Brust's "Africa Series" Opens at galleryblue

Friday, July 31, 2009

NANTUCKET -- "African Series" a collection of paintings by Nantucket artist Judith Brust, is the newest exhibition making its debut this summer at galleryblue at 21 Old South Wharf.  The show will open with an artist reception from 6 to 8 pm on Friday, July 31 and will run through Thursday, August 13.

Works by galleryblue's other core artists -- Stephen Pitliuk, Joanna Kane, and Dale Bradley -- will also continue to be exhibited during the "Africa Series" show.

The mixed media works on paper comprising Brust's new exhibition were inspired by a safari in Tanzania taken two years ago.  The pieces on display represent the African landscape and Brust's feelings about her African experience.  Brust offers the following explanation of the motivation for this new body of work:

"The Africa Series evolved from my travels through Tanzania, Africa in 2008.  The trip was both a visual treasure and an emotional journey.  The art is an expression of the visual experience coupled with my emotional response to the landscape.  I felt as if I walked through a place and time of origins.

"These works, like all of my work, are saturated with symbolism and symbolic shapes.  The circle is central.  The mark-making has the feeling of graffiti, somewhat like an ancient language.  These characteristics of the work come from my feeling of being put back in the Garden of Eden.  The balance of nature so perfect, it was like a genesis.  It was the way it was meant to be before order and structure, the natural equilibrium unearthed."

Brust is an internationally known artist who works in various mediums: painting and drawing, both abstract and figurative, sculpture, and large (4 ft. x 8 ft.) layered mixed media works on paper.  During her career, she has been influenced by extensive readings in the works of Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, and Gaston Bachelard, and inspired by the spiritual quality in the works of fellow painters and sculptors Mark Rothko, Paul Klee, Louise Bourgeois, and Eva Hesse.

Holding and M.A. and M.F.A. from SUNY Albany, Brust has exhibited extensively in both group and solo shows in the Northeast for the past thirthy years.  Her work is in many  private and corporate collections, including the new Mandarian Oriental Hotel in Boston.  Brust and her husband, Bob, began visiting Nantucket as summer residents in the 1970s and relocating to the island permanently in 2006.  Brust's studio is located on Nantucket and her work is exhibited exclusively at galleryblue, with her early sculpture shown at Levis Fine Art Nantucket at 44 Main Street on the island. 

Nantucket Pop Artist Stephen Pitliuk Featured in New Exhibition at galleryblue

Friday, July 10, 2009

Nantucket pop artist Stephepn Pitliuk, whose distinctive mixed media works take a candid look at life on Nantucket, will be the featured artist at a new exhibition opening on Friday, July 17 at galleryblue, 20 Old South Wharf.  Among Pitliuk's best-known works are "The Nantucket Whine Festival", "This is Real Estate", and "Attack of the Bartlett Tomatoes."

A reception will be hosted by galleryblue and the artist from 6 to 8 p.m. on the opening day of the exhibition.   The show will run through Thursday, July 30.  Works by galleryblue's other core artists -- Judith A. Brust, Joanna Kane, and Dale Bradley -- will continue to be exhibited in the main gallery at 21 Old South Wharf.

A resident of Nantucket for the past eight years, Pitliuk grew up in Miami, Florida and received his formal arts training at a special high school for the arts in Miami and the New World School for the Arts, located in the same city.  Pitliuk is a member of the Artists Association of Nantucket and in addition to being an artist, he is also an MRI and X-ray tehcnician at Nantucket Cottage Hospital where several of his works are on display.  He has been a core artist at galleryblue since 2008.

 

galleryblue Welcomes Core Artists

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

galleryblue is pleased and excited to announce the addition of three core artists to the gallery for the 2009 season: Stephen Pitliuk, Joanna Kane, and Dale Bradley.

Nantucket artist Stephen Pitliuk will continue to exhibit his High Line collection exclusively at galleryblue. The High Art collection includes Stephen’s ever popular Nantucket series, giving islanders and visitors a fresh tongue in cheek look at Nantucket, its people, and its traditions. We also welcome core artist Joanna Kane whose works are a favorite of contemporary collectors on and off the island. Joanna’s singular voice is captured in her unique milk-based paintings and signature color palette. Like Stephen, Joanna has a loyal following who collect her work, and all will enjoy her new offerings for the 2009 season. Off-island artist Dale Bradley has shown at galleryblue as a visiting artist for several years, and now will join Joanna and Stephen in exhibiting works throughout the season. Dale is a master printmaker and inventor out of North Adams MA. Galleryblue exhibited Dale’s new venture into painting for the first time last season to a resounding success. Dale’s work evoked a strong response from visitors to the gallery drawn to his moving, intellectual themes. These new core artists will join principal artist Judith A. Brust, and will exhibit these collections exclusively at galleryblue all season. In addition, each will have a solo exhibition in the gallery annex.

The gallery will begin the core artist exhibits with an opening reception for Joanna Kane the evening of July 3. The gallery will hold a solo exhibition of the artist’s new works in the gallery annex through July 16. Joanna’s works are big and thought-provoking, an unique and individual view that captures the artist’s stream of consciousness. The result pleases the senses and the mind. Joanna brings the milk paint colors to the canvas in strong, definite strokes. Her work invites you through layers of thought and activity that weave the artist’s journey. This will be the first season for Joanna at galleryblue, and we are especially pleased to have the opportunity to include her work in our 2009 collection.

The light-hearteded and colorful work of Stephen Pitliuk will return to galleryblue with a solo exhibition in the gallery annex from July 17 through July 30. Few have dared to speak about the lighter side of island as unabashedly as Stephen. “20 Martinis is Plenty”, “I Sped in Sconset”, “The Nantucket Whine Festival” are but a few of Stephen’s most cherished series. This year will be no exception; Stephen will make us laugh to tears by his ingenious sense of place, brought out in vibrant colors, black scribbles, uncanny comments, and pop style. There is a serious side as well, and galleryblue will have the good fortune to also carry some of Stephen’s more cutting works with a broader comment on history that is equally to the point, surprising, and important.
Dale Bradley created the custom five foot by ten foot “press” that principal artist Judith A. Brust uses to create her sculptural works of art. An inventor and intellectual, Dale is also a master printer, illustrator, and teacher. In 2007, Dale was challenged to pick up a brush by a friend. galleryblue introduced the new works in 2007 and 2008 to a deeply interested audience. Dale’s paintings are archeological stories brought out in mixed media, allowing the artist to present shades and twists that envelop the viewer and provoke strong reactions. We are excited to present Dale’s new efforts in 2009, with an opening reception on August 14. The solo exhibit in the gallery annex will run through August 27.

Visitors to the gallery’s website at www.galleryblue.com can browse through the works being offered by each of the new core artists. For additional information, please contact the gallery by email to info@galleryblue.com, or by phone to 508-228-9929.
Principal artist Judith A. Brust will present her new “Africa Series” with an opening reception July 31. Please read about this edgy new work in the article “Brust’s Africa Series Opens at galleryblue”, and join us for the artist’s reception this July.

Judith Brust at the new Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Boston

Sunday, March 1, 2009

The new five-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel Boston opened this past fall to tremendous fanfare: “The luxurious Mandarin Oriental, Boston is now open, bringing the hotel group’s signature oriental service excellence and distinct ‘East Meets West’ design to the vibrant city of Boston. A celebratory ribbon cutting and feng shui ceremony marked the hotel’s grand opening on 6 October, officiated by the Mayor of Boston, the Honorable Thomas M. Menino, and attended by 150 distinguished guests, development partners and Mandarin Oriental executives from around the world.”

Front and center at the new venue is “Life Line #3” by Nantucket artist Judith A. Brust. This striking four foot by eight foot mixed media work on paper occupies a place of honor in the Mandarin Oriental’s fine art collection. Brust has six other works on paper in the new hotel, alongside notable fine art artists, including two large pieces by Frank Stella directly across from Life Line #3.

The hotel was designed by Frank Nicholson, Inc., an internationally respected design firm specializing in luxury hotel development. The Mandarin Oriental in Boston is one of the newest additions to their long repertoire of the world’s finest hotels.

The Mandarin Oriental Boston houses an incredible collection of fine art including several commissions as well as an extensive collection of modern, pop and contemporary artwork by some of today’s most highly valued artists.

Brust’s works can be seen in the main lobby, the entrance to the privately held units, at the entrance to L’Espalier’s, Boston’s most highly regarded French restaurant, at the top of the grand staircase, and a fitting work in the grand ballroom entitled “Big Red”. Brust traveled to the hotel shortly after its opening and took part in a video interview with the Mandarin’s Director of Public Relations. Look to the gallery’s website to view the video, coming soon.

For more information contact galleryblue. To see some of Brust’s works in the new lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Boston, go to http://www.mandarinoriental.com/boston/photo_gallery/.
 

"The Chorus Project"

Friday, November 7, 2008

“Nantucket Landscape #1” by galleryblue principal artist Judith A. Brust was selected for “The Chorus Project”, a joint exhibition by The Hun Gallery of New York City (Nov. 21 through Dec. 4, 2008) and the Korea Embassy, Washington DC (Nov. 7 through Nov. 20, 2008). The exhibition was sponsored by “The Korea Times”, and included over thirty international artists from the United States, Korea, France and Japan.

The exhibition curator and Hun Gallery owner Ji Hun Lee followed embassy officials in welcoming the audience to the opening reception in Washington DC. “The Chorus Project” was conceived by Ji Hun Lee as part of a larger effort to bridge international cultural and societal boundaries through art. Ji Hun Lee explains in the exhibit’s catalogue that “Through Hun Gallery’s annual event in cooperation with embassies and legations abroad, … ‘The Chorus Project’ … is a project to share culture and art. The embassies and legations play the main role of economic and political understanding of alliance between countries, and also play a very important role of cultural exchange between countries… Through this event, we believe that the artists’ challenges and thriving passion for art, and their artistic spirits will be reflected as a great achievement in the world of art.”

Brust was selected as one of four featured artists, one from each country. Her work and additional information on the exhibit can be seen on the embassy website at www.koreaembassy.org, and at the
Hun Gallery website at www.hungallery.org. “The Korea Times” featured the artists in an article and photograph on the front cover of the November 22 issue.
Please contact galleryblue for further information by email to info@galleryblue.com, or by phone to 508-228-9929.

"Wills Creek Survey"

Saturday, September 6, 2008

“Sunrise #2” by galleryblue principal artist Judith A. Brust received the Moen Award for Printmaking at the 2008 “Wills Creek Survey” in Cumberland, MD. The exhibition was held at the Alleghany Arts Council’s Saville Gallery in Cumberland, from Sep. 6 through October 3, 2008. The curator was Sarah Newman, the Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. Ms. Newman was on hand to announce the awards at the September 6th opening reception. “Wills Creek Survey” is an annual juried exhibition attracting visual artists from across the United States. Just over forty artists were exhibited.

 

 

 

 

DeCordova Museum's 2004 Rappaport Prize recipient, artist Debra Olin, showing on Nantucket!

Monday, August 11, 2008

DeCordova Museum's 2004 Rappaport Prize recipient, artist Debra Olin, will be exhibiting an exciting collection of 12 monoprints in galleryblue’s annex from Friday, August 15th through Thursday, August 28th at 20 Old South Wharf.   The opening reception is from 6:00 to 8:30 on Friday, August 15th, 2008.
 
Olin, who is from Sommerville, MA, received her Master of Fine Arts from the Massachusetts College of Art and has numerous exhibitions in the Northeast.  In addition, she has worked on projects as diversified as featured artist in display windows and throughout the store for Bloomingdale’s, printmaking instructor at the MA College of Art, Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center, and Rugg Road Paper and Prints, facilitator for Art Without Walls Project with children from Mystic Learning Center creating large fabric collages, and Director of Exhibitions for the Cambridge Arts Council, among many others.
 
In a statement about her art, Olin says, “I am interested in making connections between disparate cultures.  Using the Yiddish language, literature, and folklore as a springboard, I have found commonalities between Eastern European Jews, Ancient Egyptians, and Chinese Healers.  From the first handprints, to alphabet and language, ideas about death and higher powers, healing the body, and games and rituals, civilizations that had no communication with each other came up with similar explorations and solutions to life’s challenges.”

PRs

Friday, July 11, 2008

When reviewed in Art Spectrum Magazine, more detail was given:  “Masonite plates are inked and then manipulated with drawing, painting, rubbing and adding found objects, fabric and textured bits.  Then they are run through a press with paper, perhaps only once, but more often several times, as images build up.  Each new layer both obscures and reveals pieces of the one that came before it, stringing together moments of experience, loss and memory.  Working intently for short bursts of time, Brust allows the works to unfold as they will, intentionally giving way to random color and imagery; the conscious and the unconscious hand of the artist.”