Nancy Nixon, Gallery Curator: 326-2154. The Octagon Gallery is open during Library open hours.
Free Art Classes in 2012!
This Spring 2012, our Art Escapes series features three series of art classes, provided free to you thanks to a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts. Call 326-2154 to sign up or for more information.
Alberta Parker will be teaching “Basic Drawing I: Still Lifes” from 6-8pm on Thursdays, January 5, 12, 19, and 26. This will be a drawing class for adults at which students will learn fundamental drawing techniques focusing on still lifes using pencil and charcoal.
On February 2, 9, 16, and 23. Audrey K. Dowling will lead “Drawing Bootcamp” for all abilities. It will explore a variety of drawing techniques using a variety of mediums, perfect for beginners and intermediate artists, as well as advanced students wanting to expand their repertoire.
Painter Thomas Annear will lead four “Plein Air Painting” classes on June, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Students will meet at Patterson Library then travel to two sites selected by Annear.
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Octagon Art Gallery Exhibitions
All nature is Resurrection
May 11 to June 8, 2012
The Patterson Library is pleased to present “All Nature is Resurrection – with photographers Bill Karrow, Elora Esce, Mara Rubin, Megan Borgstrom” The opening reception for the artists will be held Friday, May 11 from 7-9 pm. Wines for the opening have been generously donated by Johnson Estate Winery. This exhibit is free and open to the public. This exhibit will run from May 11 -June 8, 2012.
Still Lives runs April 6 to May 4, 2012
Alberto Rey paintings March 2 to 30, 2012
Sight Lines: June 24 to July 15, 2011
CLEAT 2011- May 20 to June 17
Inner Visions- April 15 to May 13
Wine and Art- March 18 to April 11
WINE PAIRED WITH ART IN PATTERSON LIBRARY
The Octagon Gallery at Patterson Library pairs two pleasures of Chautauqua County life in it’s upcoming exhibit, “Wine and Art,” running March 18 to April 11, 2011. Opening this Friday with a reception from 7 to 9pm, Wine and Art features work from 35 artists. Twenty one wineries from New York and Pennsylvania will be donating wines specifically for the reception, which is free and open to the
public.
The Chautauqua Lake Erie Wine Trail of Western New York and Pennsylvania have joined forces with the North Shore Arts Alliance and the North East Arts Council for the second time to celebrate the free event, ”Wine and Art Weekend: Get Your Creative Juices Flowing,” on April 9 and 10, 2011. The Octagon Gallery exhibition is a preview show for the event where the public can see new works, taste regional wines, and meet some of the fresh artist from New York and Pennsylvania. This collective exhibit will feature painters, photographers, sculptors and jewelers from Chautauqua and Erie Counties. The featured New York artists include: Susan Wolfe, Audrey Dowling, Lilla Johnson, Su Murphy, Lori Deemer, Susan Mackay, Linda Yates, Denise Williams, Patrick and Barbara DelMonte, Steve Lax, James Hoggard, Trent Lutes, Nancy Nixon, Mo Ferree, Bill Karrow, George Petrella, Stee Yunghans, Sara McCutcheon, and Thomas Janik. The Featured Pennsylvania artists include: Zach Cacchione, Heather Hakel, Jack Paluh, Sue Rochester, Christine French, Peggy Campbell, Sara Frye, Bob Jensen, Mary Hamilton, Jason Abrams, Toni Kelly, Tajana Roehl, Tamara Maas, Vanessa Mazza, John Ballard, and Ed Bernik.
Patterson Library’s Octagon Art Gallery program is is funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Regrant Program administered by the Cattaraugus County Arts Council. The next scheduled exhibit will be “Inner Visions: Abstract Works by Rodney Brinser and Ed Besch,” April 15 to May 13, 2011. For interest in an exhibition, please contact gallery curator, Nancy Nixon at octagongallery@gmail.com or 326-2154.
10th Juried Biennial- February 11 to March 11, 2011
January 7 to February 4, 2011: ReKindle
Join us on Friday, January 7 from 7-9pm for the Opening Reception!
Forty years after its founding, the Octagon Gallery at Patterson Library opens a new exhibition, “ReKindle: Works by Emerging Artists,” on Friday, January 7, from 7 to 9pm. This exhibit will feature Scotty Bye, Kaitlin Friscaro, Chris McCleary, Mary Myers, Chuck Tingley, and Aaron Walters. ”ReKindle” will be on display through February 4, 2011 and will be open to the public during library hours.
The theme of ReKindle, the artists explore what it is to relight and renew. What deeply motivates Scotty Bye as an artist and drives his sense of purpose rests both in Salvaged materials that he uses, as well as the creative fabrication of unlikely structures that he produces from these objects. These structures derive from spontaneous thought and action, capturing elements of human experience such as life, death, creation, destruction, and science. He addresses these issues, and dualities of existence, as only he knows how: “Through a wit and candor I utilize ‘found objects’ in a way that is an integral component in generating a unique and personalized message.”
Kaitlin Friscaro’s work reflects a constant evolution of personal growth. She says, “For this series I unearthed an abundance of unfinished drawings that i never completed, paper I have collected through the years, found old postcards in local antique shops, old magazines on their way to a dumpster, a broken xylophone and drum, and collected hundreds of pieces of paper bingo boards that were going to be thrown out. The process of collage itself is a very healing regnerative recycling process which helps transform these images and objects in new and relevent ways that promote a feeling of harmonization. Each layer tells a story; each a thread woven into the fabric of our existence.”
Mary Myers will feature is a series of recent paintings which are expressive, masked manifestations of memory, both appropriated and original. She says: “Several of the paintings are sculptural where I feel as if I am reclaiming a memory with tangible 3D form, while denying the literal. The creation of this series came in phases. I no longer set out to produce work of any fixed memory. Each piece was produced at a time where I felt my connection to these thoughts revolved around the land where the memories took place. The desire to manifest these memories came in the form of sculpturally painted works where my focus was on the build up of paint, color, tone, repetition of imagery, and simplicity of language. The symbolic vocabulary illustrates the frustrating act of capturing faded memories. My purpose was to capture that feeling of displacement by masking part of the memory, not trying to retell it.”
December 3 to 31, 2010
Walking Garden Earth
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April 16 to May 14: 3 Visions
Opening Reception April 16, 7-9pm.
Susan Forrester Mackay: Humanscapes
March 19 to April 2
“I’m a child of the sixties when beauty, love and peace were going to change the world. I create artwork because the beauty of the process is the best mind altering state I’ve ever known. The need to touch, feel, respond and communicate human emotions within the landscape of the human form is enormous. The subject of human beings and their interactions is an endless source of fascination for me; hence, most of my work is figurative and evocative, focusing on the variety of everyday human gesture. “
Meet the Artist March 19, 7-9pm
The Patterson Library Octagon Gallery will exhibit Susan Forrester Mackay’s “Humanscapes” from March 19 to April 2. The opening reception is Friday, March 19 from 7 – 9pm.
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Absence and Presence
February 12 to March 12, 2010
Photographic works by Lori Deemer
- Meet the artist Friday, February 12, 7-9pm at the Opening Reception
“I am entranced by the push and pull of light, shift in detail and ambiguity, the accidental and decisive marks on their surfaces, the saturation and fading of color, and the worn juxtaposed with the unfaltering. My photographs bridge the gap between portraits and abstraction, capturing literal details on one level and implied emotion on another. I seek to capture with a sense of intimacy, respect, and reverence — as if not to disturb, but show the beauty of these places’ unique faces.”
Lori Deemer is represented by Portage Hill Gallery and is a member of North Shore Art Alliance. Patterson Library’s Octagon Gallery program is funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Regrant Program administered by the Cattaraugus County Arts Council.
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Through February 5:
LAKES AND OCEANS IN A SEA OF BOOKS
The opening reception for “Lakes and Oceans-in a Sea of Books” will be
Friday, December 4, from 7 to 9 pm. Participating artists from Erie
and Chautauqua County will include Christine French, William Kirner,
William Larson, Susan Forrester Mackay, and Mary Miller. This exhibit
promises to share the new maritime visions of these talented artists.
It runs through February 5, 2010
Christine French has been spending her summers in Barcelona, New York
on Lake Erie for the last eight years. She says, “During this time I
have observed her many faces- sometimes she is serene and colorful
like at sunset time. Other times she is turbulent and violent during
storms. In the winter she can be cold icy and quiet. For this show I
have tried to capture these feelings in encaustic paint. Encaustic
paint is made up of pigment and wax, which is painted when melted
which is called hot wax painting. Layers of paint are built up and
manipulated which makes the paintings very textural. I have dripped,
painted, and scratched into the melted paint in order to create a
sense of depth and movement in these colorful nine paintings. I hope
you will enjoy them.”
Bill Kirner, a painter and potter, opened the House of the Potter in
September 1975. A native of Fanwood, New Jersey, he converted the
White Swan tavern into a pottery studio and gallery. Following a
degree in Art Education from West Virginia Wesleyan College, he
apprenticed with potter Lee Magdanz, who spearheaded Bill’s desire to
dedicate his passion to become a full time artist. Since then he has
continued to refine his stoneware and porcelain pottery and his love
of painting watercolors. The creative process has always been an
intriguing pursuit that has led to the recording of original piano and
guitar compositions. The Gallery has provided an excellent outlet for
his personal expression to flourish. Music CD’s now share the
spotlight for Bill’s artistic endeavors. The local region, nature, and
architecture comprise the major compositions of William Kirner’s
watercolors. A keen sense of design and fresh use of pigments are
evident in the artwork that includes Limited Edition Prints of
selected original watercolors.
Bill Larson of Jamestown has had a long interest in art. It was a
childhood dream come true 83 years ago. After serving in the Navy
during WWII, he enrolled in the Pratt Institute in New York, for
Commercial Design. He was a commercial artist in Jamestown and Erie
and formed a Commercial Art Studio and Ad Agency in WNY and Northwest
PA, retiring 40 years later. He says, “My interest in watercolor
painting was rekindled at that time. Love for the outdoors is
reflected in my paintings. My commercial art career has influenced
the details found in my paintings. Painting has made an ideal hobby
in my retirement.” Larson lives with his wife Carol in West Ellicott,
Jamestown. They have four children, ten grandchildren and three great
grandchildren.
Susan Forrester MacKay is a child of the sixties when beauty, love,
and peace were going to change the world. She says, “I create artwork
because the beauty of the process is the best mind altering state I’ve
ever known. The need to touch, feel, respond and communicate human
emotions within the landscape of the human form is enormous. The
subject of human beings and their interactions is an endless source of
fascination for me; hence, most of my work is figurative and
evocative, focusing on the variety of everyday human gesture.” Mackay
received a B.A. from SUNY Fredonia, majoring in Elementary Art
Education, where she studied under Drs. Urbscheit, Dorogi, and
Christian. She then received a B.S. from the University of Arizona,
where her emphasis changed to Behavioral Sciences and Social Work, and
a Masters in Behavioral Science from University of Virginia. MacKay is
a founding member of the Chautauqua Art Alliance.
One of Mary Miller’s earliest memories is of wanting to be an artist:
“I pursued this path in high school, then at the Art Institute of
Pittsburgh followed by several jobs in the graphic art field.
Watercolor, however, with its fluidity and spontaneity is the medium
that has enabled me to express my love of nature and life along the
shores of Lake Erie where I reside. Many happy hours have been spent
outdoors where I can find an abundant source of subject matter. Living
where there are four seasons has challenged me to interpret my
surroundings into my work while remaining true to light, color and
form that shape those times of year. In addition, I will sometimes
include animals or people in my paintings. My ongoing quest is to
constantly expand my knowledge and produce art that will inspire and
enrich the lives of those who view it.”
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Upcoming Exhibits 2010:
February 12 – March 12- Photographic Works by Lori Demeer
March 19 – April 3- New Works by Susan Forrester Mackay
April 16 – May 14- The Photographs of James Hoggard, Jeff McMullen and Mike Mulley
May 21 – June 18- Westfield Revisited: The Italian Immigrants of Westfield
June 25 – July 23- North Shore Artists-new works by 25 artists
July 30 – September 10- Pittsburgh’s Eclectic Gallery Collection
September 17 – October 15- New Paintings of Bob Keller
October 22 – November 19- The Pastels of Gail Beem and Darryl Alello
November 26 – December 31- Walking Garden Earth
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Past Exhibits:
Seen/Scene
Under Construction
October 9 – November 27, 2009
Audrey Dowling, Bill Karrow, Al Newman, Nancy Nixon,
Steven Lax, Tom Annear, James Hoggard,
and Susan Forrester-Mackay
OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, October 9, 7 – 9 p.m.
Patterson Library’s Octagon Gallery, 40 S. Portage St., Westfield, NY
Refreshments for the opening reception are donated by Johnson Estates and Welch’s
Open During Library Hours:
M-T-Th: 9am-8pm / W-F-Sat: 9am-5pm / Closed Sun.
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Next Octagon Gallery Exhibit:
Lakes and Oceans: December 4 – December 31
Patterson Library’s Art Exhibition Program is funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Regrant Program administered by the Cattaraugus County Arts Council.
Image and Likeness: The Changing Face of Abraham Lincoln
August 14 through September 25, 2009
Listen to an interview with James Obrien about this exhibit: http://www.pattersonlibrary.info/ObrienOnLincoln.mp3
A new exhibit at Patterson Library in Westfield features 19th century engravings, lithographs, and sculptures juxtaposed with the photographs of Abraham Lincoln upon which almost all works depicting him are based. “Image and Likeness: The Changing Face of Abraham Lincoln” opens on Friday, August 14, with a reception from 7 to 9pm at Patterson Library’s Octagon Gallery. The free event is being held in celebration of the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth in 1809. Refreshments for the event are donated by Johnson Estate Winery and Welch’s.
The exhibition runs from August 14 through September 25, 2009, open during Library open hours. Attendees will have an opportunity to explore the roles that popular media played during Lincoln’s lifetime in an era before television, computers and the Internet. This exhibition is co-sponsored by the Chautauqua County Historical Society and contains items from both public and private collections.
This project is funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Grant Program administered by the Cattaraugus County Arts Council.
The next exhibit at the Patterson Library Octagon Gallery is “Walking Garden Earth”, October 2- November 27, 2009. Please contact gallery curator Nancy Nixon for interest in group and themed shows for gallery season 2011. Call 326-2154 for more information.
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