PublicRadioArtSpaceARCHIVE.BlogSpot.com
Archive of past exhibits at Public Radio ArtSpace at WMRA's Harrisonburg, Va facility.
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24.2.10

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No more exhibits planned.
Thanks past artists and art-peekers.


2006-2014 archives see sidebar links -->


















Pat Jarrett (2014)

Pat Jarrett's "Master and Apprentice" series of poster-sized color photos of workplace-trainees and their mentors. Pictures include blacksmiths, cobblers, tribal dancers, singers, instrument-makers, printers, cheese-makers, and others.


Pat is a past guest of WMRA's "The Spark," where he recalled a long career in news photography.  His current specialty is "nonfiction visuals" (his phrase) which often have a picturesque aesthetic in spite of their officially-documentary nature. Pat captured the exhibit's images for the Virginia Folklife Program --specifically, their "Master and Apprentice" activity.

Greg Versen (2013-14)

ARTIST:......Greg Versen

EXHIBIT TITLE: ......Canyonland Surprises

MEDIA: ......Photography

DATE: ......8 Oct 2013 -

CURATOR/ART JUDGE: ......Terry Ward

GALLERY MANAGER/ART HANGER: ......Terry Ward

ARTIST NOTES: ......

ARTIST WEB: http://

UPDATES:

SAMPLE IMAGES:  See WMRA's coverage here.

Aaron Shiflett (2013)

ARTIST:.....Aaron Shiflett.

EXHIBIT TITLE: .....Clearly Unusual.

MEDIA: .....Mixed media --abstracts on layered clear plastic.

DATE: .....Tu 11 June -  Th 29 Aug 2013.

CURATOR/ART JUDGE: .....Terry Ward.

GALLERY MANAGER/ART HANGER: .....Terry Ward.

ARTIST NOTES: ......see http://www.wmra.org/post/clearly-unusual-art-show

ARTIST WEB: http://www.AaronShifflett.com










Jeff James (2013)

ARTIST:.....Jeff James.

EXHIBIT TITLE: .....Deadpan Alley.

MEDIA: .....Photography.

DATE: .....Thr 17 Jan 2013 - Thr 16 May 2013.

CURATOR/ART JUDGE: .....Terry Ward.

GALLERY MANAGER/ART HANGER: .....Terry Ward.

ARTIST NOTES: .....Artist's statement:
My series, The Friendly City, is an attempt to explore a single place and carve out of it a personal narrative of how I perceive the world and the American culture in particular. I use the Harrisonburg landscape as the vocabulary to talk about issues such as politics and religion, marketing and exploitation, fear and hope, time and age, etc. I make use of irony and humor in my framing to call attention to contradictions in our values and to disrupt the intended narrative of quaint or altruistic. I look at architecture and landscape  and notice the attempts we make to beautify that which is in the process of decay. I find these details of a  culture in transition (or decline) sadly poetic and occasionally they fill me with hope.

ARTIST WEB: http://FriendlyCityPhotos.BlogsSot.com

SAMPLE IMAGES:






Corinne Diop + Susan Zurbrigg (2012)

ARTIST:.....Corinne Diop and Susan Zurbrigg.

EXHIBIT TITLE: .....Phenomena.

MEDIA: .....Photography, photo-based 2-d.

DATE: .....Tue 13 Nov 2012 - Thr 3 Jan 2013.

CURATOR/ART JUDGE: .....Terry Ward.

GALLERY MANAGER/ART HANGER: .....Terry Ward.

SAMPLE IMAGES:


Diop: Polygraph 02 0 0



Zurbrigg: Esther


ARTIST NOTES:

See also:  http://www.wmra.org/post/phenomena-art-show

The artists' statement: Corinne Diop and Susan Zurbrigg are both Professors of Art in the School of Art, Design & Art History at James Madison University, Diop in photography and Zurbrigg in painting. By definition, phenomena are observable facts or events that can be related to space and time, and in this two-person exhibition by Diop and Zurbrigg each investigates this ephemeral topic. Zurbrigg uses images appropriated from a series of color slides of an anonymous family as the basis for her constructed compositions while Diop is exploring data captured on linear graphing machines, such as polygraph recorders and tidal predictors, combined with abstract photographs. Both artists explore the idea of the temporal, the ostensible concreteness of  documented markers, and the mystery they evoke.

Corinne Diop, originally from Goodville, Pennsylvania, moved to Harrisonburg to attend Eastern Mennonite High School. Diop’s undergraduate degree is from JMU and her MFA is from University of Washington in Seattle. Her work is in photography and mixed media, and reflects her combined interests in math, science, philosophy and art. Her recent solo exhibitions include Surface at Arts Council of the Valley and Nature- Order at Blue Ridge Community College Art Gallery. She recently exhibited at Spitzer Art Center and was in the group shows Divergent Visions: Graduate Faculty at James Madison University at Staunton Augusta Art Center and Light Scattered: Photography at JMU and Action of Play: A Selection of Work by JMU Graduate Faculty, both at Capital One in Richmond, VA. Diop completed an artist’s residency at The Virginia Atelier at the Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris, France. A Professor of Art and Area Head of Photography, Diop has taught undergraduate and graduate photography at JMU since 1989, and served as the Graduate Program Director from 2006 - 2011.

Susan Zurbrigg is from Chicago, Illinois and was educated at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York and at Indiana University, Bloomington where she earned her MFA in painting.  Zurbrigg is an abstract painter whose work examines issues of cultural identity. Her work has been featured in numerous national and regional exhibition venues, such as Funktified at The Stellar Center for the Arts, Stony Brook, New York, Building Picturing at The Painting Center in New York City, I Live Here at The RKL Gallery in Williamsburg Brooklyn, New York, Personal Business at The Haas Gallery Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and Zenda an Installation and Performance collaboration with The Jane Franklin Dance Company based in Washington, DC.  Regional exhibitions include Second Street Gallery in Charlottesville, Bridgewater College, Eastern Mennonite University, and The Darrin McHone Art Gallery.  Awards include a JMU Faculty Research Grant to Helsinki, Finland and Oslo, Norway.  An Associate Professor of Art, she has taught undergraduate and graduate painting and drawing at JMU since 2000, and served as the Graduate Program Director from 2003-2006.


Mark Cline + G Richardson + L T Wheeler (2012)

ARTIST:.Mark Cline,  Glenn Richardson, Lee T Wheeler.

EXHIBIT TITLE: .DinoHenge Whacktasticness.

MEDIA: .3-d plus sketches and studio ephemera.

DATE: .Thr 20 Sep to Thr 1 Nov 2012.

CURATOR/ART JUDGE: .Terry Ward.

GALLERY MANAGER/ART HANGER: .Terry Ward.

ARTIST NOTES: See WMRA's write-up.

ARTIST WEB:
   Cline: EnchantedCastleStudios.com
   Richardson: GlennsLogArt.com
   Wheeler: ( none )


SAMPLE IMAGES:  See WMRA's write-up.


Gordon Ball's Allen Ginsberg in Private (2012)

ARTIST:.Gordon Ball.

EXHIBIT TITLE: .Allen Ginsberg in Private : Historic Photos 1969-97 by Gordon Ball.

MEDIA: .Photography.

DATE: .Thr 21 June until EXTENDED TO: Thr 13 Sep 2012 with closing event.

CURATOR/ART JUDGE: .Terry Ward.

GALLERY MANAGER/ART HANGER: .Terry Ward.

ARTIST NOTES: See WMRA's write-up.

ARTIST WEB: http://gordonballgallery.com


SAMPLE IMAGES:  See WMRA's write-up.


Joan Ranzini + Fran Fevrier (2012)

ARTIST:.....Fran Fevrier and Joan Ranzini.

EXHIBIT TITLE: .....Families in Translation.

MEDIA: .....Black-and-White Photography, Painting, Mixed-Media.

DATE: .....Mon 2 Apr - Thr 21 Jne 2012.
Artists' gallery talk & coffee --press and public welcome-- Mon 23 Apr 5:30-6:30pm.

CURATOR/ART JUDGE: .....Terry Ward.

GALLERY MANAGER/ART HANGER: .....Terry Ward.

SAMPLE IMAGES:










ARTIST NOTES:

The art exhibit at our Harrisonburg site shows figurative abstract mixed-media paintings of Joan Ranzini and black-and-white portrait photos by past "The Spark" guest Fran Fevrier --paired at the request of the artists. Art peekers and press welcome 9-5 M-F. An artist's gallery talk / coffee is planned for Mon 23 Apr. (The show closes Thurs 21 June 2012.)

Joan Ranzini calls her own creations "experiments with collage and paint (in a) Family Tree series (with a) recurring motif; a stylized, templated human form links the images thematically."

The paintings framed in unusual walnut-tone wood frames with smooth burnished-brass fronts have a classic Modern look. Other Ranzini paintings without frames have more of an art brut feeling. Some surfaces have thick impasto paint, areas of book-page collage, and found objects.

Nelson Gallery (Lexington, Va) regular Fran Fevrier says her images are some of her "favorite silver gelatin prints (traditional darkroom) from the last 10 or so years." The pictures range from pensive to cute --though without turning saccharine.

WMRA's art-hanger was struck by the emotional closeness so many of the parent-and-child portrait subjects show to each other. That is, until the teenage years --when all the hugging and mutual support is replaced with emotional (and in the photos, physical) distance. To emphasize the point, a photo showing two teens seemingly grudgingly tolerating their parents' presence is hung rather away from nearby photos which all show families (with pre-teen children) clinging to each other.

Observant visitors might notice subtle but intriguing differences between the photos' "official" public titles which are penciled on the mattboard and the usually-unseen titles the artist has in her own head --which were provided to WMRA to put on the exhibit's title/prices list. Examples:

Official title: Corbin and Mary, Mother and Daughter.
Artist's title: Corbin and Mary, Mother and Daughter, Just After Mary's Diagnosis.

Official title: The Merrill Family.
Artist's title: The Merrill Family Eight Months Before Jane Died.

Official title: (Unlisted.)
Artist's title: The Hart Sisters Laughing at Their Father Who Is Wearing A False Nose and Mustache and Jumping Behind My Camera.

You're welcome to drop by and look at our art at the WMRA Harrisonburg studios (map), anytime during business hours (M-F 9am-5pm). You might even bump into some regional radio personalities.

Past exhibits. Call to artists info.

Todd Kenton Yoder (2012)

ARTIST:.....Todd Kenton Yoder.

EXHIBIT TITLE: ....."Muses Musicians Mountains" INVITATIONAL SOLO.

MEDIA: .....Painting --oil, watercolor, mixed-media.

DATE: .....Tue 17 Jan 2012 - Thr 22 Mar 2012.

CURATOR/ART JUDGE: .....Terry Ward.

GALLERY MANAGER/ART HANGER: .....Terry Ward.

ARTIST NOTES: .....So far, Yoder hold's the PublicRadioArtSpace "Artist of the Decade" honor. Masterful realistic oils blend photographic-style exactitude with painterly touches in just the right balance of naturalism, abstraction, and design. Downtown Harrisonburgers might have seen his artwork hanging in a shop in the Court Square Theater complex.

ARTIST WEB: http://www.ToddKentonYoder.com

UPDATES:

SAMPLE IMAGES:
























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Villagers and Kids (2012)

Features art projects by school kids attending Buena Vista's Kid's University program at Blue Dog Art Studio and Gallery, plus some export-crafts made by artisans affiliated with Harrisonburg's Ten-Thousand Villages.

EXHIBIT TITLE: ......Villagers and Kids

MEDIA: ......Various

DATE: ......Fri 7 Oct 2011 - Mon 9 Jan 2012

CURATOR/ART JUDGE: ......WMRA Staff

GALLERY MANAGER/ART HANGER: ......Terry Ward


SAMPLE IMAGES:

Kids sample


Villagers sample


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Ten Thousand Villages items include:

Wisdom Wall Hanging
Mekong Waters Weaving
Tree of Life Wall Hanging
Jute Tree of Life Wall Hanging
Cut Metal Tree of Life
Swinging Gourd Bird House
Sun and Moon wall hanging
Re-Circle Hot Mat
Dragon Kite
La Palma Nativity
Color Rays Basket
Burgundy Twist Basket
Indonesian Fans
Tan Tree Wall Hanging
Orange and Black Wall Hanging
Music Men Wall Hanging
Village Scene Wall Hanging

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Young art students:

(names TBA )













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Paul Zdepski + Tom Chipley (2011)

ARTIST:......Paul Zdepski + Tom Chipley

EXHIBIT TITLE: ......Zillustration Chillustration

MEDIA: ......Illustration --drawing, painting

DATE: ......Tue 5 Jly - Fri 30 Sep 2011 (Opening reception Fri 1 July 5-7pm)

SAMPLE IMAGES:















CURATOR/ART JUDGE: ......Terry Ward

GALLERY MANAGER/ART HANGER: ......Terry Ward

ARTIST WEB:
Paul Zdepski
http://zillustration.com
http://zillustration.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Zdepski-Illustration-zillustration/115417411840264
Tom Chipley
http://theexistentialgarage.bravehost.com/



PAUL W. ZDEPSKI

b.1962 - Paul Zdepski received his BFA from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA and his MFA from the University of Hartford, Hartford, CT. He works in the arts as an illustrator, designer and art director. He has work in private and public collections as well as published work. He currently lectures at Montgomery College in Takoma Park, MD.

"I was born during the Cuban Missile Crisis - I try to work that into my painting. My most recent work is a series called Corporal Punishment, which stems from uncomfortable childhood moments. I cringe while doing them, but find myself laughing when they're done."

Zdepski's technique spans both traditional tools and the latest computer interface. He merges graphite sketches with digital color to create hybrid works that live comfortably in both realms.



THOMAS J. CHIPLEY

b.1941 - Tom Chipley is a professional artist, earning his way with his art and his creativity as an Industrial Designer for almost fifty years. His work reminds us that humor and curiosity are nature's natural antidepressants. Humor smooths the rough edges of reality.

"In the Great Circus of Life, we are the performers... the jugglers who toss and catch and toss again, and the high-wire acrobats, whirling and grasping. Creativity is the Ringleader, directing both the dancing elephants and the beautiful bareback riders. And bringing in the clowns as needed."

Chipley's work draws images from life, reshapes them a bit and presents them to us just a bit inside-out and a little off-balance. Its hoped we'll smile at these new views of familiar things, like walking through a funhouse of mirrors. Shapes limit reality. Illusion is only allusion. Chipley's creativity and his art emphasize the humor to be found in living.



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G. Versen + C. Turrentine + S. Harb (2011)

ARTIST:......GREG VERSEN + CAROL TURRENTINE + SUSAN HARB

EXHIBIT TITLE: ......Castles, Ruins, Fragments

MEDIA: ......Photography + Junk sculpture

DATE: ......Fri 01 Apr 2011 - Fri 24 Jne 2011

CURATOR/ART JUDGE: ......Mia LaBerge & Terry Ward

GALLERY MANAGER/ART HANGER: ......Terry Ward

SAMPLE IMAGES:

by Turrentine

by Turrentine

by Harb

by harb

by Turrentine

by Turrentine


ARTIST NOTES:
"One taste is pleasure enough; thoughtful pairings --even better" --printed on a wine-tasting menu. The exhibit pairs Greg Versen's 1400-year survey of architecture from skyscrapers to Meso-American ruins with Carol Turrentine's photo-exploration of deteriorating mental asylum buildings ---plus sculptural rustscapes by Susan Harb. Some Versen photos are hung in potentially-ironic groups --like when the shining skyscraper windows of Saks Fifth Avenue are beside the moldering dress dummy in the dark store window of a ghost town's dress shop ruin. The dress dummy, in turn, relates to the next photo's caryatid goddesses holding up a neoclassical portico. In another artful pairing, sleek postmodern curves of a facade designed by millionaire celebrity architect Frank Gehry are next to an equally bold but strictly functionalist curving covered elevated walkway connecting New England 19th century factory buildings. Visitors can ponder the various art pieces individually or in relation to each other.


Greg Versen
"The photographs in this exhibit explore architecture that spans approximately 1400 years and includes images taken in Mexico, Germany, and the United States. I have tried to capture architecture in part and in whole; some straight forward, others the beauty of the abstract. I have long admired architecture both for its art and function. I believe it represents mankind’s best efforts to express the beauty that forms in the creative mind while at the same time providing a building, a space, a structure for specific functions, be they humble, magnificent, secular or sacred." Greg Versen is an award-winning photographer active for more than 40 years. He has attended workshops at the Maine Photographic Workshop, Rockport, and the Rocky Mountain School of Photography, Missoula, Montana. He does most of his own printing and framing. Versen (AKA "Professor Blues") taught in the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program at Mississippi University for Women, Columbus for five and a half years before moving to the BSW program at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He retired from JMU as a professor emeritus after 25 years and continues to live in Harrisonburg.


Carol Turrentine
"This series of 12 b/w photographs depicts the historic De Jarnette Hospital and Western State campus located in Staunton, VA. Once thriving mental institutions with illustrious pasts, the buildings I photographed are now vacant and decaying. There remains a haunting, disturbing, and yet poignant beauty in these empty architectural spaces." Turrentine is a past NEA grant-awardee. Her creations have appeared at Duke Museum of Art (NC), East Tennessee State Museum(TN), King Museum(CT), and others. Her images also appeared in "Reader’s Digest", "Southern Living", "Home" and "Country Living".

Susan Harb
"Susan Harb worked as a newspaper journalist for 15 years, covering the arts and interviewing artists for papers up and down the East Coast. She left journalism and opened an international folk art gallery and began traveling to Developing Countries to spend time with self-taught artists and buy their work. 'I was drawn to works by untrained artists who look around their often modest--if not meager--surroundings and produce something joyous,' said Harb. 'The homemade altars of Guatemala, the carvings of Bali, the bottle trees of Kenya, the hand-carved farm tools of Turkey spoke loudly to me. Naive artists have a gift for color, balance, suggestion, sincerity that is compelling and refreshing. Working with what others discard has great personal appeal. I think rust is a beautiful color; a section of barn siding has senusal texture. If I have a talent is that I look at things--tree stumps, wrecked car fenders, broken mirrors--and they look back. I see things.'"