‘Moving Pictures’ exhibit opens at Studio B
Studio B Fine Art Gallery, 39A East Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown, is pleased to announce the exhibit opening of “Moving Pictures,” on Oct. 25 from 5 to 8 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to come in costume.
“Moving Pictures” feature the sculptures and furniture of Amy Forsyth and the paintings of Charles Farrell, a husband and wife couple whose shared roots in architecture and artistic expression formed a strong foundation for creativity in diverse mediums throughout their careers.
The exhibit, free and open to the public, runs through Dec. 1.
Amy Forsyth
Forsyth, professor of design at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, is a furniture designer and furniture maker who was trained as an architect at Penn State and Princeton Universities. In addition to designing and building furniture and teaching threedimensional design and furniture design, Forsyth has served on the Board of Trustees of the Furniture Society and has edited and published articles in numerous publications highlighting functional art, the traditions in contemporary furniture, and the fine craft of furniture design. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States.
Forsyth is also an accomplished musician; she plays the fiddle and sings with various groups throughout the Lehigh Valley. Recent projects involve investigating the relationship between furniture and music, whether as a series of organizing principles or, in the more pragmatic sense, of designing and building furniture pieces and other artifacts for music making.
Working in various artistic mediums, Forsyth finds her strength: an ability to discover and conjoin ideas.
“My music and my furniture allow me to make use of in-themoment inspirations, ones that sometimes succeed and sometimes fail dramatically,” she explains.
“I value this kind of process, as well as the sense of community I’ve found in making music—I’ve also been working on some collaborative pieces in my visual work as well. Visual work does not usually lend itself to this kind of process as naturally as music does; but every now and then, the right kind of collaboration presents itself,” she concludes.
Charles Farrell
In 1996, Charles Farrell suspended his architectural career of thirty years, sold his architectural firm, and returned to school to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting. After graduation, he worked for two years as a Resident Affiliate Artist at the Tryon Center for Visual Arts and was represented by the Hodges Taylor Gallery, both located in Charlotte, North Carolina.
His work received an award in a juried exhibition in the Art of the State of Pennsylvania. Several of his paintings were accepted by the North Carolina Museum of Art in a juried show of North Carolina Artists. His artwork has been exhibited in New York, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.
Farrell’s work captures a person’s inner self and reveals their strength or vulnerability, anxiety or serenity, arrogance or humility, their public self or their inner-life.
He explains, “I use the conventions of figurative art to explore the psychological complexities of human nature. We operate within a status quo that often becomes invisible to us. Representational art provides a unique vehicle for burrowing into the flesh of the familiar and overturning the status quo to expose its secret underside.”
“While the images are sometimes provocative, all judgment is left in the hands of the viewer. Each work can be seen as an exercise in visual thinking, a raw presentation of our foibles, the human need for control, the demands of desire, and the hunger for meaning as we struggle with the mysteries of a complicated world that we will never fully understand. My work is about all of us, inclusive of our strengths and shortcomings, caught in the act of being human,” he concludes.
Studio B, located in the heart of historic Boyertown, is the home of the Arts and Activities Alliance, a committee of Building a Better Boyertown, a nonprofit Main Street program dedicated to revitalizing small towns.
Studio B celebrates lifelong learning, creativity and personal involvement in the visual and communication arts and seeks to be a dynamic part of Boyertown community, a “go to” destination for learning, fun and friendship. The studio seeks to showcase the work of fine artists in themed exhibits—some juried, some open to all—and welcomes art in diverse media. In addition to art exhibits, workshops, and classes, Studio B also hosts activities and informal gatherings on assorted topics for small groups or meetings, gallery talks, and “Getting to Know You” opportunities.
Visitors are always welcome to view the changing exhibits; take lessons in the visual, literary, and communication arts offered by highly-trained local artists and teachers; and schedule small events or parties in its elegant facility. The studio proudly collaborates with the many unique businesses in the Boyertown community. Find Studio B Fine Art Gallery at www.studiobbb.org or Studio B Art Gallery on Facebook.