ONEONTA _ Pati Airey, Ernest Mahlke and Jon Hartmann are exhibiting colorful paintings and sculptures in The Wilber Mansion Galleries.
The Upper Catskill Community Council of the Arts opens three new exhibitions today at The Wilber Mansion. The reception, sponsored in part by Brewery Ommegang, is free and open to the public and all are invited to attend.
In The Kubiak Gallery: "Sidewalkers and Storytellers" _ paintings by Pati Airey.
The works are inspired by the artist's experiences and the experiences and storytelling of her grandmother, who, after emigrating to NYC with her family from Italy, felt like a stranger in a strange land. The paintings reflect the family's optimism and wonder. The paintings depict various city blocks, parks and neighborhoods in NYC during the early 1980's _ when making art on the street, and street living was part of the culture.
Self-taught, Pati has lived and painted in New York, Houston and San Francisco since the late 1970s. She has worked in collaboration with various artists in these communities.
"Finding art to be a portal into other dimensions or worlds, we slip into these openings crossing the barrier reef of rational mind, into the world of imagination and fantasy," Airey said in a prepared statement.
In The Fine Craft Gallery: 'Style in Steel' _ sculptures by Ernest Mahlke.
Circles, tubes and cylinders are cut, bent, welded and painted with a limited palette to create dynamic shifts over small distances. This is a collection of Ernest's earlier works created in the 1970s. The design and craftsmanship is evidenced in these fine works _ some floor pieces are standing over 6 feet tall.
After receiving an M.F.A. from the University of Guanajuato, Mexico, Ernest Mahlke concentrated largely on jewelry, printmaking and sculpture. He became a professor at the State University College at Oneonta, where he taught sculpture and 3D design for 32 years. He has exhibited in local, state and national exhibitions.
In The Hathaway Gallery: 'Paintings and Sculptures' by Jon Hartmann.
Extremely colorful paintings, sublime drawings and fanciful stuffed creatures called "humbugs" will be on display in this gallery.
Jon seeks inspiration from other imagery and is clear about his choices of color and line.
Residing at the Pathfinder Village in Edmeston, Hartmann is an extremely hard working "outsider artist" that works out of the Center for Self Expression at the Main View Gallery, a program of the ARC Otsego, presenters said.
The Arts Council is located in The Wilber Mansion at 11 Ford Avenue in Oneonta. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or by appointment.
For more information, visit www.uccca.com or call 432-2070.
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