Heights Arts Opens Renovated Gallery Space with Two New Shows

After spending the summer making significant gallery renovations, Heights Arts reopens its exhibition space to the community with two new shows. Heights Arts celebrates its reopening and new exhibitions with a special reception Friday, Sept. 4 from 6 to 9 p.m. Emergent 2015 is a new annual exhibition designed to showcase recent graduates from the region’s numerous art programs.

“There's a steady stream of really talented and accomplished artists coming out of this region, but there's rarely a chance to see a group of them together,” says Heights Arts Executive Director Rachel Bernstein. “Heights Arts is a great venue for such a presentation because it is so visible and should get the artists a lot of attention they may not have gotten before now.”

“The idea behind the exhibition is to feature artists who graduated from area art programs in recent years and are now producing significant work,” adds Greg Donley, Heights Arts board president and gallery committee chair. “In this way, Heights Arts seeks to shine a light on the considerable strengths of studio art programs in this area.”

This year’s participating artists include Joanne Arnett, Jerry Birchfield, Abbey Blake, Robert Coby, Matthew Gallagher, Clotilde Jiménez, Joshua Maxwell, Bridget McGuire, Joseph Minek, Nicholas Skowron, and Shawn Watrous.

“We thought that an exhibition featuring some of the best artists to recently graduate from schools in this area would be an ideal way to celebrate the opening of our renovated gallery space on Lee Road,” explains Bernstein. “Heights Arts gallery committee members contacted faculty in area colleges and universities and asked for recommendations. The gallery committee then reviewed images from those suggested artists and selected the artists included here. Subsequent studio visits were made to pick out specific works for the show.”

Emergent 2015 features painting, prints, mixed media, sculpture, fiber, glass and site-specific installations.
Bernstein elaborates, “Works range from glass objects of incredible refinement, to sculptures made of leftover vinyl extrusions from a boutique record-pressing company, to socially pointed drawings on paper, to a site-specific installation. The themes covered vary widely, as some artists tackle social topics or issues of identity, while some are concerned primarily with the tactile qualities of the materials they use or pure visual impressions of form and color. The common thread is a mastery of technique and medium in the service of ideas that clearly excite the artists to push toward unique expressions.”

Additionally, Heights Arts will honor the Jean, Harry and Brenda Fuchs Family Foundation for their commitment to local arts by naming the renovated gallery space in their honor. Seven paintings by Brenda Fuchs (1939-2011) will be included in the inaugural installation.

Emergent 2015 remains on view during regular business hours through Oct. 17. At 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, Heights Arts hosts an artist talk and reading of original poems by local writers inspired by the work in the gallery.

(Heights Arts) 2175 Lee Rd., 216-371-3457, heightsarts.org