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60 Years of Engraving
An Exhibition of Engravings
Barbara Fumagalli
September 9–October 2, 2008
“I fell in love with the medium of engraving because of the power of its line, which can be more delicate as well as bolder and blacker than lines produced by pencil, pen, etching, lithography, or any other medium.
The purpose of my artwork is to open a non-linear, non-verbal channel in the viewer’s mind which will enable him or her to see nature in a new way—using all the senses and more. Please experience my work with all your senses, and take away a broader perception and respect for all aspects of the world, however small. Step off the fast track and experience life as a new human being with the enlightened intent to truly become aware of our environment. Only by doing so will we save ourselves and the planet. As an artist, it is my task to act as a filter of reality to provide a window onto this unique perception.”
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The Poetics of Place
An Exhibition of Paintings
Richard Weis
October 7–November 6, 2008
Reception and artist’s lecture on Monday, October 13, 2008 at 7:30 pm in the John & Linda Friend Art Gallery.
“The nuances of the visual language are endlessly fascinating. Time, place and circumstance constantly suggest relationships that I see as interactions of line, shape, color and surface. I see tension, compromise, dependency, accommodation, resolution, contrast, and harmony as visual ideas. My works are artifacts of the explorations I have made in response to the world around me.
I draw constantly, working from observation as a way of connecting with and understanding my world; the prose however, often transforms into the visual equivalent of poetry as I seek greater understanding. In my own way, I am exploring what it is to be human in this world through the process of making art.
Many of the works in the Concordia University exhibition are pieces that evolved from my work in South Korea where I resided as an Artist–in-Residence under the Fulbright Program in 2003.”
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Facial Expressions
An Exhibition of Paintings
Bradford J. Salamon
November 11–December 11, 2008
Reception and artist’s lecture on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 7:30 pm in the John & Linda Friend Art Gallery.
“For my narrative paintings I keep a book of ideas. I write in all kinds of things that come to me including religious, political and personal themes. Mostly I am trying to say what is not being said. I try to see things that others don’t. This often includes various dynamics within my own family. For my portraits from the live model, I pick my subjects as I go through my daily life and talk with people. Something out of nowhere clicks and I think to myself, this person has an energy I want to capture. For portraits, I prefer to use my sub-conscience mind. While painting, I talk to my subject and allow the emotions of the sitter to vary as the conversation changes. I then follow the energy between us and that becomes the content of the painting. To have an artist spend hours totally focused on every detail of someone’s expressions and idiosyncrasies is a unique experience for most sitters. This process is different for me each time and it is this uniqueness that makes it a joy for me. These paintings become a kind of journal of my life. Some of these subjects I have painted before, most I will paint again. I document the relationships that have meant the most to me in my life.”
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Evolution: growth, progress, fruition
An Exhibition of Crystal Cathedral High School Students’ Art
December 16, 2008–February 11, 2009
Opening reception on December 16, 2008 at 6:30 pm in the John and Linda Friend Art Gallery.
The Crystal Cathedral High School students’ desire to create expressive artwork for public display and share their work, inspired the title for their first Concordia University Exhibit; Evolution: growth, progress, fruition.
This exhibit features artwork that reveals the teen mind in its simplicity. The Crystal Cathedral High School Concordia Exhibit exemplifies the essence of young inspiring artists. The pieces, in this juried show, display the students’ passion for life and their growing awareness of the world around them. By displaying their work, the students are given the opportunity to voice their quiet convictions and unique outlook on life. It is the hope of the students that through this exhibit viewers will come to understand and respect the thoughts and feelings that define adolescence.
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Warriors Against Angst
An Exhibition of Sculptures
Cheryl Ekstrom
February 10–March 10, 2009
Reception and artist’s lecture on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 7.30 pm in the John & Linda Friend Art Gallery.
“Warriors Against Angst represents the haunting voices from the past and our past and our ability to have the inner strength to press on. The art was first set into motion by Ekstrom’s own personal tragedy. Realizing that the pain she felt was shared by many, she began to create powerful and imposing figures that would not only heal her angst, but would have the same effect on those who saw them.
These warriors protect us from the painful memories that interfere with our lives. The shields serve to bounce back the haunting memories that echo from our past and come to us when we least expect it.
Ekstrom lured people from her past who had said something that painfully affected her. She compiled these lingering memories into a script and had the same people come to a studio to read them into a microphone. Their voices along with ambience sounds were composed and played on speakers buried in the ground so that the sounds came up as the echoes from our past. The shields were there to bounce off these painful memories. The warriors were created as a reminder that each of has an innate strength to overcome and press on.”
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Staff and Alumni 08
Liverpool Hope University, England
A selection of 2008 Liverpool Biennial Independents Exhibition
March 12–April 7, 2009
Lecture and reception on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at 7.30 p.m. in the John and Linda Friend Gallery.
The Cornerstone Gallery at Liverpool Hope University, UK presents a curated collection of its 2008 Liverpool Biennial Independents Exhibition. It comprises recent works by current and former staff of the department of Fine Art and Design alongside selected graduates from the last fifteen years. The former students, now professionals in their area of expertise, and staff have all exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally. The works showcase the breadth of imagination, concept and media by artists, designers and makers working in Wood, Jewelry, Ceramics, Textiles, Painting, Printmaking and Sculpture.
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Works in encaustic & other media
Andrea Saenz
April 14–May 7, 2009
Reception and artist’s lecture on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 7:30 pm in the John & Linda Friend Art Gallery.
“My encaustic and mixed media (mostly oil paint) pieces are moody meditations on the art of a process sometimes mixed with nuances of a whimsical genre, or nostalgia. Simple shapes and broad strokes become complex through the methodical addition of layer upon layer of wax or oil glaze and, occasionally, fabric or paper. These are works you can get lost in, and appreciate on their many levels.”
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A Faculty and Student Art Exhibition
May 11 – September 5, 2009
An opening reception will be held on Monday, May 11th at 6:30 p.m. in the John and Linda Friend Art Gallery.
This exhibition will highlight the faculty and student work that was on display at The Cornerstone Gallery at Liverpool Hope University in Liverpool, England. Displaying the art that was created by Concordia faculty and students, the exhibition gives the viewer an opportunity to witness the different artists' interpretation of the word "communication". While unifying the exhibition with a universal theme that is nevertheless perceived differently across cultures, it gave each artist a challenging task; how to represent visually how we communicate in today's different societies.
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