One of the Last Exhibitions at Current William Busta Gallery Opens This Weekend

From 6 to 9 p.m., this Friday, May 1, William Busta Gallery presents an opening reception for its latest exhibitions of Stephen Yusko’s sculptures, photo-based mixed media works by Bellamy Printz and paintings by Andrea Joki, Enid Williams and Jason K. Milburn.

Yusko earned his BFA in Sculpture from the University of Akron, before receiving his MFA in Metalsmithing from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. “I live and work in Cleveland,” explains Yusko. “Using a variety of blacksmithing and metal fabricating techniques, I design and make objects that embody clean lines and purpose.”

Bellamy Printz is a curator for the Cleveland Clinic’s Art Program and co-founder of Zygote Press. Printz received an MFA in Printmaking from the University of Washington’s School of Art. She also holds a BFA in Printmaking and Painting from School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a BA with Honors in English from Macalester College (St. Paul, MN) and an AD in Shakespearean Studies and Writing from Oxford University in England. 

Her exhibition, Points of Interest and Backward Glimpses, features work created using family photos taken, primarily by her father, during the family’s travels abroad – dating back to 1914. Through her process, the final products have a ghostly, nostalgic tone. These are much more than simply colored photographs.

Andrea Joki was recently awarded a 2015 Individual Excellence Award by the Ohio Arts Council. She also received a Creative Workforce Fellowship from Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC) in 2009.

“I began this new series of paintings during a three-month artist residency at Eastside International Art Space (ESXLA) in Los Angeles last spring,” explains Joki. “I worked outside and learned to get up early and paint before the sun became unbearably hot and the ocean breeze began to blow dirt in my eyes and in the wet paint.”

She continues, “I like to think of my paintings as perfect failures. I’m interested in the disruptions of lines and the breakdown of expressionist fields with linear and geometric motifs. I enjoy the friction in the aesthetic mash-up of styles and find beauty in the containment of the language on woven linen and perfectly crafted stretchers.”

Recently, Jason K Milburn announced he was also awarded an Individual Excellence Award for 2015 by the Ohio Arts Council. He studied drawing and printmaking at Cleveland Institute of Art, and graduated in 2003. He maintains a studio in Lakewood.

“I am very excited to announce that I have been awarded one of the Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Awards for FY2015,” says Milburn. “Thank you to both the OAC Board & to Ohio legislators for their support of funding for the arts through the Ohio Arts Council. This is an incredible honor that will help tremendously in the advancement of my career as a professional artist.”

Exhibitions run through May. Mark your calendars now for Friday, Jun. 5, as William Busta Gallery presents an opening reception for its final exhibitions. In August, new owners John and Lauren Davies will take over day-to-day operations of the exhibition space. For now, don’t miss one of your last chances to experience an opening reception at William Busta Gallery this Friday. Free.

2731 Prospect Ave., 216-298-9071, williambustagallery.com