The first exhibit opening of 2016 is a special one, celebrating three top-of-their-field artists and an amazing assortment of works. With an opening reception on February 26th, River Oaks will feature Martin Welch in the Bolton Davis Gallery, Denise Lott in the Galerie des Amis, and Lindsay Moore in the Stokes-Harris Gallery.
Martin Welch appropriately named his exhibition “The Colorful World of Welch”–a statement that all who have seen his work would certainly agree with. Since becoming a full time artist in New Orleans in 1998, Welch has cemented his style as a contemporary impressionist using energetic brush strokes and bright colors. Welch is renowned for his application of luscious hues of vividness to the canvas all while utilizing common, ordinary imagery. He intensifies the importance of subjects by painting them larger than life. With numerous solo exhibitions and awards, Welch’s iconic oil and acrylic paintings have been used in both television and film and his work evokes emotion with well planned spontaneity.
Welch will also be on hand to teach a class as part of River Oaks’ ongoing GAEDA Education Series. Titled “The Colorist Experience”, Students will work with one of Welch’s most popular themes—Louisiana seafood. Simple images of Southern scenes, set within the complexity of bright colors mixed on individual canvases, will set the tone for this two-day course. Students will also study the premise of under-painting and layering with rags, towels, brushes and palette knives to evoke the reveal of a finished product.
Meanwhile, in the Galerie des Amis, resident artist Denise Lott exhibits under the title “Exploring Limited Palettes w/ Ziegfeld Follies”–named after the series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. The first Follies was produced in 1907 at the roof theatre Jardin de Paris. “I wanted to pay homage to theater from the early 1900’s while making a serious study of painting. The photography used for studies highlights dramatic effects of lighting and pageantry of an era gone by. The color palette used is white, raw umber, red oxide, and, on occasion, indigo blue,” says Lott. “The paintings include lift out techniques along with value studies. Images represented explore the range of studies to formal paintings.”
When asked, Lindsay Moore explains the inspiration for her exhibition with family experiences. “‘In My Mind’s Eye’ is a series of mixed media/installation type pieces that were first inspired by my PawPaw, who saves and repurposes a lot of items that most people would consider ‘junk’. I applied this idea to my body of work by repurposing old flea market and curbside finds into works of art. Each piece brings me back to my childhood and reminds me of different memories I share with my family.”
“The annual membership drive is currently underway at River Oaks,” reminds Executive Director Rachael Dauzat. “River Oaks largely relies on our members for funding for our various programs, so if you are a member and have not renewed yet, we would like to remind you that your membership impacts literally thousands of people every year. We—the staff and board—appreciate the hundreds of people that manage every year to make River Oaks a part of their budget. The community is a better place for it.”
The workshop series and exhibits are sponsored by the Greater Alexandria Economic Development Authority (GAEDA) and Bayou Mosquito. To get more information about exhibitions and classes, please contact River Oaks at (318) 473-2670. Visit us on the web at riveroaksartscenter.com, find us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
