The Moon in a Spoon by Lynda Naske

Join us for the opening and exhibition of Lynda Naske.

Lynda Naske is an award-winning artist who has exhibited in northern and central NYS and New England in both solo and group exhibitions. According to Lynda Naske,” I have always been fascinated by the possibilities to be found in the tip of a pencil. The sensitivity of a beautifully rendered subject in this medium never fails to move me.”

Naske artwork seeks to capture a close-up and fleeting moment of light and shadow. Her current work is focused on familiar objects--”worlds within worlds,”--and into the exploration of their magic and mystery.

Hideout Visitor by Tom Yacovella

Tom Yacovella was the MVCA 2012 Regional Art Show “Solo Show Award” winner.

Born in Utica, New York, Tom was lured by the wilderness of the Adirondack Mountains that influence much of his wildlife art. Tom’s years as a creative designer and his desire to capture his outdoor experiences on canvas have formed the basis for his wildlife art. His work is a studied search to explore nature’s delicate balance and represent it the way that it really is. Telling stories through his art, Tom’s subjects’ moods and postures range from natural wariness to the intimate moments of courting and parenting. In his words, “I have been a devoted student of the outdoors for 50 years. My burning desire to portray wildlife accurately had led me to consistently explore nature’s delicate underbelly. I return to the wilderness often; to see it, smell it, taste it, sweat in its days and freeze in its nights. Only then can I discover a strong sense of what belongs and what does not belong in nature.”

Steven Hill would be described as a realist oil painter. He is inspired by the character that age imparts The simplicity of quiet moments, The nobility of simple tasks, The sanctity of human effort. It is his hope that when someone encounters his paintings that they are engaged not only by what is there, but also by what is not... by what it is and by what they imagine it to be.
Carolyn Justice is a pastel artist who after years of working as an illustrator and portrait artist, now describes herself as a painter who loves nature, life, and color. She enjoys giving a colorful voice to the farmer and fruits of his labor. The rural New England landscape and farm animals are a source of inspiration.

Opening Reception: September 15 , 2 – 4 pm
Exhibition: September 15 - October 12

Kris Corso Tolmie's large and small-scale monoprints "that result from the juxtaposition of traditional etching techniques with contemporary screen printing processes record subtle shifts in color, value and form that embody the changing nature of perspectives."  According to the artist, "these prints reflect my interest in recording the intangible quality of my observations of and experiences with natural schemata.  They have evolved from my habits of seeing and are based on my perceptions of the elements around me.  The information that I garner as reference for my work comes in the details of my surroundings, rather than the wholes.  Thus, I see the world as a palette full of visual stimuli that is arranged in thickly-layered, intricate complexities that compose an interrelated network of ever-changing patterns, textures and colors."  Tolmie presently serves as Assistant Professor of Art, Printmaking, at The College of St. Rose.  She has an extensive exhibition record throughout NYS and as far away as Korea.  Cross Currents is supported by monies from a Professional Development Grant from The College of St. Rose, Albany, NY.

Opening Reception: July 14, 2 - 4 pm
Exhibition: July 14 – August 5

Douglas Whitfield paints in his studio located in Cedar Lake, NY. His medium is oil paint on canvas, and his work has been shown in fine galleries around the world since 1967.  According to the artist, “My compositions are dreamlike and decidedly outside the realm of experience.  My characters come to you as players in a fantastic theater.  They gesture dramatically and strike romantic poses on their stage.  They are cognizant of you as you are of them and they present themselves to you for your pleasure.”

Opening Reception: June 8, 5 – 7 pm
Exhibition: June 8 – July 8

RC Oster is a self-taught artist who specializes in free-hand ink drawings of regional landmarks and Adirondack scenes.  He is particularly well known for his drawings of historical buildings, which he views as “proud reminders of where we as a society have been.”  Oster carefully captures fine details of these buildings from sharp angles to show off the architecture of the building.  He seeks to bring further awareness of these buildings through capturing their fine details.

Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts is proud to present the works of award-winning artist Nathan Gazin. The exhibit, "The Jazz Era," will open with a reception on Saturday, March 17, from 12-2pm at the gallery at 401 Canal Place, Little Falls, NY.

Nathan Gazin, (Gay' zin) started drawing as soon as he could hold a pencil.  His mother, an artist, always encouraged his artistic ability.  He began his career illustrating for The N.Y.S. Panic, an underground magazine. He continued illustrating while attending classes at Munson Williams Proctor Art Institute and later at PRATT, where he studied the finer teachings of Color Theory and Design. Pushing his abilities as a painter, Gazin began experimenting with colored pencil and it immediately became his medium of choice.  "Painting as a medium has such an extensive background behind it," Gazin says, "with so many great artists that have mastered it, such as Van Gogh with oils, or O'Keefe with watercolors. They have already created a blueprint for techniques and styles that many painters limit themselves to.

With colored pencil being a fairly new medium, it opens our minds to learning or developing new techniques, possibly even creating a new style of art all together." Gazin follows his own path and states simply, "The future of all art lies within our ability to see, feel, think, and imagine it."       

Influenced by artists old and new, Gazin focuses a lot of attention on subjects that you would see in the 1920's, or "The Jazz Era."  It was a time many have forgotten about; an era of experimenting with music, love, drugs and freedom of expression.  A time of prohibition, speakeasies, Flapper girls, and petting parties. 

Gazin's drawings are made exclusively with Prismacolor colored pencils on four-ply Bristol board.  He has displayed and sold his work at multiple exhibits in New York, winning countless awards throughout his career.  

Gazin's exhibit at Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts will run through April 14.  Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday, 11 am to 3 pm.  The opening reception is free and all are invited to attend.

Along Snells Bush - Robert Willman

Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts proudly presents the works of the well known and respected painter, Robert Willman. His show, “Landscapes” is opening on February 8, 2012 and will run through to March. Willman’s paintings have been exhibited in the National Exhibition of American Watercolors, Old Forge, NY; The Fall National, Southern Vermont Art Center, Manchester, VT; The Pennsylvania Watercolor Society International Exhibition, Erie, PA; The Northeast Watercolor Society National Exhibition of American Watercolors, Goshen, NY; Impressions of New England Exhibition, Bennington Center for the Arts, Bennington, VT and numerous other juried exhibitions. Willman’s works have received numerous awards in juried exhibitions and are in many permanent collections including museums, corporations, universities, and private collections throughout the United States, England and Canada. Willman’s painting “Adirondack White, Exploring the Hush” was used for the 2007 poster promoting the National Exhibition of American Watercolors in Old Forge, NY.

Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts - "Landscapes - New Works" by Frank Wilcox

Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts is pleased to announce a new exhibition featuring Little Falls Artist, Frank Wilcox. "Landscapes - New Works" is a compilation of works completed from 2009-2011. Wilcox, multiple award winning Adirondack artist, has been a frequent exhibitor at Old Forge, Long Lake, Adirondack Lakes Art Center, SUNY IT, Booneville Library, Lake Placid, Cooperstown National Juried Show and the Schuweinfurth Art Center. His works are also in many private collections throughout the US. This exhibition runs from September 10 to October 15. He has also taught at MVCA and Utica Art Association.

Gallery hours are noon to 4pm Tues/Thursday/Saturday or by appointment. the 401 Gallery is located at MVCA, 401 Canal Place, Little Falls, NY. Call 315-823-0808 for further information.

Opening Artist Reception is scheduled for Sunday, September 18 from 2 to 4pm. The reception is free and open to the public.

 

Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts - "Pastel Reflections" works by Grayce Dady

EXHIBITION  Sunday, June 12 through Tuesday, July 12, 2011

OPENING RECEPTION
Sunday, June 12, 2011
2 to 4 PM
Free and Open to the Public

Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts - "The Way of Water" works by Judith Present

“Moving Water Cloud Reflection”

EXHIBITION  Saturday, May 7 through Monday, June 4, 2011

OPENING RECEPTION
Sunday, May 22, 2011
2 to 4 PM
Free and Open to the Public
Ms. Present will be attending the Reception

Gallery Hours: Tues - Saturday 12 to 4 PM or by appointment
Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts
401 Gallery
401 Canal Place, Little Falls, NY 13365 

The Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts is proud to announce the opening of a new gallery show, "The Way of Water," works by Judith Present.

Judith Present is a photographer, playwright, director and actress who has written many plays which she honed as a resident playwright of the American Renaissance Theater in NYC. Her direction and plays have been seen in NYC, Binghamton NY, and Deposit and Hancock NY. She was a founding member of Theatrics by Starlight Theatre Company and Playwright’s Unit. Her new novel “Montana Junction” will be out in May of this year.

She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology were she majored in Textile Design and Fashion Photography. Judith owned The Present Textile Design Studio in NYC’s garment center until it began to dwindle with jobs going overseas.  She escaped from NYC to the boonies of PA right across the NY border; there she discovered nature right from her own back yard. Living in a log home in a hemlock forest has inspired her photography, changing her style from fashion to landscapes.

Ms. Present’s photographs have been seen from Brooklyn, New York to Billings, Montana and as far south as Farmerville, Louisiana. She is honored to show her work in the beautiful town of Little Falls, NY at the Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts.

Artist Statement - “The Way of Water”
Water is essential to sustain life. It is a clear colorless liquid that occurs as rain, snow, and ice, as it forms rivers, lakes, and seas. Yet it mirrors color from substances in its environment. In this digital photography series, “The Way of Water”, ART is made from moving water, frozen water and falling water as it reallocates through creeks, rivers and streams, freezes solid and falls over rocks.

In these manipulated landscapes, I bring to life the shades, tints, and colors that water picks up along its trail to wherever it goes. Using the reflections of sky and clouds and ground, along with light and luminosity from time of day I created photographs beyond what we see with the naked eye.

Judith Present - May 2011

Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts - "Near, Far and In between"
Paintings and Prints by GG Stankiewicz

“Rolling Hills”

EXHIBITION  Saturday, March 26, 2011 through Sunday, April 23, 2011

OPENING RECEPTION
Saturday, March 26, 2011
1 to 3 PM
Free and Open to the Public

Hamid Irbouh - “Dander Meander” - New Paintings 2010

“Soit-Distantix2 -2010” 69” x 56” Mixed Media

Exhibit Sunday, February 13 – Sunday, March 13, 2011
Reception Sunday, February 13
1 to 3 PM *** please note change in time

Hamid Irbouh - Artist’s Statement

I approach each painting so that its final surface reflects a product of ferocious concentration and mental rapacity.  Everything is grist for the mill.  No vagueness is tolerated.  Differences are pounced on greedily, and nothing that might be useful is left to slip by.  Thinking is fast or slow-- it depends on how the painting progresses. I develop my ideas through a playful use of abstract shapes. “Playfulness” is a means to answering pre-existing questions.  Making a new painting without prejudices engenders new ideas.  I prefer unspecified goals to direct ones.   Clouded objectives allow you to dig the work out with impartiality.  I strive for the unequivocal.  While in the process of “constructing” my paintings, the conversion of a thought into a visual mark laid on the surface can be as absorbing as a cognitive reflection or as fleeting as a dab of paint or as a wink.  Most often, at the outset a painting’s surface looks disorganized and, in some ways, funny because its nuts and bolts are unhinged, uncoordinated, and clumsy.  The shapes’ repetitiveness reigns supreme. The rest of the working process entails editing, though editing not in term of taking out, but of cleaning out through superimposition; hence the transparency of the paintings. Long pauses might follow as the mood of a painting changes.  And work resumes once the mental mood perceives the light within the tunnel.  Analytical revisions keep running.  And layers of paint pile upon layers in a combative and buoyant mode, but without concealing one another.  The challenge is to discover how many layers an unprimed and fragile raw canvas can accept without losing the character of “the beholder’s absorption.”  The multiple layers demonstrate both the method and the crude materiality of the paintings.  The unmixed pigments that delineate chunks of shapes are processed energetically and end up translating a concentrated visual rhythmic prose.  Each painting generates its twin.  Past, unfinished thoughts spawn new ideas and corroborate a new body of work.  Works that meet dead ends are re-started by building new paintings on top of them.  The surfaces of the final paintings stand as opaque walls that muffle a multitude of paintings that will never be seen.

Utica, New York 2010

Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts - "Foundations" - the Artwork of Donnalyn Shuster

 
"A Natural Twist" - Donnalyn Shuster

Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts Gallery 401 will feature the works of Donnalyn Shuster, a St. Johnsville resident from Saturday, January 15 through Tuesday, February 8, 2011.  The show is titled “Foundations” and highlights intricate  Pencil drawings. An Open House and Reception will be held at MVCA, 401 Gallery, 401 Canal Place, Little Falls on Sunday, January 16 from 2 to 4 PM. The event is free and open to the public. Shuster will be present to discuss her works.

Shuster was named Art Educator of the Year for 2009 for Region 3 of the New York State Art Teacher’s Association (NYSATA) and heads the Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District Art Department.  Currently, Shuster serves on the NYSATA Board of Trustees as a Region 3 Representative. In this role, she also chaired the Member’s Exhibition, held in November 2008 at SUNY-IT, along with chairing the Artisan’s Market at the national convention. Shuster is also a member of the National Art Education Association, where for the past four years, she has been selected to present at the national convention as a Mohawk Valley representative. She co-chaired the Festival of Arts this year, as well as orchestrating numerous exhibitions of student art work in Herkimer County, including the Congressional Art Competition, Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts Student Show, the Creative Arts Showcase at Bassett Healthcare in Herkimer and Acacia Village, to name a few. Her students’ work has also appeared in the School Arts Magazine and in presentations held during the opening sessions of the NAEA Convention.

Students from her class have also participated in the Scholastic Art Competition, receiving Gold and Silver keys and the National Gold Art Award in 2006. Many of her students have gone on to pursue careers in the art world, in such diverse fields as photography, graphic design and art studio ownership.

In addition to her teaching career, Shuster, along with her husband, own and operate a small dairy farm in the area. As a practicing artist, she regularly exhibits her work throughout the region, including a solo art show in Cooperstown in 2005.

Her work has appeared in galleries in Amsterdam, Gloversville, Little Falls, Ilion Public Library, Cogar Gallery at HCCC, and most currently, at the St. Lawrence County Arts Council in Potsdam.
Shuster holds an A.A.S. degree in Advertising Design and Production from Mohawk Valley Community College, a bachelor’s degree in Art and a master’s degree in Education from SUNY-Potsdam.

Exhibition Dates - October 16 through November 14, 2010
Artist Reception Sunday October 24 from 2 to 4 PM

The Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts 401 Gallery will feature Matthew Zappala, Woodcut artist at an exhibition of his works opening on Saturday, October 16. Zappala, a Graphic Artist and a graduate of Queens College,  has been drawn to the woods and coast of New England. His black and white woodcuts and woodcut collages depict landscape in winter. The curves of the trees are juxtaposed against the white snow. In specific areas, he brings out the natural grain of the wood to create energy that flows across the sky and water. Sections are chiseled and marks and lines direct the viewer’s eye into the print.

The Woodcut Collages are created by cutting and pasting pieces of different prints. By using the collage technique, Zappala is able to experiment with a greater variety of possibilities. The end product is a new singular work of art that has the visual look of a woodcut.

Zappala’s work has been exhibited in Maine, Massachusetts and Hudson Valley Galleries. There is an Artist Reception on Sunday, October 24 from 2 to 4 PM that is free and open to the public. MVCA 401 Gallery is located at 401 Canal Place, Little Falls, NY. Call 823-0808 for more information.

Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts - Art Work by Steven Specht

Exhibition Dates September 11 - October 11, 2010
Artist Reception Sunday September 12, 2010 2 to 4 PM

Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts announces the opening of a new exhibition featuring Collage Works by local educator and artist Steven Specht. The exhibition is scheduled to open Saturday, September 11, 2010 and closes Monday, October 11, 2010. A reception in honor of Dr. Specht is scheduled on Sunday, September 12 from 2 to 4 PM at Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts. This function is free and open to the public.

Steven Specht is Professor of Psychology at Utica College. Dr. Specht has exhibited works at a number of venues in Central New York State including the Salmon River Fine Arts Gallery (at which he won “Popular Best in Show”), Kirkland Arts Center, Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts (at which he won the “Solo Exhibition Award”) and the juried Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute Sidewalk Show. He has also shown works nationally at the juried exhibit of the National Collage Society (NCS) and won a cash award in 2009 for his work at the NCS annual “Wish You Were Here” postcard show. He recently had work on exhibit at the Climate Gallery in New York City and at the 17th Annual International Salon of Contemporary Collage in Paris, France.

Dr. Specht regularly teaches a course entitled “Psychology and the Visual Arts” at Utica College and has published journal articles about his work investigating the factors that influence individuals’ perceptions of artwork. He is a member of the International Association for Empirical Aesthetics, the Association for Psychological Science and the National Collage Society.

The Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts 401 Gallery is proud to present the exhibition of paintings by a local Dolgeville artist, Lutz Scherneck, June 20 through July 16. Mr. Scherneck is a graduate of Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts. His work has been well received throughout Upstate New York galleries.

The public is invited to meet the artist at the Opening Reception on Sunday, June 27 from 2 to 4 PM.

For further information, Click here or call 823-0808.

This program is funded in part by the state agency New York State Council on the Arts

The Gallery hours
Tuesday to Saturday 12-4

 

Terrence Tiernan
Exhibition Dates May 15 - June 14, 2010
Artist Reception May 23, 2010 2 to 4 PM

The Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts 401 Gallery is presenting the exhibition  of paintings and drawings of Terrence Tiernan May 15 through June 14. Mr. Tiernan, retired Professor of Art at the Sage Colleges, will be exhibiting thought provoking works.

The public is invited to meet the artist at the Opening Reception on Sunday, May 23 from 2 to 4 PM. The MVCA 401 Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, Noon to 4 PM. For further information, call 823-0808.

This program is funded in part by the state agency
New York State Council on the Arts

The Gallery hours
Tuesday to Saturday 12-4

 

An Artist Reception will be held on Sunday, April 11 from 2 to 4 PM. The 401 Gallery is located at 401 Canal Place (formerly S. Ann Street), Little Falls, NY. Please contact MVCA for further information at 823-0808

The Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts 401 Gallery is presenting the exhibition  “Earthly Spirits” featuring the art of R. Ashley Krohmal April 11 through May 8. Ms. Krohmal, a Capital area resident, will be featuring Watercolor and Oil Paintings and unique Ceramic Sculptures. A graduate from NYS College of Ceramics and St. Rose College, Krohmal states “My work is created in the moment as a spontaneous dance.”   Sculpture and painting by R Ashley Krohmal

An Artist Reception will be held on Sunday, March 7 from 2 to 4 PM. The 401 Gallery is located at 401 Canal Place (formerly S. Ann Street), Little Falls, NY. Please contact MVCA for further information at 823-0808

Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts welcomes Suzanne Richter Neusner, Rhinebeck, NY as the featured artist at the 401 Gallery Sunday, February 28 through Saturday, March 27, 2010.  A long time quilter, Neusner strives for designs that look fresh and never predictable. In addition to quilting, Ms. Neusner accepts commissions for original wedding hoppahs.   "Music of the Spheres" by Suzanne Richter Neusner