Sunday, November 17th, from 11 am-4:30 pm, Greenfield, MA artist, Cameron Schmitz invites the public to her Annual Open Studio Event and her curated exhibit, "Nostalgic", featuring the work of three contemporary women artists working in the mediums of painting, collage and mixed media.
Through Cameron’s passion for art, curating, and art collecting, the artists featured, Kristi W. Colbert (Leverett, MA), Jill McDougall (Anacortes, WA), and Karen Schmitz (Hinsdale, NH) will reveal collections of some their newest works in oil and watercolor, collage and mixed media, as well as hand-signed prints, all connected through themes of nostalgia.
The air is chilling, the leaves are falling, animals are gathering their reserves to prepare for winter, and we find ourselves gathering the last harvest, turning inward for home, warmth and celebration. Cherishing fond memories of the distant and recent past, and with a seasonal sentiment at heart, the theme of this year’s three-person exhibit, “Nostalgic”, reflects on the word’s linguistic origin, from the Ancient Greek compound of Nostos (to return home) and Algia (longing).
Kristi W. Colbert’s painted paper collages evoke a palpable sense of place, as transportive landscapes, seascapes, and cityscapes emerge from paper scraps. Her works are both painterly and sculptural; deconstructive and reconstructive; realistic and abstract; intricate and unfussy, providing records of places traveled and maps to what lies ahead.
Jill McDougall’s mixed media collages layer vintage papers, paint, drawing, and photography that contrast feelings of mid-century modern times encapsulated in a contemporary sensibility, capturing delightful and unexpected juxtapositions of fashion, color and compositions that feel both familiar and surprising. Elegantly de-deconstructed and reconstructed imagery feel like utopian dreams that connect hope through cherished moments of the distant past.
Karen Schmitz’s colorist landscapes in oil and watercolor conjure up scenic and idyllic locations of New England with a strong emotional tie to the changing seasons, expressive color, and light. Her paintings become poetic open windows to her striking memories experienced within nature that evoke a sense of place and feelings of serenity and timelessness.
Coming through a presidential election cycle and time when our country’s politics have so deeply divided and strained our cultural and national spirit, this exhibition provides an opportunity to heal, through a coming-back-together, as generations have done so before us, and during a season when we need it most.
Highlighting thoughtfully created and exceptionally crafted art inspired by color and personal experience, this unique exhibit conjures a sense of time and place, welcoming us to lean into our own nostalgia and longing for the beautiful moments that art has the capacity to so brilliantly hold.
Please join artist Cameron Schmitz in the gathering, viewing and celebration of art, to remember the beauty that brings us together, and the comforts of our own nostalgia and memories we hold so dear.
This event is free and open to the public.
Visitors can park directly on the street along Highland Avenue and enter the studio gallery in the back carriage house up the driveway.
Event Location:
In-Person Exhibition Date: Sunday, November 17th, 2024, 11am-4:30pm
Cameron Schmitz Fine Art, 39 Highland Avenue, Greenfield, MA 01301
Event Exhibition Details:
Online Exhibition Dates: November 22-December 4 at: shop.cameronschmitz.com
LINKS TO GALLERIES, DEALERS, & COLLABORATORS
Carrie Coleman Fine Art
Norfolk, VA | 757) 374-6989
Libby Silvia Artstyle
http://libbysilviaartstyle.com/
Mitchell Giddings Fine Arts
www.mitchellgiddingsfinearts.com
181-183 Mainstreet, Brattleboro, VT
ADDITIONAL LINKS
Wall Street International
Passion for Art: The Rich History of Connecticut by Noelle Newell
https://wsimag.com/art/21403-passion-for-art
The Savvy Painter, Interview with Antrese Wood
Part 1: Cameron Schmitz on Galleries and Collectors
http://savvypainter.com/podcast/cameron-schmitz/
Part 2: Cameron Schmitz on Pricing Artwork, Studio Time and Collectors
http://savvypainter.com/podcast/cameron-schmitz-2/
Fresh Paint Magazine, Issue VI, pages 58-59
Fresh Paint Studio Visit, March 2015, http://www.freshpaintmagazine.com/studio-visit/cameron-schmitz
Interview on The Boop.Com "Art Collecting 101: Chatting with Local Curator Cameron Schmitz"
http://theboop.com/blog/the-drawing-room-gallery
Greenwich Time, Portrait of the Artist, Cameron Schmitz
"Married to Oil: Former Resident Finds a Happy Medium for her Art"