Boyertown's Studio B will debut its newest show, "Agony and Ecstasy," with an opening reception, Friday, Feb. 21, 5:00-8:00 pm. The event is free and open to the public.
This exhibit –a juried show featuring both visual and literary art– leaves no doubt: being human guarantees joy and sorrow, fear and anger, surprise and delight.
Last May, Studio B invited both writers and artists to submit their creations depicting moments of great joy and/or great sorrow. Artists were also invited to illustrate the written poetry and prose that was submitted. The juried show, which runs through March 15, will display both the written and visual art that was selected for inclusion.
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Sandra and Robert Williams, jurors for the exhibit, look forward to meeting the writers and artists. Sandra, a writer and teacher, chose and prepared the written work for submission; her husband, fine artist Robert L. Williams, will serve as juror for the visual art submissions. Sandra holds a B.A. and M.A. in English Literature and has been teaching writing and literature at both the high school and college levels for over 20 years. Bob majored in illustration and fine art at the Philadelphia College of Art and has worked as a combat artist, illustrator, and fine artist. He is also known for his commercial and residential murals as well as his fine art of local scenes.
Written submissions have been compiled in a book designed by Studio B's Gallery Director, Susan Biebuyck, and edited by Jane Stahl, Director of Community Relations, and Sandra Williams, show juror. The book features several dozen artists and will be available for purchase at Studio B.
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The theme of the exhibit was conceived by Jane Stahl. Stahl, a retired high school English teacher explains, “One of my favorite projects as a teacher was a series of books I created from student essays based on a reflective writing assignment I labeled “transforming moments. The essays were so thought-provoking and inspiring that I created books and worked with the students to share them widely in the community. They were extremely well- received. Later, when I retired, I became aware of the PostSecret* project and figured that someday I might develop a way for our community to share, not secrets, perhaps, but the wisdom that life had imparted to them. ‘Agony and Ecstasy’ is Studio B’s offering toward that goal,” Stahl concludes.
Studio B is located at 39A East Philadelphia Ave. in Boyertown. Contact Jane at janeEstahl@comcast.net, 610-367-8066 with questions; www.studiobbb.org
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*PostSecret is an ongoing community mail art project, created by Frank Warren in 2005, in which people began to mail their secrets anonymously on homemade postcards which were then posted on the PostSecret website, or used for PostSecret’s books or museum exhibits. The project has collected and displayed thousands of secrets since its founding.
Warren had hoped to empower the writer and inspire the reader knowing the healing powers of admission and sharing. Developing empathy for others and creating an atmosphere of acceptance were also among his claims for the project’s benefits.
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