Art Relish

Jennifer Schwartz Gallery presents “Southern Comfort,” showcasing silver gelatin prints and installation by Lori Vrba. Jennifer Schwartz Gallery will host an opening reception on Friday, December 2, 2011 from 6 to 9 p.m. featuring an artist meet and greet, signature cocktails, nibbles, a photo booth and more. The exhibition will be on display through Saturday, January 28, 2012.

Lori Vrba is an award winning fine art photographer who is committed to film and her own traditional print-making. Her tough Texas upbringing and unconventional path into photography and the darkroom has shaped who she is as an artist. Her emotionally evocative work has been widely published, exhibited and collected, both nationally and internationally. Most days you can find her elbow deep in chemistry or chasing the next picture with enthusiasm, die-hard determination and a Hasselblad full of hope.

Southern Comfort will include work from her acclaimed series Piano Farm, in addition to newer work. Vrba’s work is feminine, personal and reflective of the Southern culture, which she is surrounded. Jennifer Schwartz, owner of Jennifer Schwartz Gallery, says Vrba “is able to capture tender moments by those that surround her, see the beautiful in the ordinary and execute prints of high quality in her darkroom.” Vrba’s solo show will include an installation component, similar to the one that captured the hearts of many in New Orleans last December for PhotoNOLA.

Vrba says of her own work, “My hope is that my work finds its way to kindred spirits and that what is true and meaningful for me…worthy of my attention and therefore photographed… will be understood and valued by someone else. I take the pictures for myself. I send them out into the world to connect with others.”

Jennifer Schwartz Gallery
1000 Marietta Street, Suite 112,
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 885-1080

In a poem, a fable, a rumor, Cuban-born Mario Petrirena continues with his personal iconography exploring themes of memory and fragmentation.  Petrirena will exhibit collage and mixed media installations.

There will be an artist talk at the gallery on Dec. 17.

Through Jan. 7.

Sandler Hudson Gallery
1009-A Marietta Street NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30318

Alan Avery Art Company will celebrate their 30th anniversary with the exhibition “The Glass Ceiling Shattered, 30 Years – 3 Great American Women Artists,” featuring work from Louise Nevelson, Helen Frankenthaler and Kara Walker. A VIP Preview will be held Friday, December 2, 2011 from 7-9 PM and an Opening After Party from 9 PM until midnight. The Preview and After Party are by invitation only. The exhibition opens to the public Saturday, December 3, 2011. The exhibition continues through Friday, February 10, 2012.

For the past three decades as an art dealer, Alan Avery has strived to bring a different voice and a new perspective to Atlanta’s collecting audience by bringing artists and great works to a city that may otherwise not be seen on southern soil. To celebrate Alan Avery Art Company’s landmark 30th anniversary, Alan wanted something that had not been done before, something that would not only speak about who he is as a dealer, but also offer the city an opportunity to learn, grow and expand their knowledge in the world of art and collecting great works of art.

Throughout history, not only in the arts, the contributions of women have been over-looked. In the 20th century this perception began to change. With the women’s movement in the late 1960s and early 70s female artists garnered further acceptance and critical praise from the art world and general public. Associations like the Woman’s Caucus for Art provided venues for their art, giving them the visibility that has long been denied them.

The Glass Ceiling Shattered, 30 Years – 3 Great American Women Artists presents the work of Louise Nevelson, Helen Frankenthaler and Kara Walker. Each of these women is highly recognized in their own right, as well as having played a significant role within the history of art, and as a female artist. Louise Nevelson, an American sculptor and printmaker, and Helen Frankenthaler, an American Abstract Expressionist, helped pave the way for women in the arts. Working to move beyond the norm in their own fields, these two women created work that no other artists were making. Kara Walker, an American artist, known for her large-scale tableaux of cut paper silhouettes takes her place among significant women artists, and as one who is creating unique and powerful work. Walker’s work adds to the cultural dialogue by examining gender, sexuality and racially charged issues.

Alan Avery Art Company
315 East Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30305