| Exhibitions:
Contemporary works in painting and sculpture by local artists Kaaren Hirschowitz Engel and Sydney Reichman will be displayed in Centennial Art Center's gallery February 5 - March 26. The Art Center's gallery manager, Lena Arice Lucas, says, "I am thrilled to have these two artists exhibiting together in our gallery! When I approached them individually about sharing an exhibit, they both were excited, because - unbeknownst to me - they were well aware of and great admirers of one another's works..." Lucas asked the artists to share their thoughts about one another's art, and Sydney Reichman said, "Kaaren Hirschowitz Engel is a wonder! A modern 'Renaissance Woman.' Kaaren brings to her art all that she is; story teller, music maker, spiritual seeker ... she is even a 'community organizer.' The luminous color and bold yet graceful power of her art is the true expression of a soaring and uniquely creative spirit." Of Sydney, Kaaren said, "Sydney Reichman is one of the most talented and innovative artists I know. Her work consistently pushes the boundaries, both in concept and scale. Organic, richly-textured and inspiring - these words describe both Sydney and her art. I am thrilled and honored to be showing alongside such a dynamic artist and I can't wait to see the energy that emerges when our work is juxtaposed..."
The art of Kaaren Engel cannot be placed into a narrow category. Reflecting on Kaaren's works, the gallery's manager, Lucas, says, "Kaaren's paintings can create an impression that one is in the presence of ancient sacred texts containing innate, inner music, and, that should one look and listen closely, enlightenment would result. Her sculptural works invite one to come closer and take a journey through interwoven illuminated bands of light and color."
Engel - in her Artist Statement - shares more about the concepts behind and processes involved in creating her art; "We are all woven together, in one way or another. Our connection is ever-present, and yet, so often, we are unaware of it. Experiences which are deeply personal and yet universal. Emotions which are intensely private and yet have been felt by everyone. Existing as a single thread and yet inseparable from the fabric of humanity. I respond to these paradoxes through my art. I often incorporate into my paintings words or thoughts - records of a moment in time. My art evolves from these single moments, fragments of emotion - woven into paint, paper, canvas. At times the weaving is figurative, as in my two dimensional work, where color and texture intermingle on a flat surface. At times the weaving is literal - I cut apart my paintings - rendering them into separate strips of color and texture. I then reconstruct these pieces into three-dimensional forms, weaving the strips to create something new and different from their previous form. Time loses its linear quality as these thoughts, emotions and materials intersect in a series of arcs, loops and spirals. Past, present and future merge into a single, defining moment. The distinction between inner and outer becomes blurred and secrets are hidden and revealed simultaneously. Life experiences become a tangible collection of interwoven moments - separate yet inseparable."
Tennessee native Sydney Reichman has worked over 40 years as a studio artist in the mediums of metal, painting and sculptural clay. She currently creates mixed media wall pieces and copper sculptures drawing from her vast vocabulary of sculpting techniques. Using copper, bronze and brass that is heated with fire, brazed,
painted, sculpted and carved, she constructs exciting "poetic narratives" by combining her sculptural elements with ground and painted aluminum "canvases" and wood block.
Reichman says she is deeply inspired by the rural, natural world, and that her studio and reclaimed, re-greened valley and "hand-built" home are her life's "work-in-process" - a sculptural garden of metal, wood, and water. She reflects, "As a visual artist and land steward, I have absorbed the experience of deeply caring for this wild, woodland world, into a language of symbols and images that I hope will bridge and relate our connection to the enchantment and magic that still exists on our breathtaking and fragile earth." Of Reichman's works, Lena Lucas, reflects, "I have been aware of and an admirer of Sydney's powerful art for decades. Whatever media she embraces resonates with a deep spiritual force. After spending time in the presence of her art, I always feel a lightness within and experience a content, inner balance that endures..."
Both Kaaren Engel and Sydney Reichman have had numerous exhibitions in galleries locally and throughout the United States. Kaaren Engels' 2009 exhibits include "Works on Paper, 2009" at Park Avenue Armory, New York, NY and "Art on Paper, 2009" at Maryland Federation of Art, Bethesda, MD. Some of her recent solo installations of local interest are exhibits she has had at First Unitarian Universalist Church, the Nashville Convention Center, West End Synagogue, Studio B Gallery and the Arcade Building. She was included in the juried exhibits "Works with Words" at the Nashville Public Library and "Caught in the Act" at Northbrook Illinois Public Library, in Northbrook, IL. Sydney Reichman's recent area exhibits include "Sculpture Invitational" at the West End Synagogue, "A River" (juried invitational)at Gallery One, "Sticks and Stones Invitational Sculpture Show" at Leipers Creek Gallery, Leipers Fork, TN, Valley Studio in Fernvale TN, "Cheekwood Garden Exhibition," "Junior League of Nashville Designer Showcase House" (as the featured sculptor), "Solo Sculpture Exhibition" at Gallery One and "Flying Solo" at the Nashville International Airport. A photograph of her and her art was featured on the cover of the February, 2008 issue of Nashville Arts Magazine, and she was that issue's "Featured Artist." Kaaren Hirschowitz Engel's and Sydney Reichman's works are also represented in many public and private collections.
- The public is invited to attend Centennial Art Center's opening reception for Kaaren Hirschowitz Engel and Sydney Reichman on Friday, February 5, from 5 p.m. to 7 pm. Refreshments will be served and admission is free.
- Another opportunity for the public to meet with and hear the artists talk about their work is during a "Gallery Talk," to be held on Friday, March 5 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Images from the artists' past works and installations will be available for viewing (and refreshments will be served). Centennial Art Center's Director, Brenda, McSurley, enthuses, "This is a great exhibit to kick off our 2010 exhibit series!
We know the public will enjoy meeting the artists at both the opening reception and the Gallery Talk!" Also of interest, Tom Rice's outdoor sculptures and birdbaths continue on display in the inner courtyard near the Herb Society of Nashville's garden.
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