex language of how I relive my past, how I self-reflect in the present, and how I hope for the future. Each painting is intricately tied to my personal history."

Main Street, in the Jeffersonville, Vt., Historic District

— Photo by Mfwills

Save The Bay Exploration Center and Aquarium, in Newport

—Photo by Kenneth C. Zirkel

‘When I feel a little shiver’

“Throw Roses in the Rain” (mixed media diptych with acrylics on panel), by Deborah T. Colter, at Atelier Newport, though July 22.

She says:

“My work currently speaks to my infatuation with process and exploration. Painting allows me to discover places that feel both familiar and unknown. Often I feel the work arrives out of nowhere as if sent from a place beyond my knowledge. I deeply trust in the messy process of creating, with all its inherent bumps and wrinkles, which helps me understand my need to continue on this creative path.

“When a piece begins to coalesce and I feel a little shiver run down my spine, it is then that I understand the painting has taken on a life of its own.’’

She lives on Martha’s Vineyard

The Old Whaling Church , in the Edgartown Village Historic District, on the eastern side of Martha’s Vineyard. Built with whaling captains’ money in 1843, this stately landmark is considered one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the country.. The second quarter of the 19th Century was the heyday of the whaling industry, which was centered in southern New England.

# Deborah T. Colter

#Atelier Newport

Light reveals truth

“Lesson 316” (oil on linen), by Richard Nocera, in his joint show with McKay Otto, at Atelier Newport (R.I.), Aug. 27-Oct. 5.

The gallery says:

“Nocera contemplates the simplest concept of what light is: A powerful force that reveals truth. In these gently powerful works that swim in their mystical deep blue hues, the infinite possibilities of light begin to bloom forth in the mind of the inspired onlooker as they take note of how the paint seems to emerge into light from the canvas. Nocera paints outdoors to fully immerse himself in the clarity of the natural light as he works the painting’s surface. This physical, tactile surface along with the process of creating are most important in his artistic expression.’’

The beauty of the useful

“Rope #1” (oil on panel), by Renee Levin, in her joint show with Jennifer Day, “Knotty Girls,’’ at Atelier Newport (R.I.) through July 22.

Ms. Levin, based on the New Jersey coast, is best known for her depiction of coastal objects. She spends a lot of time looking closely at objects on beaches.

And you can't change your mind

“Linked” (oil on panel), by Renee Levin, in the joint show, “Knotty Girls, with Jennifer Day, at Atelier Newport June 17-July 22.

The gallery says:

Ms. Levin’s “large-scale paintings allow her to emphasize the nuances, patterns and textures of these objects while celebrating their unique beauty. Each painting bears witness to her calm and meticulous process. There is a playful juxtaposition of light and shadow, which creates depth and movement in her work. Levin fuses a world of polish with grit, painting elements of her objects with perfect smoothness, yet adding harsh textures overtop creating a surprising harmony of modern, contemporary paintings. Her work was featured in Vogue, in 2021.’’

Bumps, bruises and beauty

“Spring Assurance and Fall Endurance” (oil on canvas), by Gayle Mandle, in the group show “HOUSEGUESTS: Endurance,’’ at Atelier Newport (R.I.), Dec. 18-Jan 18.

Members of this revolving group, the gallery says, provide visual metaphors for “the bump and bruises’’ we all endured in 2021 and the perseverance we needed to get through it.

“The show focuses on female artists, women who devote their lives to the arts and their families….

“Gayle Mandle's recent paintings are inspired by her late husband, Roger Mandle {who served as president of the Rhode Island School of Design}, and and his love of nature and gardening. That artisanal of beauty witnessed from her studio view inspired this body of work. She celebrates Roger's handiwork with a series of paintings entitled, ‘Seasonal Quartet’.

“These paintings are also inspired by Roger's love of poetry. The paintings are paired with poems he had written over the years”

Exploring urban ‘nonspace’

“Terrain Vague” (oil on canvas), by David Barnes, in his show of the same name at Atelier Newport (R.I.), Sept. 25-Oct. 30.

Mr. Barnes explains:

"Spanish architect Ignasi de Solà-Morales refers to Terrain Vague as the ‘in- between’ spaces on the urban outskirts: parking lots, empty plots, abandoned buildings and all the uninhabited sprawl beyond the city limits that makes up a sort of urban nonspace. I chose this title for my show because much of my work deals with this type of space. Not only physical terrain vague, but also psychological and spiritual places of uncertainty.

“As de Solà-Morales states, there is a ‘relationship between the absence of use, of activity, and the sense of freedom, void as absence, and yet also as promise, as encounter, as the space of the possible yet also as promise, as encounter….’’

'Balance in disorder'

“Ever Radiate the Truth Ever” (mixed media), by McKay Otto, in the show “Unconscious Equilibrium,’’ at Atelier Newport (R.I.), Aug. 10-Sept. 12.

The gallery says:

“This featured group of artists finds balance in disorder, influences in opposing forces, harmony in mundane daily tasks, and transcendent practices during chaos. In quiet solitude, these artists gain balance during a time when our world would suggest otherwise.

“Upon further reflection on meditation, and transcendence, the work on view finds a harmony through tessellations, a regular pattern made up of flat shapes repeated and joined together without any gaps or overlaps. These shapes do not all need to be the same, but the pattern should repeat. This work attempts to reflect these rhythmic, natural developing and reoccurring patterns in nature, reflected in tidal and gravitational forces, and how we as humans, react to with these powerful shifts - seasons, moons, tides —and our delicate balance.’’

Everything will be....

“Ever Ok Ever’’ (acrylic over mixed media), by McKay Otto, in his show at Atelier Newport through Jan. 22.
The gallery says:

"McKay wants the viewer to have the feeling of not entering an artwork but a sanctum filled with ethereal light. McKay believes in the invisible , underlying reflections inherent in natural light like color and its reaction with light. McKay's work is abstract, drawn in part from the ordered universe and leaving any recognizable imagery - figures, landscapes, material world behind. Transparent-lucent acrylic canvas is his signature material, and painting and sculpture are his preferred gestures. McKay is as confident of his mastery of reflecting light to produce ethereal colors as he is his artistic vision and his ability to see the possibilities within light and beyond. McKay thinks of ways to work with the powerful forces waiting in the light just to be reflected. But the other side of this is the powerful ability to read the possibility inherent in the light and it's his intuitive sense to look at a material object and just know that there is an art work there ready to be transformed and transcend itself in his almost ephemeral state of mind necessary for achieving the unthinkable".

xxx

"Everyday I play with the light of the universe to find a way to a deeper dimension of reality in which all paths might ultimately converge."

- McKay Otto

Hurricane warning

“Hurricane 2, Sudan’’ (oil on shaped canvas), by Barry Mason, in his show “We Hold These Truths,’’ at Atelier Newport through Sept. 11.

He says that this painting “deals with a multitude of issues. Various symbols like the bluish circles with the yellow golden rings cry out the ‘hurricanes’ which are symbolic of the challenges, pain and suffering that people all over the world deal with from time to time. The bright spots of yellow throughout the painting echo the ‘sunshine’ (joy) that most may have in their everyday lives while some wait for it to come after the storm.’’

See:

https://www.ateliernewport.com/

But hold the shoes

"Are you saying yes to the dress?’’ (dolls, tulle, ribbon, thread), by Jemison Faust, in her show “Walk the Line,’’ at Atelier Newport (R.I.) through Aug. 4.

Does it have any more seasons in it?

“Off Season” (acrylic on panel), by Jeremy Miranda, in the group show “la famiglia,’’ Dec. 9-30, at Atelier Newport, Newport, R.I.

Galleries try to make Newport more of art market

"Newport Rocks'' (oil), by John Frederick Kensett (1816-1872).

This article, by Robert Whitcomb, originated in GoLocalProvo.com

'Whither the Newport art world?  Most of a range of experts told GoLocal that it’s getting livelier, and they suggested ways to boost the city as a place to make, sell and buy art.

Karen Conway, who now runs exhibitions at the nearby Jamestown Art Center but who is still deeply involved in the Newport art world, where she used to be a curator at the Newport Art Museum, told us that, yes, the city’s art sector is growing, fueled by an expanding regional, national and international community that buys art.  But, the experts complained, too few buy art in Newport.

Ms. Conway noted the City by the Sea’s very old and close links with New York, where the U.S. art market is based, and also with Paris and other major cities where a lot of work is bought and sold.

Kara Popowich, a vice president at Sotheby’s (which is among other things one of the world’s largest art brokers), cited “the high quality of work’’ and “the incredible mix of people’’ in Newport,  while noting that prices for art sold there are “more competitive’’ than in the Big Apple. “And not just New York hedge funders are buying.’’

“The Newport art scene is growing,’’ said New York-based painter Amanda Fenlon, who has shown in the Atelier Newport gallery. But, of course, it’s “always very tough to predict what the market will do.’’

She, as did some others, lauded Atelier Newport, started in 2016, to, among other things, promote high-quality contemporary artists and in so doing raise the stature of the city in the international art world. There are several other very interesting galleries -- Blink Gallery might be the best known -- highlighting regional contemporary artists. And a new gallery called Coastal Contemporary bears watching.

Norah Diedrich, the executive director of Newport Art Museum, said that while there’s “more cultural engagement’’ these days, and more shows, the city is not yet a major “destination point’’ for the arts besides its famous musical events. Still, she says, there are “more lectures and shows, more experiences’’ these days as art has become more of a “total experience.’’

The dynamic and frequently referred-to Bobbie Lemmons, who runs Atelier Newport and had a gallery in Manhattan before moving to Newport full time, cited the many connections between Newport and Gotham and lauded the “overwhelming community of artists” in Newport. “There’s an express lane between New York and Newport,’’ a city that she said that she has fallen in love with.

She sees her role as “trying to stretch the buyers’ eyes’’ in promoting the work of innovative, idiosyncratic contemporary artists, as opposed to more typical Newport work such as paintings of sailboats and old houses. She’s helped by the role of the Internet in “changing the buzz.’’

Ms. Lemmons, like the others we talked with, noted the crucial role of very rich people in supporting the art market in Newport. Some of them are buying art for their yachts.

A young New York-based painter, Hannah Stahl, who has shown at Atelier Newport, was pleased that the publicity she got by exhibiting in Newport  “radiated back to New York,’’ where it can be tough to be one artist of so many. “Newport is a big hug compared to New York. It’s very welcoming’’ to young artists, she said.

Newport’s art world is obviously most dynamic in the summer,  but, she said, the art world “seems to be expanding’’ there in general, with a “hugely diverse and international community,’’  “growing energy’’ and more contemporary work being shown, in addition to the traditional “sailboat pictures’’ that many people associate with the city. “Now people can see interesting art in Newport; they don’t have to go to New York to see it.’’

New York-based painter Richard Nocera was somewhat more restrained. “The best thing about showing in Newport is that it gets me into New York. I often find the same collectors in Newport as in New York.’’

While he’s had “consistent sales’’ in Newport the past three years, “Newport is a stop along the way – not where I’d like to end.’’

And long-established and well-known painter Bunny Harvey, who has done business in Newport as well as in New York for years, told us:

“I don’t see Newport as a major place to buy and sell art in,’’ although the local art community is “trying to be more than just a regional place to buy art and trying to connect more with the New York art world.’’

To this end,  she said, she hopes that the city “will attract better galleries.’’

Newport Art Museum, Discover Newport Photo

A challenge is that “Many collectors, including in Newport, want work to be vetted by New York galleries. Many buyers are insecure. And they feel purchase implies knowledge.’’

Art dealer William Vareika, with his wife, Alison, owns the nationally known William Vareika Fine Arts, on Bellevue Avenue. The gallery specializes in paintings of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries but the Vereikas also have an extensive collection of contemporary art in their house. He says that so far as a place to buy and sell art, Newport remains only a modest market.  Not many people come to Newport to buy art, he told us, although “world-class art’’ has been created in the city for many generations.  Only about 1 percent of his sales come from people coming to his gallery and buying there and the vast majority of his buyers are from out of town.

How to boost Newport’s ranking in the art world?

One is to address the shortage of studio space for artists so that more could move there, full or part-time, from, well, especially New York. Some artists we talked with said that they’ve so enjoyed being in Newport that they’d like to reside there. “I’d live there maybe half the year if space were available,’’ said artist Hannah Stahl.

Unlike many old New England cities and towns, Newport has never had a lot of former industrial space, such as closed textile mills, that could be transformed into artists’ lofts.

Ms. Diedrich cited closed public schools – enrollments in the Newport school system are falling -- as one possibility for conversion into space for artists.  She said that workspace is “too hard to find and too expensive’’ now. Bunny Harvey and others suggest that former Navy buildings might be options.

Ms. Stahl, for her part, put forward the idea of artists getting space in some of Newport’s boatyards.

Ms. Popowich suggested a summer-residency program for emerging artists, such as the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, in Maine, while Ms. Harvey liked the idea of summer residencies for established high-quality artists, some of whom would be from New York and happy to escape it for the cooling breezes of the City by the Sea. Maybe something like the MacDowell Colony, in Peterboro, N.H. She said that perhaps Rhode Island School of Design architecture students could be brought in to design studio space.

William Vareika Fine Art

Mr. Vareika said artist-residency programs might boost the art market in Newport simply by drawing more attention to the city as a very active arts center.

Ms. Popowich thinks that linking the community more tightly with studio-art programs such New England schools as the Rhode Island School of Design, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, in Boston, Yale and Dartmouth would Newport boost the power of its art synergies. (Salve Regina University has a studio art program, too.)

And to boost sales, most of those we talked with agreed that an annual or -- more practical -- high-end biennial art fair, along the lines of the Art Basel shows in Basel, Switzerland, Miami Beach and Hong Kong, should be considered. Maybe, said Kara Popowich, there could be some synergy between Newport’s famous music festivals and an art festival.  While Newport is much, much smaller than the aforementioned cities, it has an international reputation for wealth, glamour, seaside beauty and dramatic architecture that would help promote a major art fair.

Fenlon cited the success of the New Orleans art biennial, created after Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, in boosting that city.

Perhaps a Newport biennial could be best held soon after Labor Day, when the weather is still fine but after the summer tourist crowds have thinned out.

“An art fair attracting art-buying agents’’ is a great idea, said Hannah Stahl. “It would tell the public that Newport is clearly an important place to buy and sell art’’ much more effectively than individual galleries could. Some see one or more of Newport’s famed mansions and/or Salve Regina University as possible venues.

But, Ms. Harvey cautioned, “Who has the energy and clout to organize such events? Galleries are stretched thin. And beware of alternative art fairs with discounted art. You’ve got to go high.’’ The Newport Art Museum’s Diedrich, for her part, noted that while the city’s art institutions “do some things together, it’s not a tight unified group.’’

And Mr. Vareika emphasized that a well-heeled sponsor or sponsors would be needed to get an art fair going and to connect it with the New York art scene. Well, Newport does have a few billionaires….

Of course, the art world goes up and down with the broad economy, but the extreme wealth of some summer residents of Newport could provide a high floor. Perhaps one or two could be persuaded to step forward as the city’s uber art patrons and get an art fair going.Tuhu

Friends in the forest

"Untitled (Two Trees)'' (oil on canvas), by Hannah Stahl, at Atelier Newport gallery.

Deconstructing our divided culture

"Green Pole'' (oil on canvas), by David Barnes, in the group show "Divided Mind,'' through July 29 at Atelier Newport, Newport, R.I. The 23-artist show shows how they have explored the current deep divisions in our culture.

'Seafarers' show in Newport

Atelier Newport will host a collaborative exhibition featuring works from The Donald Tofias Collection to run May 5-May 25, during the Volvo Ocean Race, with Newport being the only stopover in the United States. 

The gallery says that the show, entitled "Seafarers,' will highlight Newport as the Sailing Capital of the World. It will feature the works by John Mecray and Michael Keane, along with  contemporary nautical works by Heinke Bohnert, Antonia Ty Peeples, Jennifer Day and Sunny B. Wood, in addition to other artists. "The exhibition will celebrate the rich history of Newport through the painters' eyes, while moving to present contemporary work. Newport is steeped in marine work and 'Seafarers' presents an homage for two well-known marine painters of the 20th Century.''

For a minute anyway

"Joining Minds'' ( oil and tar on linen), by Richard Nocera, in the  group show "A Pairing,'' at Atelier Newport, through March 25.

Ready for winter

"Stock Pile'' (acrylic on panel), by Jeremy Miranda, in the two-man show with David Barnes "The View From Plato's Man Cave,'' at Atelier Newport (R.I.), Nov. 12-Dec. 10.

"A longing to be 'someplace'''

"Breath and Murmurs'' (diptych -- images should actually be side by side -- oil on canvas), in her show "Breath And Murmurs,'' at Atelier Newport  (Newport, R.I.) Oct, 1-Nov. 4.

The very well known Vermont- and Rhode Island-based  painter writes:

"For me a painting or drawing of some 'place'  is, in fact, a reorganization and reinterpretation of the sensory input from various places and experiences over many fragments of time. Sounds, smells, temperature shifts, histories, close visual observations and momentary impressions merge with the act of making marks for its own mysterious pleasure.  Painting is a synthesis of multilayered sensory data with the materials on hand. It is a representation of time-spent thinking without words.

"My work in this show is about the attention and focus painting gives to my accretions of sensory awareness. Painting allows me to create places on the canvas on which I can recall and give form to memories of trees in the wind, frogs at dusk, incessant insect concerts, vague full-body sensations while swimming, smells, sounds, temperature shifts. All are specifically observed or subconsciously lurking. 

"The point of painting for me is to create a visual language, a physical representation of some of the most fleeting of human experiences ....an acute multilayered awareness of one's surroundings, including memories, observations and fleeting impressions......, which cannot exist in words.  Through the language of paint, I search for the places in mind, which excite me and contain the most personally resonant information. For me, there is a longing to be 'someplace' which only painting seems to relieve. Therefore, the time it takes to make a painting is in itself an expression of the place realizing its form.''

Sorry to leave you hanging

"Drive'' (oil on canvas), by Christopher Pendergast, in the group show "+wanderlust,'' at Atelier Newport, in Newport, R.I., July 1-30. The gallery say the show "reflects an urge for self-development by experiencing the unknown, confronting unforeseen challenges, getting to know unfamiliar cultures, ways of life and behaviors driven by the desire to escape. The exhibition will feature objects, sculpture and painting by sixteen artists who explore this concept or the idea of desire.''