by Lisa Proulx
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – Artists from the New Hampshire Chapter of the Women鈥檚 Caucus for Art exhibit present 鈥淎t Large鈥�, a collection of painting, prints and mixed media in works that revel in size. All pieces in the exhibit will be larger than 22 inches.
The sixteen featured works were chosen from more than 50 entries. Included are works in fiber, oil on canvas, mixed media, digital inkjet, and more. All of these artists deal with the complexity of making art on a large scale and explore the different strategies need for managing content and materials when the size is expanded. The exhibit will be on display from January 26 through March 26th at Great Bay Community College鈥檚 Gateway Gallery located in the front lobby of the Portsmouth campus at the Pease International Tradeport. The public is invited to a free opening reception on Thursday, February 9th from 5:00-7:00PM.
The artists included are Elsa Voelcker of Antrim; Marcia Wood Mertinooke, Goffstown; Jayne Adams, Gonic; Jodi Scaltreto, Hillsborough; Joanne Desmond, Lynn, Mass.; Aline Lotter, Manchester; Davida Cook, Meredith; Bonnie Askowitz, Miami, FL and Washington, NH; Debra Claffey, New Boston; Stephanie Blackstock, Ossipee; Annette Mitchell and Marcia Santore from Plymouth; Wen Redmond, Strafford; Maryellen Sakura, Thornton; M. Robin Cornwell and Kate Higley, from Wolfeboro.
鈥淭he breadth of materials used is astonishing鈥� said Debra Claffey, from the Women鈥檚 Caucus for Art/New Hampshire Chapter. 鈥淢any artists have used oil, acrylic, and mixed media in these larger works while others incorporate fabric, beads, or digital imagery. Joanne Desmond鈥檚, 36 by 48-inch work, Je m’em souviens (History), is 6-plate hard and soft ground etching with drypoint on handmade Gampi paper. Wen Redmond鈥檚 Breaking the Surface, is made with a digital image printed on inkjet prepared cotton canvas. And Davida Cook鈥檚 Cloud Street 1, uses monotypes and acrylic paint on hand-dyed and printed fabrics, which are both pieced and quilted by hand.鈥�
鈥満＝锹衣租�檚 gallery director and juror, Dr. Annette Cohen, has chosen works with a breadth of content and genre for this exhibition鈥� Claffey continued. 鈥淲orks that include portraiture, micro- and macro-landscape, abstraction, narrative, and figuration as all part of this joyful exploration of size and scale.鈥�
New Hampshire鈥檚 WCA chapter is one of the largest and most active in the national organization that works to promote advancement for women in the arts. At almost one hundred members, the group includes artist of every level working in every medium, and every imaginable topic. All of the exhibitions are coordinated by the members, who create the topics and themes to be explored. A member can learn about all the professional aspects of an artist鈥檚 life and learn both best practices and new techniques from more experienced members.