“Roselle Kline Chartock:  Working Mostly Large” is a collection of collages that are varied in content, appearance and size, though many of the pieces, indeed, reflect the exhibit’s title, as they represent the artist’s attempt, for the first time, to work larger than she has in the past.  Chartock, professor emerita of education (from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts) has, for the past seven years, shared her work in several venues, and now for the first time appears in Gallery 25, 25 Union Street, in Pittsfield, MA from June 1 to 30.  Chartock’s opening reception will be on June 1, 5-8PM.

Chartock is inspired by the variety of images, particularly of women and fashion, that she finds in vintage and contemporary magazine advertisements and she has used several of these images in one of the larger collages here.  Other pieces include a canvas created for an event commemorating the successful attempt in 1938-9, to save children from being rounded up by the Nazis.  And two of her works utilize the same 1920’s photograph of her father (“Shoe-man” and “Piano Man”).  A friend has called Chartock’s work “elegant but irreverent,” and another of her collages, “Mosaic,” in fact, may deserve that label.  She says of her work, “Collage offers me endless possibilities, from abstract design to representational story-telling of sorts; and I love when the viewer stands and wonders what a particular collage is all about.  Also included in this exhibit are some smaller works that may provoke questions and, hopefully, at the same time, bring pleasure to the eye.”

Gallery 25 is located across the street from Barrington Stage.  Hours are Thursday through Saturday, 12-5PM.  More information about the artist may be found on the gallery website:  gallery-25.com/artists/roselle-chartock/.  “Roselle Kline Chartock:  Working Mostly Large” is free and open to the public.

“Colette a Caresse (Colette Caressed)”, 8″x6″, mixed-media collage. (c)Roselle Chartock.

Jazz musician and popular entertainer Stephen Merriman performed in the gallery following Bushy’s demonstration.

Printmaker and figure artist Michael Vincent Bushy will be exhibiting “Bones & Bodies” – a collection of figure drawings and anatomical prints at Gallery 25 in Pittsfield during the month of May. The opening reception will take place during the inaugural Pittsfield “First Fridays ArtsWalk” on Friday, May 4th, from 5-8 in the evening. The artist will be offering a “pressless printmaking” demonstration during May’s “3rd Thursday” event on the 17th.

“Bones & Bodies” is Michael Vincent Bushy’s reconnecting with figurative art after a hiatus of several years. The drawings are primarily in charcoal and deal with the figure, both as a study and a narrative device. Potentially furthering the narratives (but more likely providing contrast to his drawings), the artist will also be exhibiting several anatomical block prints. The overarching theme of the show – as with much of Bushy’s art – is that every image has a story attached to it and each story is merely started by the artist, to be finished in the imagination of the viewer. Not all stories are epic, but they are all worth telling.

Gallery 25 is located across the street from Barrington Stage. Hours are Thursday through Saturday, 12-5PM. More information about the artist may be found on the gallery website: gallery-25.com/artists/michael-vincent-bushy/. “Bones & Bodies” is free and open to the public.

“Bones & Bodies” Postcard. (c)Michael Vincent Bushy.

Recent still life paintings by Marion Grant of Richmond will be on view in Gallery 25 at 25 Union Street in Pittsfield, MA throughout the month of April. The reception will be mid-month on Friday, April 13 from 5-7PM at the gallery. The public is invited to attend.

An avid gardener, Grant often turns to seasonal fruits and vegetables as subjects for her intensely hued oil paintings. This show, “Roots, Fruits, and Greens,” celebrates the first stirrings of spring by bringing together a collection of recent works featuring luscious studies of cabbages, eggplants, beets, radishes, tomatoes, onions, and other fruits and vegetables.

Grant has studied and taught fine arts and holds a masters degree in Art History. She was a museum educator and curator in the region for many years before joining the Pittsfield Public School system, where she presently teaches English. Her artwork has been featured in numerous solo and group shows in the northeast region. Grant recently moved her studio from Richmond to the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts on Renne Avenue in Pittsfield. She states, “I am delighted to be in Pittsfield, working in proximity with so many talented artists and near so many great downtown businesses.”

Gallery 25 is located across the street from Barrington Stage. Hours are Thursday through Saturday, 12-5PM. More information about the artist may be found on the gallery website: gallery-25.com/artists/marion-grant/. “Roots, Fruits, and Greens” is free and open to the public.

“Purple Beets”, oil on panel. 10” x 8”. (c)Marion Grant.

Gallery 25, on the heels of a very successful run as an inclusion in the high profile “10×10 On North” Winter Contemporary Arts Festival in downtown Pittsfield, announces its exciting and enticing exhibition schedule for 2012. The current season will run from April through December with opening receptions generally coinciding with the newly organized “First Fridays Artswalk” events. Gallery 25 is located at 25 Union Street, across from Barrington Stage.

Gallery 25, under the direction of Leo Mazzeo, who is also lead coordinator for the “First Fridays Artswalk” events, will continue to broaden its perspective and include a wide variety of artwork in various mediums from artists with local ties as well as those from beyond the immediate area.

Marion Grant’s intensely hued oils will begin the season for Gallery 25 with a much welcomed nod to spring and gardening. Following Grant will be local emerging artist/printmaker Michael Vincent Bushey. Bushey is excited to be the gallery’s first artist as part of the “FFA”. June will bring Roselle Chartock’s intriguing mixed media collages to the gallery. Retired orthodontist Walter Bogad will follow Chartock with a selection of pastels and oils that many compare to the work of Edward Hopper. Perennial gallery favorite Marguerite Bride will show her latest watercolors in August. Gallery 25 Director Leo Mazzeo will have a show of his own in September. October will bring popular Berkshire Eagle photographer Susan Geller’s work to the gallery’s walls. November tentatively will include a juried show, though details will be forthcoming. Marguerite Bride returns in December with her highly anticipated holiday show.

For more information on Gallery 25, please visit their website at gallery-25.com or “like” them on Facebook. Gallery 25 proprietor Mary McGinnis may be reached via (413)464-2127. Gallery 25 director Leo Mazzeo may be reached via gallery-25@hotmail.com or (413)281-6665.

Red Cherries II, oil on canvas, 24” x 24”. (c)Marion Grant.