Spring kicks off themed art exhibits
Happy Easter! Whether it is your holiday or not, it’s a turning point; a declaration that spring is really here.
Growing up, my mother took us shopping every year for a new outfit to wear on Easter Sunday. What a fun outing! She was magical with her color and fashion choices (think Jackie Kennedy) and we had so much fun choosing something that was colorful, spring-like, and always a little different than anything we had before. Then we went for ice cream and headed home to color eggs. Add in the chocolate Easter bunny and malted milk eggs after church and all in all, Easter was pretty terrific.
My mother created for us an artful theme of color, light, laughter and adventure. The theme pulled in different elements that created a total experience with lasting impressions. That’s the value of a theme. It provides a three-dimensional view, allowing for a deeper experience.
Art exhibition themes can be of subject matter, such as spring flowers, or of an individual artist that includes works in a variety of media, or includes photographs, sketches or travel notes. Presenting exhibits in themes is a great way to help us select what we want to see, or at least what we might expect. If we’re lucky, we might experience the unexpected.
In the galleries this month we have spring themes, pandemic themes, and well-rounded bodies of work by individual artists. No doubt one or more of the themes will spark your interest. Spring is off to a great start!
McBride Gallery is hosting a solo show for Maryland artist, Lois Engberg, “Spring: New Beginnings.” The artist recently came across this inspirational quote by Lady Bird Johnson: “Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” At this time, we could all use a little positive inspiration and what a great theme for a show! The artist said that painting in her garden through the seasons and finding beauty was especially therapeutic over the past year. “These paintings speak of hope, peace, and new life.” Open now, the show will run from through May 16.
Jo Fleming Contemporary Art is blooming again this spring with “Botanical,” artworks by local and regional artists Lesley Riley, Lisa Sheirer, Cindy Fletcher, Brenda Drake, Victoria and Martin Ali. The exhibition opens Monday and runs through May 28. Join them for a Meetthe-Artists Open House on May Day, from noon to 5 p.m. May 1.
The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County’s new BWI exhibit, “Hoof, Paw, and Claw” gives animals all the attention! Artists were encouraged to let the world of animals inspire their work — whether that was a photograph of their own furry companion or a painting of their favorite wild creature. This exhibit will be on display through July 21, and is located between Concourse C&D in departures (pre-security). Not traveling yet? Visit acaac.org/ bwi-exhibit-30-hoof-paw-andclaw/ to view the online gallery of artwork from the comfort of your home.
The Arts Council’s What’s Up? Media exhibit, “Unity,” reminds us that while 2020 was a difficult year, we are in this together — adapting and navigating this new ‘normal’. Artists were encouraged to think about what Unity means to them and to showcase work that represents this past year of shared experiences. This exhibit is on display through June 7 and is located on the second floor of the What’s Up? Media office building at 201 Defense Highway in Annapolis. Visit acaac.org/whats-up-media-exhibit-12-unity/ to view the online gallery of artwork.
Gallery 57 West will host a Facebook Live Event at 7 p.m. Thursday, featuring artists Anne Delano Weathersby, Sonja Holleman and Deborah Schwab. Anne, a photographer, will talk about her approach and preparation to her photo shoots, and capturing the right moment. Sonja of Archeologico Jewelry, has travelled the world in search of unusual beads, stones, and accent pieces to create unique jewelry, each with an attached “story card” containing some history or folklore.
Sonja’s presentation will highlight the way her travels have influenced the creative process behind her jewelry designs, “inspired by the past for your present”. Deborah Schwab will discuss her two painting techniques, showcasing two of her newest pieces including “Wye Island Windbreak”.
The Mitchell Gallery at St. John’s College has opened its newest online exhibition, “Lens & Brush: Works by Frank E. Schoonover.” Schoonover was part of the Brandywine School of American Illustration founded by Howard Pyle, and was a prominent illustrator for publications such as “Scribner’s,” “American Boy,” “Harper’s Weekly,” “Ladies Home Journal,” “Saturday Evening Post,” “Hopalong Cassidy,” and many other publications.
The exhibition highlights his illustrations created as a result of his 1903 photographs taken as he traveled across Canada and the northern United States. Subjects created in watercolor, oils, and charcoal include Native Americans, domestic scenes, landscapes, and children working as coal miners and newspaper boys. All events are online.
A live-stream interview will be held with
John Schoonover, president and curator of the Schoonover Studios, at 3 p.m. April 11. No registration required. The Mitchell Gallery Book Club will held at 3 p.m. April 28 with an online tour at 2:30 p.m. Free. Registration required. A lecture about the exhibition is posted on the website through May 16. For more details, visit the website: sjc.edu/mitchell-gallery
Gallery 333 hosts their virtual exhibit “Monday Musings” through April 30, showcasing works from Six Zooming Artists: Genie Crawford, Lisa McKnight, Laura Norton, Diane Ratcliff, Karen Watt, and John Wider. The exhibit is a collection of works from these six local artists that met while taking classes at Maryland Hall in 2016 and continuing until the start of the pandemic.
To continue their work, and to support each other and provide an outlet from challenging times, they meet virtually to discuss their work and offers tips, suggestions and encouragement. The exhibit consists primarily of watercolor paintings, but also includes works in mixed media, acrylic, and graphite pencil. There will be a virtual Meet-the-Artists event at 11:10 a.m. Apr. 18. View the exhibit and find details about the reception here: uuannapolis.org/ gallery-333/
MFA Circle Gallery opens the 44th annual “Art on Paper” national juried exhibition. Paper has been around for almost 2,000 years, and now MFA’s 44th annual Art on Paper exhibition is here. The sky’s the limit… as long as it’s made with paper. From the expected - watercolor, pastel, ink, charcoal, collage, printmaking, to the unexpected — cast paper and handmade artist books, the creative possibilities are endless. View these 65 works of paper art from 48 artists chosen by juror Paul Glenshaw from the Smithsonian Institution at Circle Gallery or online through May 1. Join them for an artist and juror reception hosted virtually at 4 p.m. Apr 18. View the exhibit and find details about the reception here: mdfedart.com/portfolio/212/
Last chance to see MFA’s “Hospice Cup Poster Competition” in MFA’s People’s Choice Gallery, as it closes Thursday. Hospice Cup, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1981 to help local and regional hospices raise funds for patient programs.
In collaboration with Maryland Federation of Art (MFA), the organization hosts an annual competition for a piece of artwork to serve as the backdrop for their yearly poster. Congratulations to Morgan Dwyer! Her piece “Nailing the Duck” was voted by the people to be the 2021 Hospice Cup Poster. See the winning artwork and the exhibition view online through April 8 here: mdfedart.com/portfolio/219/
MFA People’s Choice Gallery presents “Love is Airborne” for the month of April, and voting is open through April 15. Throughout the pandemic, we have found ourselves navigating an unprecedented interpersonal landscape. The nature of our relationships has changed, whether trying to maintain a commitment from six feet apart, or looking for love on the Internet while quarantined.
This People’s Choice Exhibition examines the ways romance has prevailed through isolation. Works from this all-hang exhibition are online through April 30. Vote for your favorite piece, and view this all-hang exhibition online here: https:// mdfedart.com/portfolio/220/
MFA Curve Gallery opens “MASKulimity” April 15. Batman wears a mask; the Lone Ranger wears a mask; so do Spiderman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Today, we all wear masks…but who is the man behind the mask? Just as social norms for women have changed images of femininity, the definition of masculinity has changed dramatically as well. So just who is that masked man?
Or what mask does he wear? This online exhibition will examine the changing role of men and the evolving definition of masculinity in today’s society. View the exhibition online through May 31 here: mdfedart.com/portfolio/216/
West Annapolis Artworks features “Ethereal Figures’’ by Maureen S. Farrell. Maureen’s layered abstract impressionism presents the beauty and emotion of imperfection. Maureen’s work will be on display through May.
Chaney and Martino Galleries at Maryland Hall for Creative Arts will be showcasing the current exhibit “In Search of Meaning: Memory Becomes Us” by Patricia Moss-Vreeland. This exhibition illuminates the role memory plays in relation to who we are. Patricia Moss-Vreeland’s paintings, prints, artist books, poetry, and videos are metaphoric responses and reside in concert with the interlacing of science texts, connecting the personal to the universal.
Of particular interest, during National Poetry Month, are Moss-Vreeland’s works that incorporate her beautiful poetry amidst her drawings, paintings, prints, and hand-made books. Open now, “In Search of Meaning” will be on display through May 21. Guests (with masks required) are invited to visit during Gallery Hours: 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays.