Eastern Connections

The annual Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Juried Exhibition heads to Birmingham, Alabama.

Each year the Oil Painters of America hosts two regional exhibitions that allow artists from certain states and Canadian provinces to exhibit their works in a juried showcase of talent. The events happen in the region as well, allowing the artists easy access to the host gallery to attend the opening weekend and have the chance to meet collectors firsthand. October 10 through November 11, Beverly McNeil Gallery in Birmingham, Alabama, will host this year’s Eastern Regional Juried Exhibition.

The show will include more than 120 juried works from associate and signature members of the organization as well as 12 paintings submitted by its Master Signature artists who resides in the Eastern area. Included in this year’s show will be Natalia Clark, Matthew J. Cutter, Bonnie Dhein, Mary Garrish, Peter Granucci, MaryBeth Karaus, Chris Kling, Judy Maurer and Tina Underwood.

The paintings represent a cross section of styles and subjects, unified by the medium of oil paints. There will be figurative paintings, still lifes, seascapes, landscapes, wildlife and more on view ranging from impressionism to realism.

Among the pieces is Garrish’s Summer Sunset, a studio painting inspired by many of her plein air works done at the Canaveral national wildlife refuge. She says, “Thanks to the national parks program, this wide expanse of marsh is home to thousands of migratory birds that bring the landscape alive.”

Other works on view include the landscape The Way of Water by Maurer; a self-portrait by Granucci; a ballerina painting titled Before the Dance by Dhein; still lifes from Karaus, Underwood and Clark; a painting of a rural home by Cutter; and a figurative work by Kling titled Looking for Angels.

The Eastern Regional Juried Exhibition will kick off with a reception on October 10 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Serving as the juror