Tuesday, February 14, 2012

PRESS RELEASE: Earth Rhythms at the Vermont Institute of Contemporary Arts (VTica) in Chester

Four Vermont artists will be exhibiting their paintings and sculpture in Earth Rhythms, opening February 25 at the Vermont Institute of Contemporary Arts (VTica) in Chester. The work of Marilyn Allen of West Halifax, Casey Blanchard of Burlington, Bryce LeVan Cushing of Chester and Richard Weis of Castleton will be on view through March 31. An opening reception for the show is set for Saturday, February 25 from 5:30 - 8PM.

Marilyn Allen uses oil on canvas and wood panels to portray the landscape in an iconic and symbolic style. In addition to exhibiting frequently in Vermont and New York, Allen has been a curator and outreach art teacher. Her training includes study with Bruce Gagnier, Jim Peters and David Brewster.

Primarily a self- taught artist, Casey Blanchard explores her experiences through the engaging and often unpredictable print medium of monoprinting, a process using moistened paper with oil paint and/or etching inks. Many of the pieces on display will be of Casey’s Key West Bound series.

For Bryce LeVan Cushing it is important to break the stereotypes of the material world and reform the images. His career has spanned experiences in varied arts fields including music, garden design, culinary arts and sculpture. On view at VTica will be recent constructions made of glass, china, pottery, metal, semi precious stones, vintage jewelry, religious iconography, collectibles and antiques. Recycled anything and everything that has meaning and holds value in our culture is used in his work.

From rural Minnesota to residencies in Wales and South Korea, Richard Weis’s journey during the past 40 plus years has exposed him to a diversity of physical, cultural, and social environments Most of Weis’ career has combined teaching with studio work, beginning in the public schools and later at the college level. In 2010, he retired from Green Mountain College. He was honored with a Fulbright Scholar Award in 2002 and a Fulbright Alumni Award for a Green Mountain College/Korea project in 2004. In 2010 Weis received a Fulbright Specialist Award, returning to South Korea to work with undergraduate and graduate art education students at Hannam University in Daejeon South Korea.

On Friday, March 9 at 7 p.m. Weis will discuss “Beyond Surface: East Meets West" in a free gallery talk at VTica.

VTica will be open Wednesday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. VTica is located at 15 Depot Street, just off the Chester Village Green on Rt. 11. For more information, telephone 802-875-1018; e-mail is info@vtica.org; website is www.vtica.org.

Image: Percussion by Richard Weis, Acrylic on Canvas, 38"x50"