06/11/2019

Artist Member Spotlight: Mallorie Ostrowitz

Mallorie Ostrowitz is a photographer, born and raised in New York City, who draws inspiration from the world around her. Her work has been featured in Arts Center East’s Annual Photography exhibits, with one of her pieces winning Best-in-Show and an Honorable Mention in the most recent Sixth Annual Photography Exhibition. Three of her pieces were also included in the Mixed Greens Exhibit. For Mallorie, photography is not “a literal translation of our world, but rather, a means of interpretation.”

Notable about Mallorie is that she has artistic experience as a painter as well as a photographer. Mallorie studied art at City University of New York. She has a B.A. in Fine Arts from Queens College and a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Herbert Lehman College. “The same design problems that interested me as a painter apply to my work as a photographer. My compositions are based on the interplay of line, form, color, relationships, and texture.” She says photographers Robert Glenn Ketchum and Craig Tanner have played important roles in her development as a photographer. Other photographers whose work she follows include Eugene Atget, Stephen Shore, and most contemporary landscape and conceptual photographers.

Much of Mallorie’s photography is location-specific. She has traveled extensively, finding inspiration from all over the world. Her work is exceptionally vivid and vibrant. She captures striking contrasts of color and texture in what may otherwise be considered mundane of subjects. Some of her favorite places to photograph have been Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

In addition to being an artist, Mallorie has taught locally, at Manchester Community College and other arts guilds and photography studios since 2003. The most satisfying part of teaching for her has been watching her own students develop as artists over time. “I really enjoy seeing the work produced by students show improvement. Some of my more dedicated students have gone on to become highly accomplished photographers in their own right.”

Mallorie’s work can be seen as part of a four-artist show, “Four Photographers Explore Abstraction,” at the Art league of New Britain, opening June 21. Photographs of hers will also be on display in the lobby of the Yale-New Haven St. Raphael’s hospital during the month of July. Her work will be included in the CT Women Artists Show, at the Slater Museum, June 21 through mid-September. More of her work can be found on her website.

06/05/2019

Academic Artists Association 69th Annual National Exhibition of Traditional Realism Opening

The Academic Artists Association 69th Annual National Exhibition of Traditional Realism opened at Arts Center East June 2. Artists and art lovers from across the state and beyond came out to support the exhibit and celebrate the award winners.

The Academic Artists Association is a national organization. It “was founded to celebrate ‘the enduring triumph of realism.’ Each year, we sponsor a national exhibition to showcase a cross-section of two- and three-dimensional art that represents the current trends of representational art in the US” (quoted from http://academicartistsassociation.org). This exhibit features portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and sculptures. The featured artists hail from all across Connecticut to as far as Illinois, Arizona, and Colorado.

Arts Center East has had a relationship with the Academic Artists Association since 2013, with several Arts Center East members also being Academic Artist members. Those who come to ACE member shows may recognize the work of Ann Maulucci, Barbara Groff, Scott Rhoades, and Jane Penfield hanging in this year’s AAA exhibit. This annual exhibit is one our community looks forward to each year.

This exhibit is currently on display in the galleries through June 23, Wednesday–Sunday, 1:00–5:00pm.

2019 Award Winners

Best-in-Show: Christopher Zhang, “Summer Job,” oil

Acrylic
Academic Artists Honor Award: Steve Wilda, “The Chosen One”
Academic Artists Excellence Award: Del-Bouree Bach, “A Blast From the Past”
Academic Artists Merit Award: Douglas Gillette, “Gold Star Mother”

Graphic Arts
Academic Artists Honor Award: Mary Felton, “Man Cave,” charcoal
Academic Artists Excellence Award: Gretchen Dugan, “Adhesion One,” graphite
Academic Artists Merit Award: Jonathan Weisbach, “Paul,” derwent pencil

Oil
Academic Artists Honor Award: Violet Wilcox, “Still Life with Chinese Vase”
Academic Artists Excellence Award: Mary Jane Q. Cross, “Called Out of Darkness Into this Magnificent Light”
Academic Artists Merit Award: Elizabeth Torak, “Poultry Prep”

Pastel
Academic Artists Honor Award: William Schneider, “Sweet 16”
Academic Artists Excellence Award: Barbara Groff, “China Blues”
Academic Artists Merit Award: Kimberly Provost, “Sunny Side of the Street”

Sculpture
Academic Artists Honor Award: Susan Zurles, “Thea,” painted terracotta
Academic Artists Excellence Award: Pokey Park, “Morning Stretch,” bronze
Academic Artists Merit Award: Douglas Aja, “Echo & Calf,” bronze

Watercolor
Academic Artists Honor Award: Cindy Barbec-King, “Perk Up”
Academic Artists Excellence Award: Marija P. McCarthy, “Pakistani Butcher”
Academic Artists Merit Award: Bivenne Staiger, “Dutch Ducks”

Memorial Awards
Mary Bryan Memorial Award for Watercolor: Robert O’Brien, “Holyhock Light,” watercolor
Alden Bryan Memorial Award for Landscape: Michael Graves, “Tumbling Water, NH,” oil
Frank Tencza Memorial Award: Shauna Shane, “Early Morning Harness,” acrylic
Marguerite & Francis Walker Memorial Award: John Caggiano, “Quiet Now,” oil

See the full list of accepted works.