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George Russin (1923-2010) Performance Portraiture

Numerous artists focused on the theme of circus performers in their paintings. Some of the most noted European painters like Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, Seurat, Picasso, Bernard Buffet, Fernand Leger were frequently captivated by this topic; likewise some mid-century American artists such as Aaron Bohrod, John Sloan, Edward Hopper, Robert Vickrey, Emil Kosa, and Hans Mollar found inspiration like Russin in the circus. George Russin’s artwork frequently features clowns as a central theme. His fascination with circus performers, shared by my father, stemmed from a time when readily available entertainment was scarce. And I have a personal connection, having lived in Bailey’s Crossroads, VA, a neighborhood founded by Hachaliah Bailey, whose early American circus eventually evolved into the famed Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. The circuses of the past were characterized by massive tents hosting highwire acts, exotic animals and their trainers, daring stunts, and crucially, c...
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Alice Lewis aka; Alice Broadwell Lewis, Greenwood, SC Artist

Lewis, aka, Alice Broadwell Lewis is a noted regional painter hailing from South Carolina, best known for her diverse artistic talent. Her work includes summer vacation landscapes, commissioned portraits of grandchildren, and abstract pieces. Lewis has noted the particular difficulty in achieving a compelling composition in abstract painting. Her technique, evident in the featured below painting, strikes a balance between careful planning and spontaneous, improvisational execution. She utilizes a variety of brushes to create sweeping gestural marks, incorporating subtle touches like small patches of antique gold and delicate gold lines, seemingly drawn with a fabric pen/marker, alongside other painted lines. Lewis's passion for nature is strongly expressed in the massive abstract piece in our collection, which we've affectionately titled "Grand Prismatic Spring." This nickname references a series of Yellowstone-themed paintings Lewis created after a vacation trip, s...
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Aaron Waller “Out of Nothing; Art”

Aaron Waller's sculptural assemblages offer a contemporary twist on "Junk Sculpture," a genre popularized by artists like Louise Nevelson and Deborah Butterfield who transformed found materials into art. While Nevelson used salvaged wood for her enigmatic abstractions and Butterfield crafted her early horse sculptures from scrap metal, Waller's approach is distinct. He “traffic’s in unwanted items,” blending finds from thrift stores, flea markets with remnants from his father's mountain retreat. Unlike Nevelson and Butterfield, who often duplicated subjects, Waller introduces a new 21st-century "artspeak" through surrealist assemblage sculptures. He intentionally unsettles the viewer by using visual elements out of context, coupled with stimulating titles. This method aligns with Surrealism's original focus on social attitudes and behavior, infused with modern symbolism. For example, his most recent work below, "Woman Looking Within, Outward,...
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Diane Pierce: (b. 1939) A Master of Avian Art

Diane Pierce is an acclaimed artist known for her stunningly lifelike bird paintings. Her work has been featured in numerous publications, including the National Geographic Society's Bird Guide and Florida Butterfly Gardening. Her paintings are also on display in galleries and museums across the country. Pierce's love of birds began at a young age. She grew up in a rural area of Ohio, where she spent countless hours observing the birds in her backyard. This early fascination with birds led her to pursue a career in art. Pierce, who studied portrait painting at the Cleveland Institute of Arts and Western Reserve University, worked as a commercial artist before transitioning to full-time bird portraiture. Her detailed and lifelike portraits are based on photographs taken with a telephoto lens, as well as in-depth field studies of various bird species, including egrets, herons, cranes, gallinules, and hawks, in their natural habitats. Her artistic practice and ornithological resea...
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The Associated Students of Montana State University - Exit Gallery

The Genesis of the Exit Gallery: From Coat Closet to ASMSU Cultural Hub The summer of 1976 marked the unassuming beginning of what would become the Exit Gallery. Its initial incarnation was far from glamorous: a mere coat closet situated directly across the aisle from the grand Student Union Building Ballroom, known as the Strand Union Building, and conveniently located beside an outdoor exit. This humble two-door facility, equipped with large racks for coats and hats, served its purpose as a formal coat check, complete with a reciprocal numbered tag system. However, its utility had waned, and the space was rapidly evolving into what could be described as a "space dinosaur"—a relic of an era past. Years later, a significant renovation and expansion of the SUB in 2008 would alter its immediate proximity to the building's exit, but its legacy as the "Exit Gallery" endured. ASMSU's Diverse Committees and a Dormant Arts Program: Poetry Reading and Art Talk Annou...
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Enrico Manfrini (1917-2004): The Italian Sculptor of Popes and Sacred Art

From Bologna to the Vatican: The Legacy of a Prolific Italian Sculptor Manfrini, an Italian sculptor of considerable renown, left an indelible mark on the world of religious art and beyond. Born in Lugo, Italy, and meticulously trained at the prestigious Accademia di Bologna and the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera under the tutelage of Francesco Messina, Manfrini's artistic journey was one of dedication and mastery. His talent was such that he eventually succeeded his mentor as chair at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, a position he honorably held until 1984. His affiliations with the Accademia Clementina of Bologna and the Accademia di San Luca in Rome further cemented his standing within the Italian art world, as did his role on the Superior Council of the Ministry of Fine Arts during the Spadolini government. A Master of Diverse Mediums Manfrini’s prolific output spanned a remarkable array of mediums and commissions. His artistic versatility was evident in his designs for ...
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Harry Hubert, (1899-1990) Westchester, NY Artist and Illustrator

Hubert, son of a fresco painter, began painting as a young boy, with a focus on scenes of Buffalo Bill and the Wild West. He studied at Cooper Union Institute, where he won the Wilson G. Hunt award, and at the Artist Student League in New York. He also studied with noted artists, such as Arthur Crispe (1881-1955), George Bridgeman (1864-1943), and Thomas Fogarty (1873-1938). Hubert enjoyed a distinguished career of over fifty years in both advertising art and fine arts. He was associated with the Studio of Halpert & Dane in New York City and illustrated for the agencies of Young & Rubicam, Cunningham Walsh, and Brook, Smith, French and Dorrence, with his work appearing in leading women's magazines.  His fine art blends graphic illustration with realism, emphasizing accuracy and detail to capture scenes from his life.  His paintings celebrate idyllic New England villages and the wider New York suburbs.    In the painting below: Hubert created a serene coastal ...
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