everything old is new again with pvcc’s latest gallery exhibits
Charlottesville, Va. – Piedmont Virginia Community College opens two new gallery exhibits with a reception on Friday, Jan. 23, from 5-7 p.m. in the PVCC Gallery. A Necessary Fiction features paintings by Michael Fitts and sculptural assemblages by Kim Boggs. Summer of Loveis a group show including works by Leslie Wilkes, Michael Miller, Sheila Metcalf-Tobin and Amy Helfand. The shows run through April 1.Fitts and Boggs are both local artists who use recycled objects in their work. Fitts is known for his photo-realistic paintings of single objects common to the generic American cultural experience, but generally used once and then discarded. His work features balloons, snack foods, toys, dress patterns and more, all carefully rendered on aged pieces of reclaimed scrap metal that reveal varied surface tones and textures.
Boggs, a mixed-media artist who describes herself as a treasure hunter, will show a series of sculptural assemblages created with aged and worn objects from bygone eras. Her work utilizes bits and pieces of items such as vintage toys, antique furniture and foundry molds, which come together to create visual stories, offering a journey of surprise and wonder to the viewer.
Curated by PVCC art faculty member Fenella Belle,Summer of Love reflects the imagination and love of color its contributors and long-time colleagues share. The artists attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago together twenty years ago and have continued to refine and develop their art in tandem over the years.
Texas-based artist Leslie Wilkes will show gouache paintings, which have been described as “reminiscent of kaleidoscopes,” and reflect her life-long interest in pattern and bright color. Michael Miller of Brooklyn, NY, will show energetic and color-drenched paintings, inspired by imagined stories of the intersection of time, space and water. Sheila Metcalf-Tobin, of Berkeley, CA will show drawings of fruit and floral subjects which are at once abstract and instantly recognizable. Amy Helfand, also of Brooklyn, will show drawings and a sculpture, both reflecting her fascination with nature and our culture’s efforts to comprehend its peculiarities.
The PVCC Gallery, located in the V. Earl Dickinson Building for Humanities and Social Sciences, is open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays.
For more information, contact Beryl Solla, professor of art, at 434.961.5362 or email bsolla@pvcc.edu. A complete list of PVCC’s 2014-15 season of fine arts and performance events is available online at www.pvcc.edu/performingarts.
