Local Artists Express their Vision through Old, New, and Alternative Processes
Opening on August 7 and on exhibit until September 19, The Center for the Arts/Caton Merchant Family Gallery will debut the groundbreaking exhibition, REmerging Technologies. The exhibit showcases the work of three industry-leading contemporary artists from the Washington, DC area – Don Hurlbert, GC Schow, and Kathy Strauss. When the three artists met several years ago, they realized that there was a synergy in their work & views of life. Each one had a focus in their day-to-day lives that was creative, but each one wanted an outlet to express their personal vision. The synergy they realized, tied them together via photographic & artistic technologies that ranged from the antique to the most modern. REmerging Technologies is the result – a unique combination of artistic expressions that explore the relationship between our past and present.
The artists will be on hand to talk about their work and the processes they used at the opening reception on August 10, 2013. It will be held from 6-8pm in the Caton Merchant Family Gallery at the Center for the Arts in Manassas, VA. A special gallery talk given by the artists will be held on August 24, 2013 from 6-8pm – during this talk, the artists will go further into depth about their art, techniques they use and inspirations. The Center for the Arts is located at 9419 Battle St, Manassas, VA 20110. Gallery hours are Mon.-Fri.: 10am-5pm; Sat: 1-5pm.
“To make these important perspectives available to the public is a unique and valuable opportunity for the Center for the Arts,” said Anna Mish, Gallery Director at the Center for the Arts. “The artists, Don, GC, and Kathy, have all created breathtaking pieces that will stimulate the curiosity and imagination of our visitors, and hopefully inspire them to ask questions about the ways we choose to capture our world for future generations.”
The show highlights work from three individual artists:
Thru the Looking Glass: Don Hurlbert
Don Hurlbert is currently the Senior Science Photographer at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Before his tenure at the museum he served as a combat photographer with the U.S. Army. His work has been exhibited and published worldwide in places such as Tokyo, Japan; Heidelberg, Germany; Honolulu, Hawaii; Perth, Scotland; Mons, Belgium; and Washington, DC. The Art Institute of Chicago, National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, GEO, and American Indian Art Magazine have published him. His project, “Transitory Atrophy” uses a double exposure technique to create ghostly images in unlikely environments. The effect is hauntingly beautiful.
Paradise: GC Schow
GC Schow is the Art Director and Partner at ImageWerks with a background in graphic design, illustration and interactive media. He applies this knowledge to his fine artwork in a unique style he calls “digital mixed-media” – everything is done by hand; there is no use of filters or digital enhancements. In “Deselect” he uses photographs as reference points to create digital art that he hand embellishes, creating one-of-a-kind pieces. Mr. Schow’s fine illustrations grace numerous publications, in addition to exhibiting his paintings at local galleries. Many of his paintings are in private collections. He is originally from Ogden, Utah and has spent most of his life in the southwest and Pacific Northwest. He has a great love of history, travel, nature and the great outdoors. You will see all of these elements influencing his pieces.
Bake House: Kathy Strauss
Kathy Strauss is the Creative Director and Partner at ImageWerks. Her work is informed by 30 years of experience as a designer, photographer, creative coach, artist, teacher, business owner and community volunteer. Her graphic design background gives her imagery a distinct clean style that electrifies each image with precision and harmony. In “Hardscape”, she uses a digital technique called High Dynamic Range to exaggerate the linear aspects of the scene, invigorating just the right spark, to bring each image to life. She is an Associate Artist in Gallery 902 at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA where she exhibits her work. She also exhibits her work at festivals and other galleries throughout the Washington Metropolitan area and mid-Atlantic. Both her work and business have garnered numerous awards.
For more information about the artists or the Center for the Arts visit: www.center-for-the-arts.org. The opening reception is sponsored by Whitlock Wealth Management.
