Artists salvage old objects for new exhibit

The Huntington Arts Council will present the juried exhibition, Objects Found, from Feb. 15 to March 23, with an opening reception planned for Feb. 15, 6 to 8 p.m., at the Main Street Gallery located at 213 Main St. in Huntington. The reception is a free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. 

The Arts Council invited artists to submit work that incorporated salvaged materials. During the creative process, artists were asked to consider still lifes, Joseph Cornell’s ephemera-filled boxes, Tim Noble’s and Sue Webster’s discarded item assemblages, Jim Golden’s object photography, and Jane Perkins’ 3D-collage portraits, among other works. The artists were encouraged to use items that may have been found or collected — from twigs and antiques, to toys and textiles — to complete their work.

The following artists were selected to participate in the exhibit: Beth Atkinson, Lisa Cangemi, Kathleen Celestin-Parks, Janet Costello, Heather Gottfried, Naomi Diracles, Terry Finch, Jim Finlayson, Anindita Ghosh, Bill Grabowski, Jeffrey Grinspan, Lenore Hanson, Beth Heit, Julianne Jimenez, Julianna Kirk, Liz Kolligs, Stephen Martin, Martha McAleer, Glenn McNab, Kristen Memoli, John Micheals, Gabriella Grama, Gail Neuman, Ellen Paul, Jonathan Pearlman, Howie Pohl, Denis Ponsot, Meryl Shapiro, Sally Shore, Lauren Singer, Scott Schneider and Nancy Yoshii.

“Selecting for this show was challenging because of all the high-quality artwork,” said juror Tara Leale Porter of Red Lotus Fused Glass Art. “The artwork varies from minimalist to maximalist, with their narrative composed of everyday materials manifested in sublime ways. These artworks are like pieces of jazz that found their form bebopping down the rabbit hole.” 

The show has been described as “a wonderful compilation of artistic expression through a vast variety of objects and creative techniques” by Marc Courtade, executive director of the Huntington Arts Council. “Submissions include everything from sculpture to photographs, each telling a unique story reflected through the combined objects in the work. I certainly welcome everyone to stop by the reception or our gallery to see this exhibit,” he said.

In her own artwork, Leale Porter creates a narrative through a dialogue of materials. She interweaves her fused glass with found objects that have a time-worn patina to construct stories of destruction and regeneration. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Pratt Institute and a Master of Arts in Art Therapy from Hofstra University.