Exhibit News

Art and Antique Studio and Gallery welcomes emerging student artist Chris Pontello, Jr. during the month of May.

Chris is a Melbourne native and a graduate of Melbourne Central Catholic High School. He is a second year student at the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia. He hopes to teach art one day.

Chris won the Art & Antique Studio "Award of Excellence for Drawing and Painting" at the 2008 ArtWorks Festival. Quoting the judge of the event, "Chris is one of the young artists to watch in years to come." You won't want to miss his exhibit. Be sure to stop by the Art and Antique Studio at 1419 Highland Avenue in the arts district of Eau Gallie. Also, don't miss the pottery works of Rudy Pacarro and the art quilts of Dij Pacarro at the Art and Antique Studio and Gallery. They are both new to the gallery.

LoPressionism Gallery Presents Dark Dreams and Lighthearted Themes. "Where whimsy and the sublime are reality and dreams come to life in a world of fantasy!" The opening reception was on April 17th, 2009. If you missed it, don't worry, the exhibit will run through June 19th. Featured are the works of Luke Andrews, Sandra Bottinelli, Laura Beatty, Nicholas Bust Amante, and Marina Koloeridi. The LoPressionism Gallery is in Historic Downtown Melbourne in the building with The Christmas Shop. Visit the website at http://www.lopressionism.com/ for more information.

Highway Grrls: Be sure to stop by the Highway Grrls gallery to see the works of Luke Andrews, Humberto Rebollo and Robin Rothrock.

Florence by Luke Andrews

Born in Leesburg, Florida, Luke Andrews received his Media Arts Degree from the University of South Carolina. Then he went to Milan, Italy to paint. Since 2000, Luke has split time between studios in Milan and Central Florida. He's a regular exhibitor in Italy and throughout Europe. He has also had his paintings exhibited in the Orlando Mayor's Gallery at City Hall and at the Orlando Museum of Art. He is best known for his vibrant, colorful cityscapes and landscapes. His medium of choice is acrylic paint on canvas. The Highway Grrls Gallery and Studio is located at 1414 Higland Avenue in the Arts District of Eau Gallie.

Fifth Avenue Art Gallery "Souls of the Earth" Exhibition

(Pictured pottery by Pat Catsimanes)

Pat Catsimanes is exhibiting her hand-built pottery creations entitled "Souls of the Earth" at the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery in Melbourne. This showing of Catsimanes work includes pots, symbolic figures, and wall hangings constructed from red or white earthenware clay. She draws inspiration from the earth's geology, archeology and anthropology. Pat is also influenced by ancient cultures and their artifacts. Using clay as her medium allows her to connect to nature and the earth in a very personal and alluring way.

Pat's artwork exudes a sensual quality that's made possible with this pliable medium. "My work has an ongoing unpredictability and a refusal to be controlled." Catsimanes' art seems to develop an independent soul and life of its own. Each piece portrays a sense of history, timeless, mystery and, once fired, a long life of its own.

The Fifth Avenue Art Gallery was established in 1975. It is artist owned and operated. The gallery is located in the Eau Gallie Art District area of Melbourne at 1470 Highland Ave., across the street from the Brevard Museum of Art.Gallery telephone number is 321 259-8261. Visit us online: http://www.fifthavenueartgallery.com

The Indian River Pottery Guild

Currently the Indian River Pottery Guild has 9 members. They are beginning to settle in and welcome a visit from artists and the community. The capacity for the full-access pottery guild is 25 potters.

Valerie Karas is the founder of the guild. She saw the building, had a vision and set out to renovate it into the ideal space for potters to work and thrive. It took a year to renovate, but it was well worth the time. The results are beautiful.

Her goal is to build a pottery guild with an open and healthy environment where artists can work and share ideas. They have done a beautiful job creating light-filled rooms. They've already begun to display some of their art in a gallery room off the main work room. In the back of the building is a room with an electric kiln and another that doubles as a kitchen or meeting room. There's also a room that will accommodate a class or meeting. Valerie plans to have Raku and Sagger firing as well.

Eventually, they plan to offer classes for experienced potters and workshops with well-known artists brought in from out of the area as well as local experts.

For potters seeking a spot in a full-access facility and guild, IRPG is open to applications. Contact Valerie Karas at 543-3645 or by email at vkaras@cfl.rr.com

Current members of the guild are Lauren Ball, Kris Darby, Kathie Frank, Valerie Karas, Marg Kuhl, Gloirann Tayas, Norma Newman, Jean Thomas and Don Whitehouse. Some of their works are displayed above. Stop by IRPG to see the facility and to meet these wonderful artists. The gallery is located at 1542 Guava Avenue in the Eau Gallie Arts District of Melbourne, Florida.

Studio Space Available: In addition to the space occupied by the Indian River Pottery Guild, there are also two light-filled studios in the back of the building that are available for artists of any medium. Rental of these areas is not connected with membership in the guild. The studios include windows for natural lighting and bathroom access. Contact Valerie Karas at 543-3645 or by email at vkaras@cfl.rr.com

Brevard Art Museum ...

Museum Monday: May 18 at 10 a.m. in the Galleries. Have a teap party with Susan Tharp. She will discuss the history of tea.

Take Out (May 9 - July 5, 2009). Using a restaurant take out container as a jumping off point, artists were invited to create artwork with few limitations. This national invitational exhibition allowed artists of all levels to participate. The one common denominator was the take out container. The range of responses demonstrates that, though everyone started from the same beginning, each journey was unique.

From Gutter to Gallery: Graffiti Gets In (May 16 - July 12, 2009) Explore a new generation of writers and artists: Cynic, Sone 2, Slow, Typoe, Enve, This, Deps, Blackbooks, and Cliffton Chandler. Discover the intricacies, influences, and undercurrents of graffiti culture. Photographs by John Sluder, Casey Decotis and Manes and Karla Murray will also be on display.

Museum School Workshops: Call the Museum Schhool at 254-7782 to register.

Frits van Eeden Demonstration Painting Techniques: May 11-13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Jerry Lanham Painting Workshop: May 30-31 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

East Coast Coffee and Tea presents Ed Baranowski.

(Ed Baranowski's non-street works on exhibit at East Coast Coffee and Tea)

Ed Baranowski exhbits at the East Coast Coffee and Tea Shop at the Publix Plaza in Indian Harbour Beach. After 50 years as a hobby artist, Ed has become a serious student and painter. He has worked in all media with a belief , "The artist makes the rules and breaks the rules." He has studied with Sigi Oberlaender, Lee Jones, Frits van Eeden, and Robin Rothrock. Ed is past president of the Strawbridge Art League, housed in the Henegar Center for the Arts; he is the founding president and current treasurer of the Florida Chalk Artists Association (street painters); and a member/docent at the Brevard Art Museum. His award-winning chalk pastel artwork, "My Garden" is currently freatured in the Central Brevard Art Association 2009 calendar for January. Ed has 27 pieces on display at the East Coast Coffee and Tea. Be sure to stop by to see the exhibit. It will hang through May. Ed can be reached at the Henegar Center for the Arts at 321-952-3070 or at his studio in the Eau Gallie Art District. Call 321-749-9580.

CBAA and Brevard Art Educators Association...

Central Brevard Art Association and the Brevard Art Educators Association present "Art Exhibit" in the Harris Gallery at the King Center for the Performing Arts. The exhibit will run from May 11, 2009 until June 8, 2009. There will be an opening reception on Thursday, May 21, 2009 from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. in the lobby of the King Center. Be sure to stop by to see the art and to meet the artists. In addition, the lobby will be open on the 2nd and 3rd Tuesdays from 1pm until 4pm. The reception is free and open to the public.

Also: Diane Walsh, Pat Whipple and John Mederios of the CBAA will be exhibiting at the Wuesthoff Medical Center on Merritt Island from May 1 to July 1, 2009.

Pieces of 8...

Traveling these days means more time spent in airports than in the air! BCA and the Pieces of 8 want that time to be as pleasant as it can be. From May until September the Melbourne Airport Atrium will hang art provided by the members of the Pieces of 8 for you to enjoy. Eight large paintings will be on easels to greet those arriving in our fair city and to entertain those waiting for flights. Take a moment to study the creative output of Carol Schiff, Denette Schweikert, Jini James, Donna Vines, Mary Warnick, Carmen Beecher and Cindy Michaud. If "sports on the Space Coast" rings your chimes venture further down the concourse for an art display exclusively on that theme. Depicting sports we all love are paintings by Cindy Michaud, Carol Schiff, Jini James, and Mary Warnick. Everything shown by the Brevard Cultural Alliance in this venue is available for sale.

Nancy Dillen's one-person exhibit is opening at the Mary Woerner Fine Arts Gallery in West Palm Beach on May 2nd. It will hang from May 2 through May 30, 2009. The opening reception is on May 2, 2009, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The oil paintings featured are her Animal series. The work is not limited to the paintings of woodchucks. Visit her website at http://www.dillenart.com/ to see the newest ones.

Other events...

Upcoming shows on Focus. Bright House TV Cable Network presents FOCUS featuring the arts in Brevard County. FOCUS programs are on Channel 49 on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.

Upcoming show in April:

May 18, 2009: Gali Bishop and Tim Sanchez

May 21, 2009: Debbie Johnson, Demo (washes)

May 28, 2009: Pat Bowlds, Demo (perspective)

Be sure to watch the great talent in Brevard.

In the News:

Joyce Hoffman painted a portrait of the mayor of Cape Canaveral, Mayor Rocky Randels as a thank you for hosting seven annual art shows presented by the Central Brevard Art Association. King Quillen wrote an article about it. Congrats Joyce.

Jeanee James unveiled her new website at http://www.jeanj.com. Be sure to stop by and take a look at her photography.

This month's issue of Brevard Florida Live magazine features artist Cynthia Perry. Her paintings look beautiful in the magazine.

Be sure to send you art news to Lou@LouBelcher.com.