Gallery at Penn College Announces Exhibits for 2007-08

The Gallery at Penn College, on the third floor of Pennsylvania College of Technology's Madigan Library, has scheduled nine diverse exhibits for the 2007-08 academic year. With the new season, the gallery introduces the Penn College Proud Showcase and the Current View Artist Series.

Sponsored by the college's media arts department, the Current View series showcases contemporary artists working in a variety of media. It provides an opportunity to broaden and enrich the educational experience at Penn College and will include six artists for 2007-08.

First on the agenda, and opening the Current View Artist Series, is "Object and Figure," an exhibit of paintings by Jason Godeke. The exhibit is scheduled Sept. 9 to Oct. 2, with an opening reception Sept. 11 from 4:30-7 p.m.

Godeke's paintings brilliantly balance fantastical subjects and classical style, as toy figurines take part in imaginative yet realistic scenes. He is an assistant professor in Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania's art and art history department.

The gallery will host the exhibit "Interwoven Dialogues" by artist Florence Putterman, the second artist in the Current View series, from Oct. 9 to Nov. 4. Opening reception for the exhibit will take place Oct. 9 from 4:30-7 p.m.

Putterman's paintings are both complex and simple, seeming naïve upon first glance, but layered with symbolism upon examination. Her study of the symbols created by early man has had a great influence on her painting style. Putterman's work is included in more than 50 museum and corporate collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Brooklyn Museum in New York, and Chicago Art Institute in Chicago.

From Nov. 9 to Dec. 2, the gallery will exhibit "Vessels of Life," works by Kim Banister, also part of the Current View Artist Series. Opening reception for the show is scheduled Nov. 13 from 4:30-7 p.m.

Banister's striking large-scale drawings combine delicate strokes of charcoal with dripping lines of linseed oil. They are full of both beauty and simplicity, and the artist says that her study of Eastern concepts is fundamental to the portrayal of her subjects.

"Returning Home," an exhibit of work by David and Chris Armstrong, will be displayed Dec. 8-16. The exhibit includes a vast collection of watercolor paintings by the late David Armstrong, painter of central Pennsylvania's rural landscapes, and oil paintings by his son Chris Armstrong. Originals and reproductions will be available for acquisition, and all sales will benefit the Lycoming County United Way.

The gallery will start 2008 with Maureen Drdak's "Planes of Inspiration," the fourth exhibit in the Current View Artist Series, from Jan. 15 to Feb. 12. Opening reception is scheduled for Jan. 22 from 4:30 to 7 p.m.

Drdak's work examines and reinterprets religious symbolism and cultural paradigm. She addresses psychology, origins of religious impulse, and contemporary social and political concerns while exploring the monotheisms of the West and the religions of the East, with special focus on the Himalayas.

From Feb. 19 to March 14, the gallery will host the photography of Gary Mesa-Gaido in an exhibit titled "Public Spaces of Europe." An opening reception for this Current View Artist Series show is scheduled Feb. 19, 4:30-7 p.m.

Mesa-Gaido's photographs of Europe offer stunning panoramic views of churches, piazzas and courtyards. While the works are completely reality based, the illusion of multiple perspectives is created using "digital stitching."

The gallery wraps up the Current View Artist Series with "The Fool's Journey," an exhibit of work by printmaker Brian D. Cohen, March 30 to April 25, with an opening reception scheduled April 1 from 4:30-7 p.m.

"The Fool's Journey" is a set of 23 etchings based on the major arcane of the traditional tarot deck. The compositions are based on a geometric framework derived from the study of the history of art and sacred geometry. Cohen is founder and owner of Bridge Press in Westminster Station, Vt.

From May 2-13, the gallery will host a student portfolio exhibit, with an opening reception May 6 from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Penn College's senior-level graphic design students will display their best works, including posters, book covers, logos and more.

The gallery will host "Searching for Creativity" by Fred T. Gilmour from May 16 to June 22. An opening reception is scheduled May 20 from 4:30-7 p.m. This collection of images by Gilmour, a 1966 alumnus and retired member of the college's faculty and staff, chronicles the search for the perfect creative moment. Gilmour will offer a gallery talk at 5:30 p.m. on May 20. This is the first exhibit in the "Penn College Proud" showcase, which features artwork or personal collections of members of the Penn College, Williamsport Area Community College or Williamsport Technical Institute family, including alumni, employees and retirees.

The gallery is open Saturday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday, 2-8 p.m., and Wednesday and Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The gallery is open only during scheduled exhibits, and follows the college calendar regarding closures.

The gallery's current exhibit, "Where Science Meets Art," runs through Aug. 31 and features works from around the world by members of the London-based Society for Art of Imagination.

For more information about the gallery at Penn College, call (570) 320-2445, send e-mail or visit on the Web .