The exhibition will be up until February 15 @ 6:00 pm.
Peliades Gallery is located in 530 W. 25th St. #405
Hours: Tues-Sat 11-6
Here is a link to the show:
Press Release: “Members Only”
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“Members Only”
January 28- February 22, 2020
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 30, 6–8PM
Closing Party: Saturday, February 22, 4–6pm
Renee Borkow * Ellen Burnett * Henry Coupe * May DeViney * Kiffi Diamond * Bernice Faegenburg * David Fitzgerald * Alan Gaynor * Wally Gilbert * Chris Tucker Haggerty * Maki Hajikano * Yu Huang * Kazuo Ishikawa * Kat King * Marco Lando * Ron Moore * Pavel Muller * John Nieman *
Srividya Kannan Ramachandran * Bruce Rosen * Susan Sills * Virginia Evans Smit * Angela Smith *
Robert Smith * Toto Takamori * Bob Tomlinson * Frances Vye Wilson * Ana Guraieb Chahin *
Sarah Jarrett * Gentry Pack * Deborah Sudran * Dorothy Braudy * Carol Brookes *
Chelsea NY: Viridian Artists is pleased to present an exhibition of outstanding art by artists who are represented by Viridian. The show extends from January 28th to February 22nd with an opening reception on Thursday, January 30th, 6-8PM and a closing party on Saturday, February 22nd, 4–6pm.
The web tells us that the top 5 related words for "members only" are: closed shop, exchange, exclusive, just, and private. And yes, this exhibition is devoted exclusively to artists who are committed to creating and sharing their work as it grows & progresses.
Viridian Artists have always prided themselves on being open to a wide variety of art styles, disciplines and media. We are not focused on realism or abstraction, nor do we favor painters over collagists or photographers over sculptors. Our current stable of artists reflects these diversities with pride and curiosity.
It’s not often at Viridian that only members’ work is shown for we often invite guest artists: some we know, some we are just getting to know. But this time, it’s Members Only! Some are new to us like Frances Vye Wilson who creates fascinating garment and plant-like sculptural structures of natural fibers from the East. And the photographers Marco Lando & Pavel Muller whose works are vastly different: Lando’s filled with emotional overtones & Muller’s cool and graphic.
Photographers Robert Smith and Alan Gaynor also see the world uniquely. Gaynor’s images often architectural, make us conscious of the lines of beauty in buildings and Smith notices the minutia of life, like the soft breeze through an open window. In a totally different vein, Angela Smith & Srividya Ramachandran both work with digital photography, but Ramachandran has created her own AI who makes images while Angela Smith explores drawing on her photographic self-portraits. Wally Gilbert transforms his digital photographs by breaking them down into colors and shapes whose beginnings are barely recognizable.
Viridian artists who are primarily painters include Bob Tomlinson, Henry Coupe, Yu Huang, Bruce Rosen, Toto Takamori, Virginia Smit and John Neiman. Each have their unique approach to technique & subject matter. Coupe’s paintings are small and gestural portraits, Tomlinson’s theatrical with collaged elements, Takamori’s with layers and layers paint that takes months to dry and Huang’s paintings are realistic explorations of history. Bruce Rosen’s abstract paintings are akin to meditations while John Neiman mixes a fascination with art and popular culture in his paintings. Virginia Smit has explored a wide variety of printmaking techniques and mixes her prints with collage, drawing & paintings that often focus on nature.
Sculptors Kat King and Ron Moore both work in metal but King casts most of her work from sculptural maquettes while Moore welds and paints his steel figures. Maki Hajikano’s glass abstractions come from another sculptural world. David Fitzgerald is an artist who combines fascinating structures playing two -dimensional imagery against three dimensional objects incorporating unique encaustic techniques. He was a winner in a recent juried show and is currently fascinated with owls.
Mixed media artists May DeViney, Ellen Burnett, Kiffi Diamond all work with found objects, each uniquely transforming discards and fragments into compositions that are their private interpretations of reality, sometimes with psychological overtones and frequently with humor. Chris Tucker Haggerty came to Viridian as a juried competition winner and combines drawing, painting and mixed media in her art making.
And there are the mixed media artists Susan Sills, Bernice Faegenburg, Renee Borkow and Kazuo Ishikawa who might be considered primarily painters but Sills paints on wood cutouts, Borkow and Faegenburg mix in collage with their drawing and painting. Differently, Kazuo Ishikawa creates his assemblages of cut bits of color in plastic and metal which he calls “constructive layered painting”.
Viridian has begun a number of programs to give more artists an opportunity to show their art. Our Young Artist program is for artists who are under thirty years of age & in the early stages of their careers. Last year we offered one young artist, Ana Guraieb Chahin, who weaves her art, a Barbara K Schwartz scholarship. Sarah Jarrett and Gentry Park, both young painters, explore personal themes in their work.
And “last but not least”, are Viridian’s Alumni Artists, Deborah Sudran, Dorothy Braudy and Carol Brookes who were once fully represented by the gallery. Though they no longer are, they continue to participate in group shows.
We look forward to sharing exciting new works by these outstanding Viridian Artists.
Gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday 12–6pm
For further information please contact Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director at 212-414-4040 or viridianartistsinc@gmail.com
or view the gallery website: www.viridianartists.com
Opening Reception for Jenny Belin at powerHouse on 8, Brooklyn, NY
Animals & More by Jenny Belin
Opening Reception on Wednesday- February 5th, 6–8PM
at powerHouse on 8th
1111 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Press Release: “CONCERNING … & … & …”
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“CONCERNING … & … & …”
Viridian Affiliates & Alumni
January 2- 25, 2020
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 9, 6-8PM
Juliette Gordon * Joshua Greenberg * Michael Reck * Meredeth Turshen *
Nancy Nicol * Deborah Sudran * Jenny Belin * Vernita N’Cognita*
Chelsea NY: Viridian Artists is pleased to present an exhibition of outstanding art by seven artists who are part of Viridian Artists' Affiliate program and one who is a Viridian Alum. The show extends from January 2ND TO 25th with an opening reception on Thursday, January 9, 6-8PM. Some critics say the hot art is currently in the realm of realism, others are saying abstraction is back in full force. The art in this exhibit encompasses fragments of both and covers a wide range of concerns, … & … &…
Juliette Gordon was a trailblazer, an important member of the feminist art movement in New York and a respected artist in the inner-circle of radical anti-war politics in the early 70’s. She suffered a stroke in 2001, but still would undoubtedly have taken her rightful place among more well known feminist contemporaries had her life not been drastically changed in 2003 by a disastrous fire in which she was seriously burned and nearly died. The artist, now 85, has been living in rehabilitation and nursing facilities since, but her spirit is not diminished. For the past 7 years she has been nurtured through bouts of self-doubt to continue creating by the artist Sharon Wybrants who visits her weekly. Dr. Andrew Hottle, an art historian and specialist in feminist art of the 70’s, has created an inventory of Gordon’s oeuvre with the hopes there will be a retrospective one day of her work. Viridian is pleased to be showing collages in this exhibit that are a part of her body of work.
Joshua Greenberg uses photo-based imagery to create contemporary abstract art. In The Trees at the Edge of the Field, he uses a sequence of abstract prints in the same catalogue to represent a visual story. The works are arranged as a narrative and the viewer is asked to create their own story. The artist makes the art, the observer interprets the art, and together they complete the implied social contract art represents.
Michael Reck is an abstract artist who uses NYC and urban living for his inspiration. He states the following about the art he’s created for this exhibit: “For the past several years I have been working with layering to create depth in my compositions. This technique has been heavily informed by graffiti, which turned out to be an influence I simply absorbed from my surroundings.”
Meredeth Turshen’s work took a sharp turn from abstract to representational this year after a challenge from two artists to produce 100 still lifes; the selection shown here – all in oil on paper – were spun from her imagination while living in a flower-rich paradise in northern Vermont. Turshen majored in studio art at Oberlin College, in workshops at Pratt, the Printmaking Council of NJ, the Rutgers Center for Innovative Printmaking, the CT Center for Graphic Arts, and for the past ten years at Vermont Studio Center. Turshen joined Viridian in 2007. She is a member of the National Association of Women Artists.
Nancy Nicol feels she is a New Yorker at heart, though she now works out of Cape Cod after growing up in the city via daily commutes from Jersey City to attended Friends Seminary, where art was core curriculum. She navigated without adult supervision, filling her pockets with interesting found objects and admired street art and graffiti. These youthful solo expeditions and familiarities continue to impact her work today. In addition to her affiliation with Viridian, she is an exhibiting member of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum and the Organization of Independent Artists, Brooklyn. Current projects include the illustration of a soon-to-be published children’s book, Quiet Places.
Deborah Sudran, a long time Viridian Artist and now a Viridian Alum, has spent a lifetime creating large paintings that contain a strong emotional response to nature. Her interests are concerned primarily with the abstract underpinnings as she moves in close, isolating plant life from its surroundings and focusing on the forms, colors and textures. Working from photographs, she is particularly fascinated with desert and tropical images.
Jenny Belin’s digitally created collages connect her figurative work with elements from her sketchbooks. In the past, much of her art has encompassed portraits of famous women we think of as feminists as well as animal portraits, particularly cats.
Vernita N’Cognita, both a visual & a performance artist is showing a series of recent collages that often explore the absence of objects, leaving only the negative shapes that imply a presence. Active politically since the 70’s, she organized one of the first feminist exhibits of that time. More recently, much of her work has been concerned with junkmail, recycling and aging. In the current issue of Gallery & Studio magazine, Diane Root wrote about her performance work on the theme of aging which she presented in the Art in Odd Places (AIOP) Festival, “Invisible”.
Viridian has created a number of programs to give outstanding and “underknown” artists an opportunity to have their work seen. In a world in which social media is making it possible for more & more individuals to have a tiny taste of fame, artists need avenues to have their work seen “in the flesh” as well. We look forward to seeing you in person in January, at this exhibition of captivating artworks and ideas.
Gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday 12–6pm
For further information please contact Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director at 212-414-4040 or viridianartistsinc@gmail.com
or view the gallery website: www.viridianartists.com
Opportunity: Gallery & Studio: Inaugural Juried Competition For Visual Artists Of All Media.
We wanted to share news about this opportunity!
Inaugural Juried Art Competition
Gallery&Studio Arts Journal will be running several different competitions throughout the year. The inaugural competition will be for visual artists of all media. Good Luck!
Theme: “Celebration”
Submission: Up to 3 images per submission. Images must be of your own original work.
Prize: A review of the winning artist’s work to be published on the January 2020 print edition.
Images of runners up will also published.
Deadline: December 15th 2019
Judge: Ed McCormack, Managing Editor. Winners to be announced on the website 12/31/2019.
Entry Fee: $20 for 3 images
Press Release: “Holiday Madness” Viridian’s Annual Holiday Invitational
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“Holiday Madness”
Viridian’s Annual Holiday Invitational
December 10 – December 28, 2019
Opening reception: Thursday, December 12, 6–8pm
Closing Party: Saturday December 28, 4–6PM
Chelsea, NYC: Viridian Artists is pleased to present “Holiday Madness,” Viridian’s Annual Holiday Invitational from December 10 – December 28, 2019 with an Opening Reception Thursday, December 12, 6–8pm & on Saturday, December 28, 4–6 a closing party to celebrate the end of 2019.
Viridian’s holiday show in December is an annual event filled with art by gallery artists and their artist-friends. In addition, Viridian will open its holiday Arte Shoppe, filled with artist-made cards, jewelry and small artworks. All items in the Arte Shoppe are priced at $99 or less.
As always, traditional holidays make one look back at where all the pomp and circumstance arise from, especially now when our global communication is so prolific and on the other hand, when we are in a time when many traditions have died or lost their meaning.
Googling the meaning of Christmas and ways of celebrating in different cultures yielded many interesting twists. In
France, one source said that since 1962, all letters to Père Noel must receive a postcard reply.
In Spain, religion remains an important aspect of the Christmas holiday with the Mass of the Rooster, since they believe a rooster crowed at the birth of Christ. For many cultures, religion is still the essential meaning behind the Christmas season but some, like Japan, have taken it on with all its glitter and eating by celebrating Christmas Dinner for “The Colonel” with a meal of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
So Christmas continues, with and without religion, a habit perhaps sustained by the nature of humans wanting to give gifts to those they care about or perhaps it’s still the lure of strange customs. A quite unorthodox Norwegian Christmas tradition concerns stealing brooms, so that even today people must hide their brooms on Christmas Eve. The Swedish Christmas involves a large statue of a goat, though in 1966, people began to burn the goat as part of the ritual and continue to do so to this day.
In the artworlds of the world, Christmas is a time of celebrating the season by sharing gallery walls with the art of artist-friends and offering small works that each hope will become gifts of art, filled with creative thoughtfulness, an important attribute for gift giving. We hope that you will join us in our sharing of walls and the holiday spirit.
Gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday 12–6pm
For further information please contact Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director at 212-414-4040 or viridianartistsinc@gmail.com
or view the gallery website: www.viridianartists.com
Panorama Photograph From The "Rough Road Ahead Opening" on November 14th, 2019
Panorama Photograph From The "Rough Road Ahead Opening" by Juried Artist, Amy Shapiro.
Press Release: Viridian's 30th Annual International Juried Exhibition: Part 2“ROUGH ROAD AHEAD”
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Viridian's 30th Annual International Juried Exhibition: Part 2
“ROUGH ROAD AHEAD”
Juried by Vernita Nemec, Director of Viridian Artists & Independent Curator
November 12 – December 7, 2019
Opening Reception: Thursday, November 14, 6–8pm
Closing reception Saturday, December 7, 4–6pm
1st prize – Alice Millbirds 2nd prize – Victoria Goro-Rapoport 3rd prize – Gary Aagaard
Gary Aagaard * John Benjamin * Craig Cheply * Bernard Corman * Kevin Cox * Teri Donovan * Julie Eisenberg Pitman * Fuentes * Christina Galbiati * Ashley Gardner * Lisa Garner * Victoria General * Victoria Goro-Rapoport * Ken Goshen * Phylicia Haberman * Sally Han * Matthew Huntley * Qian Jin * Sasinun Kladpetch * Cindy Konits * Mengjia Lu * John Manno * Alice Millbirds * Daniel Morrissey * Carol Quint * Russell Ritell * Abi Salami * Amy Shapiro * Michelle Yarnick * Yana Zorina *
Chelsea: Viridian Artists Inc. is pleased to present the second part of our 30th International Juried Exhibition curated by Vernita Nemec, Director of Viridian Artists. The exhibition opens November 12 and continues through December 7, 2019. In celebration, an opening reception will be held on Thursday, November 14, 6–8pm and a closing reception on Saturday, December 7, 4–6pm.
As always, Viridian makes a concerted effort to expand the opportunities for outstanding artists’ work to be seen, exhibited and collected. For this season’s exhibition juried by the gallery’s director, instead of having a Director’s Choice segment the 30th Annual Juried Exhibition will have a Part 1 & Part 2. Not only Viridian’s director, Nemec is also an independent curator and an artist long involved in the New York art world and its political activities.
This second half of the 30th Juried exhibit consists of art that directly or indirectly seemed to have political overtones – a fact of life today. More than ever, politics seem to be something we cannot avoid addressing. In today’s world, art has become a tool for clarifying daily life, both in its goodness and its badness.
Selection was especially difficult too because of the nature of art in our world today. Media, methods and conceptualizations of art encompass a wider range than ever. No more are we limited to the usual methods for now all is possible with the proper resources and if course, the courage to take a stand.
More than 400 artists submitted over 1000 submissions; a daunting task, but the 60 artists selected by Nemec in this two part exhibit, represent a wide survey of what concerns and inspires artists and as always, there is much to be concerned about. We look forward to sharing this fascinating exhibition of timely contemporary art by artists we are sure you will see more of in the future.
Jenny Belin showing work in: P I N K N Y C
Jenny Belin is part of The Pen and Ink Brigade’s Upcoming group show: Pink is Power:
Proceeds to benefit: S T A C E Y A B R A M S’ voter protection organization, F A I R F I G H T 2 0 2 0.
Opening Reception: November 15th, 5-8 pm at
The Diana Kane Boutique, 5-8 p.m.
229-B Fifth Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11215
The Pen and Ink Brigade is a collective of Women Artists/Activists joining forces to create progressive change. For more information about Pen and Ink Brigade:
May Deviney is Currently Showing Work in "POLITICALISMS", an Exhibit at Artspace Maynard
Viridian Artist May Deviney is exhibiting work in
at ArtSpace Maynard
63 Summer St
Maynard, MA 01754
October 16th – November 22nd
Please click here to read more information
Artists May DeViney and Barbara Fletcher bring together different political and social isms in this show of colorful satiric artwork.
ism is a noun meaning an ideological movement typically political or artistic. In our modern world there are a lot of isms at play. Think of any noun and add “ism” to it. Presto – a new ideological or artistic movement is in action. Everyone has a favorite ism; what’s yours?
Artists May DeViney and Barbara Fletcher bring together different isms, meeting in the middle using humor, color, technique and intension.
DeViney’s work highlights the continuity of social customs, traditions and religious credos that combine to constrain individuals within traditional unbending roles. They become acid portrayals of oppression and forbearance, combined with gallows and slapstick humor. Her working class, union, Midwestern background fostered contrasts that are reflected in her work, including an ornery iconoclasm, but mindful of warmth, humanism and family connections.
Fletcher has traveled to a number of third world countries over the years which opened her eyes to conditions in the world but it would take a number of years for her art and activism to merge. She became an observer of nature and the nature of the human condition and her work has focused mainly on environmental concerns. Ironically she sometimes uses animals to express her isms. Her art has become a cathartic experience for her and hopefully gives some playful awareness and insight to her audience.
Politicalisms will be on view from October 16th – November 22nd
Gallery is open Wednesdays through Saturdays 11 am to 3 pm
A Gallery Opening Reception will be held on October 19th from
5-7 pm.
Free and Wheelch
Press Release: Ron Moore: "Joy"
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RON MOORE”
“JOY”
October 22– November 9, 2019
Meet the Artist, Thursday, November 7th, 6:30-8pm
Chelsea: Viridian Artists Inc. is pleased to present an exhibition of figurative sculpture in metal by Ron Moore, entitled “JOY”. The show opens October 22nd and continues through November 9th, 2019. You are invited to meet the artist and celebrate this exhibit on Thursday, November 7th, 6-8PM.
Ron Moore approaches life and art making philosophically and with joy, hence the title of his first solo exhibition at Viridian Artists. Thoreau said "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to the grave with the song still in them." Fortunately we have art to help us for we are living in times of quiet and not so quiet desperation; a time when joy is greatly needed.
Moore began making art when he was a shy and lonely 14 year old, creating wooden figures without guidance or intervention. Early on he switched to steel and bronze, wanting to create art for out-of-doors and so taught himself how to weld. Moving the molten metal gave him a feeling of empowerment and control. He has continued in these media since that time, creating works of raw simplicity with flawed surfaces, filled with unclear meanings that are open to interpretation by the viewer.
The artist believes his work must speak for itself and prefers that its meanings remain blurred and ambiguous. He feels that what people see and feel when they look at his art, is beyond his control. Painted, galvanized and rusted, these metal figures are meant to speak of joy, and to hold the reminder that life must be lived to its fullest.
Perhaps with a smile, the artist says: “These sculptures* are here to welcome, and encourage you to have fun! Since they have not been pushed to hard, to attain perfection ~ their forms are unrefined, unrestrained, and uncomplicated! In fact, their “spirits" seek to avoid the exactitude, that often leads to exasperation. As a result, they live within the unconscious "Joy", of simply being themselves! Their "spirits", and perhaps their own sense of theater, spring from every aspect of life ~ most especially from the wild yearnings, and the lonely hardships, that we all experience. The movable sculptures are also quite elemental. They are here to be played with, and to simply let the feelings that gallop within us; "run free". Because they are uncomplicated, and they simply "do nothing", they should never become obsolete. I hope that you enjoy yourself here ~ Thank you for visiting!! With Joy, and Smiles”
We look forward to sharing with you, Ron Moore’s inspired sculptural configurations & investigations.
Gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday 12-6PM
For further information please contact Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director at 212 414 4040 or viridianartistinc@gmail.com
Call For Art: Gallery Director Vernita Nemec Will Jury "Doom Bloom"
Doom and Bloom
Exhibit Dates: Monday, January 6 – Friday, February 28, 2020
Opening Reception: Sunday, January 12, 2020, from 4pm to 6pm
Submission opens: October 6, 2019
Submission deadline: Sunday, December 8, 2019
Theme:
Our Doom and Bloom art show is a juried exhibition highlighting the crisis of trash on earth and how artists can have a positive impact on the environment through the partnership of art and recycling. Artists are challenged to create dynamic, inventive, and provocative work created from a multitude of mSee Theme Below and Click here to Submitaterials that would have been otherwise discarded if not rescued for art-making. We are seeking art that has been created from discards and trash. At least 80% of the materials incorporated into the art should be materials which would otherwise be trash, but are now saved from the landfill!
VIRIDIAN'S DIRECTOR IN ANOTHER ROLE: VERNITA NEMEC AKA N'COGNITA
VERNITA NEMEC AKA N'COGNITA
I STILL AM: A Participatory Performance Art
38 W 14th Street (Party City).
Friday, October 18, 3-6pm
Art in Odd Places (AiOP) 2019: INVISIBLE, in it's 15th year iteration is scheduled for October 17-20 along 14th Street from Avenue C to the Hudson River. Curated by longtime AiOP artist provocatrice LuLu LoLo, INVISIBLE is vaporous and propels itself intangibly out into the air celebrating the indomitable spirit of artists who are sixty years old and older—undaunted by the passage of time—supported by their intergenerational collaborators: parent/child; mentor/ protégé; partners; lovers; and others from babies to our oldest artist who is 94 years old.
Vernita Nemec AKA N’Cognita (www.ncognita.com) has presented over 70 performances in the U.S, Mexico, Japan, Germany, Hungary, Ireland and France. Nemec’s themes involve the insecurities of desire; the inevitability of aging and death; female empowerment and the terrible things humans do to the planet and themselves. Her work has been discussed in numerous publications including Lucy Lippard's "The Pink Glass Swan", Linda Montano's “Performance Artists Talking in the Eighties” “Feminists Who Changed America 1963-1975”. Nemec participated in Linda Montano’s 7 Years of Living Art and has performed at the Pompidou Museum in Paris, the opening of Brooklyn Museum’s Sackler Center for Feminist Art, the Woman's Building in LA, & at the 7th Performance Studies Conference, Mainz, GR to name just a few. She received a Franklin Furnace Fund Award for Performance Art in 1988, and presented work in Movement Research's Monday Night Series in 2019, 2015, 2013 & 2009. Her complete biography is @ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernita_Nemec.
Press Release: Wally Gilbert: “Worlds”
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Wally Gilbert
“Worlds”
October 1– October 18, 2019
Opening Reception, Thursday, October 3, 6-8pm
Chelsea: Viridian Artists Inc. is pleased to present an exhibition of digital imagery by the artist/scientist/photographer Wally Gilbert, entitled “WORLDS”. The show opens October 1st and continues through October 18th, 2019. You are invited to meet the artist and celebrate the opening of this exhibit on Thursday, October 3rd, 6-8PM.
Working with digital photography for over a decade, Gilbert, the artist/scientist, approaches his imagery as he would any scientific investigation, exploring and experimenting in a thousand ways before accepting his findings. He has scrutinized color and form in extreme detail and this time he has become more & more involved with transforming and layering until new patterns emerge, almost of their own accord. Investigating and manipulating, he transforms and combines fragments of photographs into arresting artworks that are simultaneously abstract, multi-faceted and multi-layered.
If you read the paragraph above carefully, you would notice that Gilbert is not only a photographer but also a scientist and if you were to look for him in Wikipedia or Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Walter-Gilbert) you would discover that he is a Nobel Prize winning scientist, but here we are interested in his investigation of color, form and imaginative composition – of which he is also a master.
In this recent collection of works, he lets his photographic images talk with one another as he plays with the superimposition of color and form to the extreme. These are not gently explored, but severely, for his explorations have been evolving over the years so that the original images that served to inspire are now transformed into new beings with completely new identities, opening “worlds” never before seen in a camera lens. These “worlds” as he calls this body of work, are what we offer to you to explore as you wish and to see what your imagination brings forth unbidden.
We look forward to sharing with you, Wally Gilbert’s latest investigations, artistically inspired.
Gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday 12-6PM
For further information please contact Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director at 212 414 4040 or viridianartistinc@gmail.com
here is a link to an exciting event at Viridian next Thursday, September 26th, 6-8pm
Press Release: "Looking Outward/Looking Inward": New Work by Viridian Affiliates and Alumni
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“Looking Outward/ Looking Inward”
Viridian Affiliates & Alumni
September 10 – September 28, 2019
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 12, 6-8PM
Closing Reception: Saturday, September 28, 4-6PM
Marie-Ange Hoda Ackad * Arlene Finger * Deb Flagel * Charles Hildebrandt * Barbara Hillerman * Sarah Riley * Kathleen Shanahan * & Alumni Carol Brookes & Dorothy Braudy
Chelsea NY: Viridian Artists is pleased to present an exhibition of outstanding art by five artists who are part of Viridian Artists' Affiliate program and two of our Alumni Artists. The show extends from September 10 – September 28, 2019 with receptions to meet the artists Thursday, September 12, 6-8PM & Saturday, September 28, 4-6PM.
Marie-Ange Hoda Ackad’s “Eating Cake" is a work from a new series. In it, a transparent mouth is painted over a digital print on canvas coated with encaustic. The juxtaposition of truncated facial features floating over a graphic background make these works interesting in a new way. Based in Montreal, Canada, Ackad is increasingly showing her works in the United States.
Deb Flagel's work springs from the Japanese practice of Boro and Sashiko; traditional textile techniques honoring the reuse of materials through patching, repatching, and mending. By deconstructing past and current works, Flagel discovers interplay between the old and new, reconstructing into a grouping she titles, The Spaces In-Between... a place defined by quiet pauses between activity -- a neutral space where we begin to see what is, and where we connect to authentic inspiration.
For Arlene Finger, the interplay of color and line are primary forces in her compositions that the artist says are influenced by both the English Symbolists and the Russian avant-garde. Recently, the work has become more illustrative, not intentionally, but a creative direction that has emerged spontaneously. Working with pencil, charcoal, ink & pastel in her drawings, she likes to experiment with form as well as material.
Last year Charles Hildebrandt showed painting but recently he has been experimenting with mixed media collage arising as an extension of his photography. Like his paintings, the influences of nature, architecture, and the contrast of urban environments have been a part of the works evolution. Some of them, like “Fall Sidewalk”, were influenced by the forces of nature in unexpected places, literally right underfoot.
About her recent series “STILL LIFE ON THE ROAD”, Barbara Hillerman states: “I try to identify what might be overlooked in my current environment. Condiments – salt and pepper in particular – are found on most informal restaurant tables. They are so available that we often do not recognize their potential as creative arrangements that express the personality of the establishment. These images were made during travel in the U.S.A. Perhaps you can guess what was on the menu”.
Sarah Riley uses her background as both a painter and printmaker to re-work drawings, paintings, and prints digitally. She maneuvers these traditionally created images through a series of maneuvers, juxtapositions and layers, telling the story of “the human condition, one woman, many women, issues of identity and women’s history.” Adding an ambitious scale to this new, experimental media helps to create Riley’s strong female voice. Though digitally printed, the work derives from an intuitive process. The images are built from found and personal material and reflections, often with the use of brilliant color. She challenges the audience to pay attention to a new narrative of contemporary art and life.
Kathleen Shanahan’s mixed media works owe much to print making studio practices and the processes of layering and sequentially developing unique effects. The artist creates her “pastiched” imagery through collage and the juxtaposition of diverse elements. Here, her piece, entitled “Real Concerns”, is embedded in fantasy that choreographs our imagination as she manipulates it.
"Alumna artist Carol Brookes says about this series of her work "My Warrior Goddesses were born of a large body of mixed media wall sculpture that explores textural surfaces and the play of hard and soft forms that express both masculinity and femininity in harmony and opposition. Freed from years of being “attached to the wall” and working with abstract design forms, my goddesses have opened up a new focus and direction in my work. Taking the surfaces that I have been so drawn to and the concepts of feminine strength, I have re-imagined these ideas in these powerful female forms. The armored structures, woven of shiny, textured sculpting epoxy express the protective shell we all wear to face the world. These Warrior Goddesses, with their vulnerabilities safely hidden and shielded from harm are poised for battle. I believe in facing the world as a Warrior Goddess and that there is a Warrior standing the ready in all of us."
Dorothy Braudy, also a Viridian Alumna artist, states that "The painting is from a series called “Marking Time” which was a show of 35 paintings based on old family snapshots from the time my father was a boy in about 1906 to my meeting with my husband Leo in 1971. This is my younger sister and me in front of our Kentucky house in about 1942 or 3." A career retrospective of her work was shown at the Ellen Kim Murphy Gallery in Bergamot Station in 2000. Her first one person show was at Viridian Gallery, when it was in Soho and called Second Story Spring Street. Other solo exhibitions include “Marking Time” (2005) and “Double Feature” (2007) at the Hamilton Galleries, Santa Monica, and in 2010 a one-person show at Northeastern University in Boston, as part of the conference “Art and Memory.”In 2014 she had a show with her artist son, David Fitzgerald, (who now is a Viridian Artist as well) and her artist grandson, Travis Fitzgerald, “3 Generations”, in Manhattan.
Viridian's Affiliate and Alumni programs just some of the many ways in which our gallery continues its mission of supporting the art of outstanding "under-known" artists.
Gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday 12- 6 PM
For further information please contact Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director
Press Release: New Arts Prospect: Artists from Japan, Series VI, 2019 Curated by Sai Morikawa
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New Arts Prospect: Artists from Japan, Series VI, 2019
Curated by Sai Morikawa
August 13th - 24th, 2019
Opening reception: Thursday, August 15th 6 - 8pm
Exhibiting Artists:
Chikako Nunome * Emiko Aida * Eri Hirano * Fumiaki Asai * Hiromi Minami * Ichigo Nohara * Ikka Tamura * Kiyokazu Ito * Madoka Suzuki * Meisyuku Ito * Miho Takai *Miwako Kashiwagi * Monzo Watanabe * Morihiro Okamoto * Reiko Furukawa * Seiyou Fukuoka * Shingo Hayamizu * Shinichi Asao * Sai Morikawa * Takashi Ozu * Tetsuaki Takasawa * Tomoji Ogawa * Tomomi Hata * Toshihito Kenzan * Yohei Sano * Yoko Nakanishi * Yoshihiro Kogure * Yoshiko Suzuki * Yuko Sato * Yumiko Hirokawa
Chelsea, NYC: Viridian Artists is pleased to present “New Arts Prospect: Artists from Japan, Series VI, 2019”, Curated by Sai Morikawa. The exhibition continues from August 13th to 24th, 2018 with an opening reception, Thursday, August 15th, 6 - 8PM.
New York is a city where the top artists of the world have long coexisted, creating much diversity of art as they share creative expressions from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds. This series, “New Arts Prospect: Artists from Japan”, although only in its sixth year, continues to introduce Japanese artists who are well known and respected in Japan but virtually unknown here.
The exhibition, held yearly in the summer, is especially important because the invited artists reveal to a wider audience the particularly unique expressions of their Japanese cultural background with its intrinsically delicate and elaborate techniques.
The 2019 Summer Exhibition will take place at Viridian Artists Gallery in Chelsea. Established in the 1960s, Viridian has long supported ambitious up-and-coming and under-known artists for more than 50 years and continues to do so. Last year a catalog was published of the first Fifty Years of Viridian Artists which is available at the gallery & online.
Each year, this exhibition of contemporary Japanese has gained interest and attention in part because it invites not only art critics and writers, but the general public to vote and select their favorite artworks in the exhibit. Last year, ‘Contest in NY”, through its unique public voting on the art shown, invited visitors who come to not only to look at the art, but to select what they feel is the best work. In 2018, Taichi Hara won the Best Art Award for his work that combines classical painting with a fairytale-like conceptualization. As a prize, Taichi was honored with a solo show in New York and celebrated the fifth year of the Summer Exhibition.
Through this exhibition, curator Sai Morikawa aims to promote and nurture cultural exchange between Japan and the world through art. This exhibition also serves as a significant milestone for participating artists as they build their artistic career. Regardless of their career stage, these artists will be showcasing fascinating art works. We look forward to seeing your vote for your favorite artwork and sharing this unique exhibit with you.
Gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday 12-6PM
For further information please contact Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director at 212 414 4040 or viridianartistsinc@gmail.com
or view the gallery website: www.viridianartists.com
Press Release: Viridian Artists presents: The 30th Annual International Juried Exhibition
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Viridian's 30th Annual International Juried Exhibition: Part 1
Juried by Vernita Nemec, Director of Viridian Artists & Independent Curator
July 23–August 10, 2019
Opening Reception: Thursday, July 25, 6–8 pm
Closing Reception : Saturday, 10th, 4-6pm
1st prize – Richard Hricko 2nd prize – Frances Vye Wilson 3rd prize – Katia Bulbenko
Carolyn Applegate * Anna Chupa * Philip Cianci * Patrick Coughlin * Renee Cuny * Genevieve Daly * Rodney Durso * Cynthia Fleury * Maki Fujita * Elizabeth Ginsberg * Catharina Goldnau * Paula Goodbar * Chris Haggerty * Nathan Brad Hall * Joni Hand * Jennifer Moné Hill * Zichao Hu * Gerard Huber * Gabrielle Lundy * Pavel Muller * Paul Murray * Robert Romano * Stuart Skalka * Joanna Sokolowska *
Joan Sonnanburg * Mariclair Tan * Oralee Wachter * Aycan Yurdakul
Chelsea: Viridian Artists Inc. is pleased to present our 30th International Juried Exhibition curated by Vernita Nemec, Director of Viridian Artists & Independent Curator. The exhibition opens July 23 and continues through August 10, 2019. In celebration, an opening reception will be held on Thursday, July 25, 6–8 pm. We are especially pleased to present cash awards to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of this important competition that brings the art of emerging and under-recognized artists to the attention of museum curators.
As always, Viridian makes a concerted effort to expand the opportunities for outstanding artists’ work to be seen and exhibited. For this season’s juried exhibition, juried by the gallery’s director, instead of having a Director’s Choice segment, the 30th Annual Juried will have a Part 1 & Part 2. Not only Viridian’s director, Nemec is also an independent curator and an artist long involved in the New York art world.
The competition selection as always was difficult, but especially so for the nature of art in our world today encompasses a wide variety of methods, materials and conceptualizations of what art is.
More than 400 artists submitted over 1000 submissions; a daunting task, but the 60 artists selected by Nemec represent a wide survey of what concerns and inspires artists and as always, there is much to be concerned about. We look forward to sharing this fascinating exhibition of timely contemporary art by artists we are sure you will see more of in the future.
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Gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday 12–6PM
For further information, please contact Vernita Nemec the gallery director by phone at 212 414 4040 or by email at viridianartistsinc@gmail.com. Please visit the gallery website at www.viridianartists.com.
Press Release: “FRESH”: A Young Artists POP–UP
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“FRESH”: A Young Artists POP–UP
with
Ana Guraieb Chahin, Artist Known as X, Bamoozie, Gentry Pack, Sarah Jarrett
July 16 – July 20, 2019
Opening Reception Thursday, July 18, 6–8PM
Chelsea, NYC: Viridian Artists is pleased to present “FRESH” our first Young Artists POP–UP, an exhibition of paintings, drawings, photographs and constructions by Ana Guraieb Chahin, The Artist Known as X, Bamoozie, Gentry Pack, & Sarah Jarrett. The exhibition opens July 16 and continues until July 20, 2019, with an opening reception Thursday, July 18, 6–8PM.
Viridian Artists is a hybrid gallery with the primary objective of showing the art of outstanding under-known artist of all ages. Usually we don’t address an artist’s age but instead focus on the artwork itself, but in this case, we decided to focus on both. New York City since the forties & fifties has been the destination of serious artists, but in the last decade, the expense of living in New York City has made it nearly prohibitive for young artists to move here who are seeking a reputation & respect for their art. Those who do must work hard, spend little & share apartments & studios in order to survive. In fact, it has become expensive all over the world but artists continue to figure out ways to survive as well as remain creative wherever they are.
To address this problem and give a hand, Viridian has begun a Young Artists Program with greatly reduced costs & more frequent opportunities for artists under 30 to show their work. These five artists are our first “Young Artists.” Both Ana Guraieb Chahin and Sarah Jarrett came to Viridian as winners in past Juried competitions and we discovered Bamoozie’s art in a pop–up exhibit at another gallery in Chelsea. The Artist Known as X & Gentry Pack discovered our interest in helping young artists and came to us after seeing the gallery website.
Most of these artists live outside the city and as faraway as California, but they all share a strong devotion to their art and revelations of their inner thoughts and lives. Gentry Pack’s graphic imagery addresses emotional aspects of being a sensitive young man in today’s world; Bamoozie is an artist/actor who uses words & imagery with layered meanings; Ana G. Chahin recently received her MFA in fiber and explores new textile forms; Sarah Jarrett is a figurative artist who uses old family photos, found photos, memories, and experiences to create her work and “The Artist Known as X” creates photographic imagery digitally reproduced on aluminum.
We look forward to seeing you at this celebration of Young Art filled with “FRESH” ideas.
Gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday 12–6pm
For further information please contact Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director at 212-414-4040 or viridianartistsinc@gmail.com
or view the gallery website: www.viridianartists.com.
