June
COLLEEN BRAND: EVOLVING HORIZONS
Contact: Barb Brooks 267-761-7056
“Evolving Horizon” will feature the vibrant abstract paintings of Philadelphia-based artist Colleen Brand. The public is invited to partake of light refreshments and meet the artist at the opening reception for this exhibit on Saturday, June 6, 2015 from 3:30 to 6:30 P.M. in the gallery at the Manayunk-Roxborough Art Center (MRAC), 419 Green Lane (Rear), Philadelphia, PA 19128. The exhibit runs through Sunday, June 28th. Gallery hours at MRAC are Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. Admission is free, donations encouraged. For more information, see www.mrartcenter.org on the web or call 215-482-3363.
Colleen Brand has exhibited her artwork in group as well as solo exhibitions in several locations, including MRAC, the Fleisher Art Memorial (Philadelphia), the Soho20 Gallery (New York City) and Mesquite Fine Arts Center Gallery (Mesquite, NV). She continues to take classes on a regular basis at the Fleisher Art Memorial (Philadelphia). In 2014, Brand was awarded First Place in the Painting Category (Painting Intuitively) in the Member/Student Group Show at Fleisher Art Memorial for “Puddle Dance,” and in 2013 took First Place for “Smoky Horizon” in Scapes at The Plastic Club.
Brand employs imaginative tools in her work, those that are traditional like an artist palette knife, and unexpected tools such as a kitchen spatula or a lazy susan to develop interesting patterns and mark-making. She says of her process “I am able to push the boundaries each painting to create an inviting, new world for the viewer to live inside.” The worlds of the paintings are vivid and intense, even in the grayscale works such as Reverberation. Various media are used to create texture and depth, including fabrics and modeling paste.
Colleen Brand grew up in the Philadelphia area. In high school, she had the opportunity to attend a summer art workshop at the Tyler School of Art. She earned a BA in Graphic Design/Advertising with a concentration in Studio Art at Moravian College in 2001. Brand has been on the Board of Directors at Whitemarsh Art Center for the past two years, is an active member of the Northwest Artists Collective and is the new Director of Marketing at MRAC. She also exhibits her work around the country in galleries and juried shows, but “loves the art centers in Philadelphia, they are really special and have a wonderful community spirit.”
Inspired often by the natural environment, many of Brand’s works create a sense of a landscape without seeking to realistically depict one. She has said that enjoys manipulating the horizon line, which can be seen in some of the work that will be part of the Evolving Horizons exhibit. Orange Horizon II uses visual layers of texture, colors and shapes that suggest the motion of waves or of wind. Lilac Horizon suggests a splash, or a dance, something joyful without being self-conscious. The work manifests the artist’s belief in having fun while creating art.
