The Ohio Arts Council's Riffe Gallery Presents Here's Looking at You: Portraits in Ohio January 27 - April 17, 2011
by Amy McKay
The Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery will present Here’s Looking at You: Portraits in Ohio from January 27- April 17, 2011.
Curated by Kay Koeninger, the exhibition features 14 Ohio artists who stretch the idea of what a portrait can be. Through their eyes, we see not only the world but ourselves and others in a transformative new light.They are not constrained by a past art form but are energized and profoundly inspired by it, using a variety of mediums—from photography to charcoal to stoneware to acrylic painting—to create unforgettable portraits.
“The Ohio artists whose work is represented here use a dizzying array of approaches and materials,” said Curator Kay Koeninger. “Some do portraits of dear friends or of strangers; some do portraits based in fantasy and imagination; others do self-portraits. But despite their variety, all offer us a strong dialogue between viewer and subject that is unique in art; all offer us a unique insight not only into others but also ourselves.”
Join the Riffe Gallery for the opening of Here’s Looking at You on Thursday, January 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. Curator Kay Koeninger will lead a tour of the exhibition on Friday, January 28 from noon to 1 p.m.
Artists in the show include: Amy Kollar Anderson (Dayton), Leslie Adams (Toledo), Sid Chafetz (Columbus), Ruth Finley (Cleveland), Leesa Haapapuro (Dayton), Marcella Hackbardt (Mount Vernon), Chas Ray Krider (Columbus), Baila Litton (Cleveland), James Pate (Dayton), Ellen Jean Price (Oxford), Leslie Shiels (Cincinnati), Francis Schanberger (Dayton), Marty Shuter (Columbus) and Chun Arthur Wang (Columbus).
The Riffe Gallery will also host a free family workshop and two creative writing workshops in the gallery during the exhibition. Join Dayton artist Leesa Haapapuro in creating your own portrait in clay! Registration is required as space is limited; all children must be accompanied by a registered adult. Register for the Family Workshop online at www.riffegallery.org between, Monday, January 31 to Monday, March 28, 2011. Ohio author and educator Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld will lead the creative writing workshops on February 28 and March 7 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. More details and registration information are forthcoming.
Here's Looking at You: Portraits in Ohio is presented by the Riffe Gallery with support from the Ohio Building Authority, and media support from CD101, CityScene, Ohio Magazine, Time Warner Cable and 90.5 WCBE.
The Riffe Gallery is located in the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, 77 S. High St., Columbus, OH. Admission is free. Gallery hours are Tuesday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Thursday, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, noon - 4 p.m. Closed Mondays and state holidays. Visit www.riffegallery.org or phone 614/644-9624 for more information. The Riffe Gallery is supported by the Ohio Building Authority and the OAC’s Individual Artist Grants and Services Program. Media Sponsors include CD101, CityScene, Ohio Magazine, Time Warner Cable and WCBE.
Free group tours are available Wednesday through Friday throughout the run of each exhibition. To schedule a group tour, contact Riffe Gallery Director Mary Gray at mary.gray@oac.state.oh.us or 614/728-2239.
About the Riffe Gallery:
The Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery showcases the work of Ohio’s artists and curators, exhibitions produced by the Ohio Arts Council’s International Program and the collections of the region’s museums and galleries. The Riffe Gallery’s Education Program seeks to increase public appreciation and understanding of those exhibitions. Admission is free. For more information, call the Riffe Gallery at 614/644-9624.
About the Ohio Arts Council:
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.
Image credit: A Portrait of Michael Shane Neal by Leslie Adams
[top]