Event Details
Take a break and visit the Piedmont Art Show
By Dan Cassano, a Somers resident
“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision”, a quote from the bible came to mind as I observed the many different paintings that came through the Piedmont Gallery door in late August. According to Show Chairman, Neil Connell there were over 159 submissions for this year’s 33rd Regional Juried Piedmont Art Show. The space can display up to 100 paintings depending upon their size. From a firefighter walking tall on a 6 foot canvas to a small color pencil sketch of toy animals; it was a tough call for Juror, Ted Fijal to decide what will be included in this year’s Art Show presented by the Somers Cultural Commission. I dropped by a week ago as Neil Connell began hanging the 93 paintings that Juror Figal selected. I was surprised and intrigued by what I saw.
“Inviting interiors”
Quiet strength emanates from a golden-haired sailor in the center of a nice sunny space, entitled “Daughter of the Wind”. My guess, artist Stephen Andwood’s subject has weathered many challenges at sea. (and you will have your own interpretation)For now, she is at rest enjoying a cup of Joe on a personal retreat. Her other home at sea is docked - land legs are fully back.
Explore spaces sacred to the individual. In Jack Broderick’s Oil, “Early Morning” there is a predominantly blue-colored, morning-lit kitchen. Everything is clean and orderly: plates, utensils hanging on the wall, and a teapot on the stove. A woman sits at a small table, covered in blue linen, her elbows resting on the table, cup and saucer of tea nearby, hands relaxed together in prayer or contemplation – her face hints at a sense of contentment and gratitude for a moment of peace.
It feels like late autumn or early winter inside of a church. Three members of a family lighting small white votives appear in Laurie Pibble’s oil painting, “Thoughts and Prayers”. Candle light washing their faces warm. If this was a movie, you could connect this interior to an Exterior shot/winter: old white house just before nightfall, snow-covered ground. 14 candle lit windows illuminate Guy Blair’s Pastel painting, “Christmas Eve, Edgewood St”.
“All Creatures Great and Small” In the spirit of James Herriot’s memoir, you can sense the love and respect the artists have for various animals from their lively portraits.
• A family of Gallus gallus domesticus. Two proud roosters protect a recent hatchling in Karen Burke’s Acrylic, “My Two Dads”. I found myself coming back to look at this true, classic family portrait. “Regal Rooster” by Ron Kirchbaom is another standout to check out.
• You will get “Jack”, in this Pastel Portrait of a Jack Russell Terrier. His personality is ever-present. He is ready and willing to participate in anything you throw to him.
• A white-faced calf saying “hello”. In Karen Israel’s Pastel, “Udder Foolishness”, you can almost feel the strands of hair on its forehead
There is gratitude and appreciation the artists have for their animal friends and the love they return. These animal’s expressions and personalities are remarkable!
Artist Steve Wilda’s “Lost Soul, South of France, 1917” exemplifies the nature of “impermanence” as symbolized in objects most worn from a long life. On top of a small trunk from the early 20th century is a pair of brown tattered (depression era) work shoes. Next to the trunk is a Christian–themed ceramic (one of the stations of the cross?) that appears to have fallen. Below the shattered pieces on the floor lies a necklace of thorns and dried leaves. Emotions and conjecture tug from the human heart. Is this what remains when a spirit departs from our world? Does the painting convey hope or despair?
I learned at the gallery opening on Sept 13, I wasn’t too far off. The objects were from World War I. The boots may have belonged to a soldier. The thorns I saw were actually barbed wire. Juror Fidel described the work: “ A tour-de-force w/ thought provoking iconic images of war and religion”
I have many more notes, but hope what I was able to share for now may peak your interest. I wondered about what inspired several artists to paint winter scenes or another to imagine an unseen world of lost souls before they can ascend? When you stand in the middle of the Piedmont gallery, you can sense a “collective consciousness” of all the artists representing nearly a 100 different paintings.
I felt awakened and inspired to be here on Main Street Somers. Take a break to nourish your mind and spirit. There are 85 more masterfully painted artworks for you to discover. See which paintings received awards.
The gallery will be open Thursday thru Sunday for 2 weeks beginning Sept 17.