The Open Gallery welcomes Andrew Chalfen  to display his works during the month of April in a show titled, “Andrew Chalfen: Mind Constructions.”  Chalfen is a Philadelphia-based visual artist and musician whose work has appeared nationally, winning numerous awards and recognition through publications, including a collection of 84 whimsical pen and ink drawings titled “Look Up Coloring Book.”  These works however are far more than just whimsy and, at times, defy easy descriptions.

Chalfen’s work displays his fascination with patterning and the way patterns radiate, ripple, pixelate, oscillate, cluster, construct and deconstruct.  These patterns , he says, tend to reflect his state of mind in the studio as he creates, a topographical exploration of his thoughts and moods while he responds to these patterns. He explains, “Shapes often spill out over edges, suggesting unseen continuations beyond, while others seek containment…. I follow my instincts, deviate from them when necessary, and trust the process to guide the work to a successful outcome…”

Chalfen’s artwork will be on display from April 4th- 26th, including on April 7th, at our First Friday event from 5-8 p.m.   An Artists’ Talk will be held at The Open Gallery, 329 Main Street, Vincennes, on April 25 at 4:00 p.m.  Chalfen will be on hand to tell us about his creative process for this work and answer any questions about the pieces. The public is invited to attend.

The Open Gallery welcomes artists Christina Zimmer Robinson and Sarah Wolfe for a new exhibition, titled These Roads Don’t Move.  This series of work by both artists springs from their recent On-Ramp collaboration, a program funded by the IAC for artists in Indiana.

Robinson writes that the pieces in These Roads Don't Move are a representation of the evolving nature of her work. The series was conceived at a moment when she sought to focus on control, structure, and the harmonious relationships between colors. As a self-taught maker, Robinson allows herself the freedom to explore various mediums and styles: abstraction, portraiture, sculpture, and textile work.

Wolfe also characterizes her work for this exhibition as exploratory and flights of freedom from the many duties they both juggle as wives, mothers and working artists.  While she agrees that the two bodies of her work for this show may seem disparate, the abstract floral pieces are “a joyous, freeing exploration of color and textures gleaned from the outside world. The anatomical works are simply the inverse--an examination of our potentially gloriously interesting innards.”

These Roads Don’t Move will open on Friday, Nov. 4 from 5- 8 p.m. at The Open Gallery, 329 Main Street and will run to mid-December.  Both artists will be on hand to discuss their artworks with patrons. We think you will agree that these roads do, in fact, move, quite interestingly and inspirationally.

The Open Gallery welcomes back crowd favorite Arthur Fields for an exhibition titled “Drive-by Shootings.”  Fields conceived this series idea during the lonely hours of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown as a way to stay in touch with those things that bring him joy, of course food, but luckily for us, also photography. The exhibition features a variety of people on their front porches, photographed from a street vantage point, framed by the outlines of their homes, where they were obliged to remain for weeks. The collection has, at one and the same time, a sameness about the small town folks, and yet, upon closer inspection, the portraits reveal a varied and arresting cadre of individuals living together, separately, during a time of great worldwide upheaval.

The exhibition will run from September 2 through October 30, 2022.  The First Friday opening reception will be held from 5-8 p.m. on September 2 at 329 Main Street in Vincennes.  A closing reception will be help for the artist, who will be here on Friday, October 7 from, 5- 8 p.m.

The Open Gallery welcomes Professor Pravin Sevak, Art and Design department of Vincennes University to exhibit his former students’ classroom projects titled – March for Common Good.

Professor Sevak will soon be retiring and The Open Gallery is honored to do a retrospective of his many successes with his Art and Design students over the last fourteen years. During the two years of their study, Sevak has always encouraged his students to design at least one project that addresses design for social good/common good.

These designs not only reflect the talent, creativity, and passion within the student body, but aim to challenge perceptions of their chosen issues. Hopefully, the voices of these graphic design students are heard and will impact your perspective for the common good of our community, both locally and globally. The exhibition is family friendly and will provide plenty of discussion about important issues that the artwork is representing.

A First Friday reception will be held on Friday, March 4 from 5-8 p.m.  Patrons are encouraged to mask as they feel comfortable doing so.  The exhibition will run through the month of March.  Free and open to the public.