Artists In Action’s “Spring Renewal” and the New Art Gallery Announce April Shows
Opening Night and First Friday Reception:
Friday, April 5, 2024 | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Awards Ceremony at 5:30 PM
Elsinore Framing & Fine Art Gallery | 444 Ferry St. SE, Salem
The show runs through April 30th. While you’re there, be sure to cast your vote for People’s Choice.
During the month of April, the Artists in Action Art Gallery will present a special feature of the work of Olga V. Walmisley-Santiago and Susan Thompson.
Olga V. Walmisley-Santiago was born in London, England, and resides in Independence, where she creates colorful impressionistic acrylic and watercolor paintings that reflect her love of nature, and the influences of her time in the UK, Spain, Mexico, and the US. Her colorful style melds influences from her study of medieval literature and its illuminated manuscripts, the world of Magic Realism of Latin American writers and artists, and her love of Impressionist art. Her art is inspired by the vibrant playful work of David Hockney, and the psychedelic colors of Erin Hansen.
Susan Thompson enjoys painting animals and objects of everyday life. Landscapes, distant vistas and forest views are a specialty and are represented with humor and defined by emphasis on rhythm, pattern, color and balanced composition. She paints primarily in acrylic and enjoys capturing the spirit and joy of the world around her. Trained as an artist in Chicago, at Drake University and at the University of Arizona, Susan brings knowledge of a wide variety of media into her works. Stained glass is a focus of many of her pieces represented in acrylic and presented as compositions of color, light and imagery. For the last twenty years while teaching both privately, at Chemeketa Community College and as a visiting artist, Susan, an early member of Artists in Action, has owned or has been involved in four galleries in the Salem area. She has shown in galleries and has completed commissions in Salem, Silverton, Chicago and Los Angeles. Soon she hopes to be a member of a gallery in Whidbey Island where she will also be teaching.
Included in the gallery are 22 artists that now make up the core group of the artist co-operative:
Judith Baer, watercolor; Pauli Bailey, acrylic; Susan Branch, acrylic; Junghee Chang, acrylic; Cameron Covey, wool and fabric; Anna Davis, mixed media; Bob Dodson, mixed media; Lorraine Dye, charcoal, graphite, colored pencil, pastel; Dee Hendrix, watercolor; Marnie Jeffers, acrylic, watercolor, mixed media; Jean Lea, acrylic; Barbara LeFiell, jewelry; John Mohney, watercolor; Michelle Myers, watercolor; Elizabeth Lisle Palmer, mixed media; Jim Richards, oil; Olga V. Santiago-Walmisley, acrylic; Jim Schaff, digital/photography; Susan Thompson, acrylic; Diane Trevett, oil, charcoal; CC Willow, oil; Patricia Young, oil.
Also at the gallery location, Artists in Action presents its annual Spring show “Spring Renewal”. Each spring AiA presents a fresh artistic challenge to Salem-area artists that results in an April exhibition. The themefor our fifth annual springtime event is “Spring Renewal.” They have called for engaging works of art that conceptualize either ‘Spring’ (in any sense of the word) or ‘Renewal’ (in any sense of the word) or both.
Awards and ribbons are presented for Best of Show, Best Representation of Spring (Concept), Best Representation of Renewal (Concept), Best Botanical Composition, Best Spring Landscape, Best Still Life, Best Abstract Art, Best Use of Unconventional Materials, two Honorable Mentions, the Elsinore Gallery Award and a People’s Choice Award.
An Opening Night Reception coincides with Salem’s First Friday events on April 5th between 5:00-8:00 with the Awards Ceremony at 5:30 pm. The show runs through April 30th. While you’re there, be sure to cast your vote for People’s Choice.
The location is at 444 Ferry St. SE, at the Elsinore Framing and Fine Art Gallery.
CONTACT: Diane Trevett
PHONE: 503-559-5210
EMAIL: callastudio@comcast.net
WEB SITE: http://www.AiAArtGallery.org
EMAIL: aia@artistsinaction.org
Dave in Salem 