Western Connecticut State University will host the American Abstract Artists 75th Anniversary Print Portfolio 2012-19 exhibit in The Gallery of the Visual and Performing Arts Center from Thursday, Oct. 21, through Sunday, Dec. 5. WCSU was chosen as one of only 14 museums, embassies, galleries and universities to share this anniversary exhibit featuring 73 visual artists.
An opening reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 21. Admission to both the reception and exhibit are free; reservations to attend the reception should be made online at www.wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com/. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday from noon to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. at 43 Lake Ave. Extension, Danbury. Face coverings and social distancing protocol are required. The Art Gallery is sponsored by the WCSU Department of Art. Contributions to support The Gallery are appreciated.
Additionally, a virtual Artist Talk, “Conversations On Abstraction,” via Zoom will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23, at www.wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com. Panelists include AAA members Jeffrey Bishop, Jacob Cartwright, Melissa Staiger and Vera Vasek. Bishop holds an M.F.A. degree from the University of Washington and a B.F.A. from Tufts University. He most recently exhibited in Texas and New York City. Cartwright is a New York City-based artist with a B.F.A. from Kansas City Art Institute and recently exhibited in New York City. Staiger holds an M.F.A. from Pratt Institute where she currently teaches, and recently exhibited online with Equity Gallery Wing Space. Vasek holds a B.F.A. in sculpture from Louisiana State University and M.F.A. from Pratt Institute. Her recent projects include a new curatorial project with a group exhibition shown at Stand 4 Gallery in summer 2021.
Since its first exhibition in 1937, American Abstract Artists has used printmaking as a platform to both introduce and document the work of its members and to expand the vocabulary of abstraction to an ever-increasing audience. This print portfolio tradition began with the celebration of the organization’s first anniversary and was followed decades later by marking AAA’s 50th, 60th and 75th anniversaries. With the advent of digital technology, AAA decided to break with tradition and print new portfolios digitally, a meaningful shift as the three previous portfolio editions were printed by lithography, a classic printmaking process. Designing and printing digital prints mirrors changes in the visual world, one result of perpetual technological achievements.
American Abstract Artists was founded in 1937 to provide exhibition opportunities for this art style when few existed, in support of American abstract artists. Abstract art does not represent an accurate depiction of visual reality, but rather uses shape, form, color, texture, value and line to create independent imagery different from visual references in the world.
The Western Connecticut State University School of Visual and Performing Arts offers a conservatory-level education and enriches the area’s local arts community by providing quality arts programming and a competitive arts education. Western Connecticut State University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
For more information, contact the Department of Art at (203) 837-8403 or Office of Public Relations at pr@wcsu.edu.
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