The Fall Art Gallery Scene Starts Sept. 10, 2016
Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016 signals the start of the Dallas art scene for fall. It is going to be a busy evening at galleries with many artists on hand for the opening exhibitions. Not sure where to go and what to see? I’ve got you covered with the best of the best in Dallas Art Gallery openings. Can’t make it tonight? That’s fine. All exhibitions featured in this story run until Oct. 8.
Ro2Art is in a new location at The Cedars with plenty of parking.
Opening reception Sept. 10, 7 – 10 p.m.
Exhibition: Finding Daphne
Gillian Bradshaw-Smith is an author, painter, Broadway set designer and master storyteller. Born in India to British parents in 1933, Bradshaw-Smith sailed to England during World War II, studied fine art and painting at the University of Reading and began teaching. In 1963 she embarked on an adventurous trip to the United States. Dallas, Texas became her home where she created embroidered works of art and exhibited at the Contemporary Gallery. Married, she moved to New York in 1967 and exhibited at Cordier & Ekstrom on Madison Avenue in New York. The gallery headed by Arne Ekstrom who fostered many up-and-coming artists, including Nancy Grossman and Isamu Noguchi. Along with her fine art work, Bradshaw-Smith began creating large scale painted backdrops for publications and photographers. She recreated a ballet set for ‘Annabelle Lee’ for New York Theatre Ballet and still continues to create items for them today. She became a US citizen in 1976 and Taplinger published her book. “Adventures In Toy Making.” Bradshaw-Smith is well known for selling her famous mother pig that had snap fasteners for teats with suckling piglets that snapped on. She moved back to Dallas in 1995 and working with many noted interior designers, has created stunning walls, ceilings and interior details for residential and commercial customers using all her talent and experience.
Exhibition: Upstart Crow
Robin Ragin’s exhibition comes from the task of dismantling the studio of her 15- year mentor. Reflecting on the passing of David McManaway, Ragin’s shares the last lesson McManaway taught her – the profound possibilities held within objects left behind by others. It is through this lesson that Ragin has created her latest series of assemblages.
Opening reception Sept. 10, 5 – 8 p.m.
Exhibition: Hunt Slonem: Fauna
Based in New York City, Hunt Slonem is an artist and lifestyle trendsetter. Known as one of the greats colorists of his time, he commands a room with his colorful attire and his simple but bold works of art. Slonem skillful mastery of interior design is presented in his mix of vintage furniture with contemporary art. Born to a Navy officer, Slonem grew up in exotic lands – growing orchids in Hawaii, collecting stamps in Louisiana, and chasing butterflies in Nicaragua which have been highly represented in his works. Slonem is known for his neo-expressionist works of butterflies, rabbits and tropical birds, the latter often inspired by the 30 to 100 exotic feathered friends he houses at any given time in an aviary in his 30,000 square foot Manhattan studio. In 2014 in a collaboration with Assouline Publishing, Slonem’s book “When Art Meets Design” gave the world a look into the spaces he creates with 280 illustrations within the hefty 300-page book. With more than 300 one-man shows and his art in permanent collections of 250 museums around the world, chances are you have seen a piece of art by Slonem. But, have you ever met him? You get your chance tonight at a book signing and opening exhibition of Fauna.
Opening reception Sept. 10, 5 – 8 p.m.
Exhibition: National Park Service @ 100: A Photographic Celebration
A 100th year celebration of the National Park Service is showcased in this art exhibit that features the works of a dozen artists at 20 parks. Although Sun to Moon Gallery displays art from a wide range of genres, it is best known for capturing nature’s beauty for us to bring into our homes and offices. Balancing our lives in concrete jungles becomes easier with fine art prints from well-respected artists like Alan Ross, Anne Larsen, Annette Bottaro-Walklet, Ansel Adams, Dan Burkholder, Jeffrey Conley, Jill Skupin Burkholder, John Sexton, Keith S. Walklet, R.P. Washburne and Scot Miller. The majestic beauty of natural spaces as captured by these artists is something to behold. “We are fortunate to represent some of the best landscape photographers in the world and look forward to showing their artistry in celebration of the National Park Service Centennial. Well-known parks such as Yosemite National Park and Yellowstone National Park will be represented as well as lesser-known parks, such as Buffalo National River and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. We are also excited to feature an image by Scot Miller from the proposed (and hopefully soon-to-be-announced) Maine Woods National Monument. He has been working in northern Maine for over a decade now in support of the new park, which would be a fabulous gift to the National Park Service and our country for the Centennial celebration,” said Gallery Director Marilyn Miller.
Opening reception Sept. 10, 5 – 8 p.m.
Exhibition: All Of This From Nothing
Cris Worley presents Texas native Patrick Turk in Turk’s first solo exhibition. The quasi-scientist and self-taught artist explores the mysteries of the universe in his highly detailed and imaginative hand-cut paper assemblages. Images are taken from numerous resources including: encyclopedias, history and scientific diagrams, science-fiction novels. They are cut and assembled in multidimensional surfaces to create a curious and dark narrative. His works are a visual mind trip that echoes the eccentric nature of Turk who said, “The intense levels of detail become a microcosm, forming a reflection of the human relationship to the plasticity of time and space, and to the process of self-unfolding.”
Opening reception Sept. 10, 5 – 8 p.m.
Exhibition: A Good Story . . .
Lea Fisher began painting for its therapeutic value. Fisher began her artistic career training under artist JD Miller, learning to paint in the bold, three-dimensional style associated with Miller’s Reflectionist School of Art. A Good Story. . . marks a significant evolution in Fisher’s career, with her newest work demonstrating her own unique interpretation of Reflectionism and an unapologetic use of diamond dust and whimsical subject matter. Comprised of mixed media works on canvas and pen-and-ink drawings, pushes her artistic envelope by revealing innovative and unique methods of creation. Fisher earned a master’s degree in counseling from the University of North Texas. This course of study coupled with her personal growth is clearly displayed in her art. “Painting for me is an emotional evolution. I must first have the courage to abandon my self-limiting beliefs and delusions of control with the hope that honest self-expression will represent my unique experience and reflect the shared dynamic of the human condition. Sometimes a painting is created effortlessly and sometimes, as in life, it goes through several metamorphic states before a beautiful manifestation emerges. But whether the creation process is easy, or challenging, the ultimate result is something I find tremendously rewarding,” said Fisher.