Mission Statement

Our Mission is to promote art and art education in the community and among its members. To encourage and promote a public interest and understanding of art; to create and develop a closer relationship between art and the community and further the education and artistic development of its members.


Monday, November 24, 2014

Juror's Choice Award





 
 
The Road Home
Juror’s Choice Award
 
Awarded this year to Gary Preston, the Juror’s Choice is a special award which includes an invitation to join the artists of the Renaissance Art Gallery’s Spring Fine Arts Show. Gary is an outstanding artist from Proctorville, Ohio and is this year’s winner for the Juror’s Choice Award. Congratulations, Gary.
 

"Works by local artist deserve special mention. Gary Preston’s The Road Home. The landscape is romantic and invites the viewer to appreciate the wonder of nature." ~ Edward E. Pauley

 

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Renaissance Award - 14th Annual National Miniature Exhibition


Renaissance Award


 

 
The Members Selection of local work was a watercolor by Brenda Beatty. This piece, titled "Minnie Bowers", is a portrait which is a well done watercolor for such a small format. The use of complementary colors is easy on the eyes, but it is the quirky composition that separates this work from more conventional pieces and demands our attention. And, though we don't know Minnie Bowers we can infer a lot from the sparkle in her eyes.

 
~The Artists of the Renaissance Art Gallery


Sunday, November 16, 2014

14th Miniature Exhibition - Director’s Choice Award


Director’s Choice Award


 

 
 
 
 
It seems flowers have become somewhat trite as subject matter, but I know this wonderful subject matter. These small offerings have life and are so well done, maybe not like a photo, thank you Diane, I love them! 

~Fern Christian
Director, Renaissance Art Gallery

 

 

Monday, November 10, 2014

A Word From our Juror - November 2, 2014


Juror’s Statement
 

As an exhibition juror, I am drawn to works of art that introduce subject matter, content and the formal elements (line, color, shape, form, composition, etc.) in interesting and fresh ways. These are the tools artists employ to explore and/or challenge traditional norms.  

There are also parameters established by the competition’s sponsors that must be weighed. For example, in the case of a miniature show, one must make judgments based on how successful a piece is given the imposed boundaries – or in spite of those limitations. There were an exceptionally large number of strong entries submitted to this show. Thus, arriving at ten finalists was tough.

 

The Award of Excellence went to Ariko Watanabi’s Sunbather. Not only is the painting striking for its attention to detail, dynamic composition and bold color but the subject, a cat, is portrayed in a way that captures the true “nature” of the species. Watanabi depicts a feline calmly basking in the sun and in this case avoids the more common “cute” interpretation. At any scale, Sunbather would be an excellent painting. 

 
 


The First Place Award goes to Beverly Fotheringham’s All Aboard, which features a view of a train’s mechanical parts and railroad tracks. The diagonal and cropped point of view adds to the sense of mystery that might cause the viewer to question for a moment, “what happening here?” What is immediately obvious is that the subject is man-made, intricate and powerful. Subject matter aside, the artist’s even treatment and acknowledgment of the painting’s edges results in a compositionally sound painting.








 

Glen Leung’s Helicopter Tour #10 was awarded second place. The artist directs our attention to the complexity of contemporary life – from an aerial perspective. A photographer smiles as she aims her camera at the bridge below. It’s clear that the artist in dealing with familiar subject and surroundings. There is a narrative but there is also room for the viewer to construct their own account.  Leung successfully combines a light-hearted mood and narrative with loads of visual information.

 



Melissa Miller Nece’s String Bikinis and Janet Laird-Lagassee’s Cat's Quilt received Merit Awards for similar reasons. Both works reveal an in depth understanding of light, atmosphere and space.
 
 
 
 
 
String Bikinis depicts two girls wading into the sunlit water. Their body language suggests the girl’s apprehension.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cat's Quilt captures light so bright that details on the quilt are washed out. The quilts multifaceted pattern is tastefully situated in the narrow space between the light and shadow.

 

Honorable Mentions include Gail MacArgel’s Oriental Décor and Kathy Pollack’s Foggy Morn.
 
Oriental Décor is a formal still life composition containing decorative objects including a jade horse. MacArgel creates a quiet order and pays great attention to surface texture.
 
 
 
Foggy Morn captures a moment in time and the weather conditions are convincing. Pollack’s sensitive handling of a stately home cloaked in fog stands out for its soft edges and spatial atmospherics.


 




Works by local artist deserve special mention. Gary Preston’s The Road Home. The landscape is romantic and invites the viewer to appreciate the wonder of nature.

 

Edward E. Pauley

Monday, November 3, 2014

14th Annual National Miniature Exhiition - Opening Reception

The 14th Annual National Miniature Exhibition Opened with an artist reception and award ceremony.

There was a steady stream of visitors to admire all the artwork.