Local art center hosts national juried exhibitions
The Barrett Art Center has officially opened its doors for a public viewing of their 32nd annual “Photowork 2019,” a national juried photography exhibition, and a solo show featuring artist Mary Ann Lomonaco of Larchmont, NY.
“Our curator and juror for the show is James Ganz, who is the Senior Curator of Photography at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. We had over 800 local and national entries for the annual Photowork show,” Executive Director Joanna Frang said. Frang also expressed her admiration for Lomonaco’s “incredible” solo show that showcases her innovative work with textiles and everyday objects.
The two national juried exhibitions opened Saturday, February 9 at the art center in Poughkeepsie. Ganz selected 44 photographs by 37 photographers, hailing from 15 states and 30 cities and towns across the United States.
Included in the photography exhibition are works from six Hudson Valley photographers: Roberto Hull, Tad Philipp, Nancy Faulds, Evan D’Arpino, Susan Copich, and Trevor Messersmith.
“The Photowork show is not thematic in the same way as other shows that we’ve had, but there is a kind of continuity in the show,” said Lauren Clark, member of Barrett’s Board of Directors and a weekly volunteer at the center. Clark, a retired art teacher with an avid appreciation for the arts, described the arrangement of the selected works as one that provides a “cohesive” feel despite the range of photography styles represented. Some of the styles include composite photography, fine-art photography, portrait photography, and street photography. Dallas photographer, Robert Moore, received the Juror’s Award for his work, “Varanasi Waif” taken in the streets of Varanasi, India.
Lomonaco’s Solo Show, Recyclables Reconsidered, features selected pieces from her unique three-dimensional mixed media constructions made from recycled, reclaimed, reconstructed “stuff.” Lomonaco primarily works with reused or found materials and uses a variety of techniques and materials. These found objects are things that most people already have in their homes as opposed to things they purchase. Among the materials featured in her solo show at Barrett’s Crenson Gallery are her signature mop heads, household labels, and metal pieces from soda cans.
“I’d always been attracted to primitive art with its ability to transform humble items of everyday life into tactile, innovative works of art,” explained Lomonaco in her artist statement for the show. “It’s very exciting for me to transform the menial mops into objects of beauty using these diverse materials we see everyday and using them in a unique way.”
Based on the framework of sustainability, Lomonaco hopes to help viewers realize that the everyday objects they may consider disposable can become something valuable and beautiful in the form of art. Lomonaco has been commissioned by Westchester County Airport and her artwork is in the collections of big name companies such as Neutrogena, AT&T, Capital One, IBM, Citibank, and PepsiCo, amongst several others. Recently, Delta Airlines commissioned Lomonaco’s work, which appears in Delta lounges in Seattle, JFK, Atlanta, and most recently San Francisco.
Both “Photowork 2019” and Lomonaco’s Solo Show will run until March 23.
“We have more exhibitions and events scheduled here that we switch up every six weeks or so, but there’s also a lot happening in and around Poughkeepsie,” said Clark. “The art scene has picked up tremendously around here.”
What to know before you go
When: Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday-Friday; noon-3 p.m., Saturday; closed Sunday-Tuesday
Where: 55 Noxon St., Poughkeepsie
Admission: Free
More information: call 845–471–2550; email info@barrettartcenter.org; visit www.barrettartcenter.org
