Hera Gallery

This article is from the current issue of Rhode Island Monthly Magazine. It was written by Hera Gallery artist, John Kotula. For twenty-five years, the painting sat forgotten in a basement. Today, it is a world treasure. But this isn’t the first time Danza Afro-Cubana has set off fireworks. BY JOHN KOTULA In the summer of 1970, when artist Roberto Julio Bessin was sixteen, his grandfather gave him a painting. The two were spending the summer fishing on Long Island Sound, and the gift was a gesture to encourage the teenager’s dreams of becoming an artist. Thirty-seven years later, the painting was auctioned for $2.6 million last May. It is hard for anyone who doesn’t see art as a commodity to think that a painting could cost as much as putting twenty students through four years of a private college, supporting 125 families of four above the poverty line for a year or buying pretty good season tickets to the Patriots for yourself and more than 2,000 of your best friends. Yet, if any painti...

This article was recently published in the New York Times, and addresses the impact of the current financial down turn on nonprofit organizations. Be sure to visit the NY Times website to read the comments left about the article, it is all very interesting. By STEPHANIE STROM Published: November 10, 2008 SO what’s the fallout for philanthropy? Given the financial tremors that have obliterated wealth and driven the economy deep into the doldrums, will charitable giving, which reached record levels in the United States over the past decade, show sharp declines? Will foundations, faced with shrunken endowments, scale back their grant-making? Will individual charities, squeezed by reductions in both private and public money, be forced to cut programs? In short: was philanthropy, like the housing and financial markets, riding a bubble that has finally burst? So far, few fund-raising experts or nonprofit leaders are predicting an implosion in giving, a long fall from the more than $300 bill...

This article if from Chicago's Herald Bulletin Local abstract artist Caroline Pyle Jr. will show her work at the Effe Leven Gallery in Chicago’s River North Art District. Pyle is a self-taught artist who found her artistic voice more than three years ago after a near fatal car accident. Pyle says painting became her passion. “My mother gave me a paint set and suggested I use art as a form of therapy. Though creative by nature, I had only had only taken a couple of informal painting classes. Painting became therapeutic, helping me endure long, painful days during my recovery. Later a friend viewed my work and encouraged me to share my work with the broader community — it was astounding to see that people were moved by my work!” Pyle has since exhibited her work in Rhode Island and Cincinnati, where retailers carry her work. Her patrons include those from Indiana, Ohio, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Michigan, as well as a corporate client in Kentucky. Islay Taylor, director of Hera Ga...

Here are some pictures of our new office space. More images will be posted during the moving in process. Enjoy!

Hera Gallery is pleased to present the work of Alexandra Broches and Jill McLaughlin at the Meeting Room Gallery at Bagelz of Wakefield. Both artists are current members of Hera Gallery, and both will be exhibiting recent photographs. Alexandra Broches will be showing photographs from recent trips to Cuba and China. Her black and white photography captures hidden moments in unique lands. Jill McLaughlin will be showing a new series of black and white photographs. She likes to describe them as still-lives with a human touch. The photographs capture unusual combinations of ordinary items from her studio, posed with hands. This juxtaposition of inanimate object and human body gives the images a life of their own. The still-lives invite viewers to take a second look and imagine a story behind the images. Hera Gallery’s partnership with Bagelz of Wakefield is a result of Hera Gallery’s temporary loss of exhibition space. Due to property development, Hera will soon be forced to leave ...

Hera Gallery is pleased to welcome Viera Levitt to the Board of Directors. Levitt has worked with the gallery in the past by hosting lectures and participating in exhibitions. Since 1996, Levitt has curated and co-curated more than thirty exhibitions in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, and the USA. Originally from Slovakia, she worked with the leading Contemporary Arts Museum, the Jan Koniarek Gallery. Viera has been living in Rhode Island since 2006, where she now works as an independent curator facilitating exhibitions both locally and abroad. Viera Levitt’s most recent curatorial project was an exhibition of Central European video art titled ‘Close Encounters.’ The show was held at the University of Rhode Island Fine Arts Center Galleries & Kingston Train Station (January-February 2008). She has also curated ‘Video in Progress’, a three-part series New Video Art from Central Europe (May – July 2007) at RISD Museum and Decaying Constant – Images fr...

This past Wednesday was the night of the month that we routinely set aside for Hera's Board Meeting. This was also the last night that we will be having our meeting in the Main Street Gallery space until construction is completed, and we move back onto the property. It was a good meeting, and we were lucky to have some members attending who don't normally come to the meetings. Pictured from the bottom left going clockwise is: Barbara Pagh, John Kotulla, Jill McLaughlin, Kaiper Wilson, Donna Gustafson, Islay Taylor, Jeannette Jacobs. And Alexandra Broches was there, but she is behind the lens taking the picture!

Housing + Transportation + Civic Design October 3 – October 27, 2008 Gallery Talk and Discussion, October 16, 6PM The AS220 Project Space presents Housing + Transportation + Civic Design , projects that chronicle South County architect Troy West’s exploration of design issues from 1963 to the present. On display will be Transportation Projects from the 1995 Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Design Grant for Light Rail Transportation for South County to the 1997 Design Studies of Westport, Connecticut Railroad Station Competition, which was awarded First Prize. Housing Designs include works from the 1984 New American House International Competition (Minneapolis, MN) that garnered First Prize to a 2008 prototype on sustainable/affordable housing (Providence, RI). Civic Designs include 1998 2-stage Neighborhood Revitalization Design Competition where West’s team was awarded First Prize for the Southside Broad Street Design Project (Providence, RI) to the ongoing design transformatio...

Peace Dale Arts Initiative invites you, your friends, and family to the 5TH annual Peace Fair, 2008 Saturday September 13th 3-10 pm Art activities for the whole family from 3-6 Peace Dale School Chorus performance… Smart Start RI, a dance and movement center, will be giving dance lessons and a special dance performance. RI Rock Gym Music all day and night… In the Peace Dale public parking lot, next to Sweet Cakes on Kingstown Rd. Street Closed to traffic from 3-6

Please note that Troy West will now be hosting his gallery talk and discussion on September 27, 2008 at 1PM in the gallery. The talk is free and open to the public, and all are more than welcome.

From the South County Independent By Doug Norris/Features Editor WESTERLY - Sometimes thinking out of the box means finding a new box. Hera Gallery in Wakefield is moving office space across town to Lily Pads Professional Center in October, and the building housing the gallery is scheduled for demolition soon afterward. So Hera's artists will be exploring creative new ways to showcase their work un...

I am so glad that the prospectus for our final exhibition in our current gallery is done! The show, entitled Concrete Alchemy , will focus on the flux of environment, gentrification of space, and the rebirth of a gallery. During the past 34 years of operation, Hera Gallery has undergone numerous changes and developments; the gallery is an organic entity, always undergoing a natural flux. This ebb and flow has historically acted to strengthen the gallery throughout each metamorphosis. Currently, the gallery is on the cusp of its most substantial transformation to date. The property that Hera has been located on for over thirty years has been recently sold to developers; as a result, Hera will be moving to an interim location before returning to a new gallery space which will be situated on the same property where we are currently located. This property sale heralds the ultimate demolition of the building that Hera has been housed in since it first opened its doors. Although Hera wi...

Troy West: Portraits A Six Decade Retrospective September 4th – October 9th, 2008 Opening Reception: Saturday, September 6th, 6:00 – 8:00pm Gallery Talk: September 20th, 1:00 pm From 1950 to the present, architect and artist Troy West has explored the art of portraiture with watercolor, gouache, oils, ink, charcoal and sculpture. These highly personal works of family, friends and others have been a parallel observation - obsession to his architecture development. This sampling gleaned from hundreds of works will provide an insight that you are invited to visit and share interpretations if you wish in a booklet for your comments, sketches, etc. There will be a gallery talk and discussion on September 20, 2008 at 1PM and all are welcome. Above: Mother's Last Night , ink on paper

Here are some images that Alexandra Broches took at the recent opening for Hera At The Hoxie .

August 2nd – August 30th, 2008 Opening Reception: Wednesday, August 6th, 5:00 – 8:00pm At The Hoxie Gallery, Westerly Public Library Hera Gallery is pleased to invite the public to the Hoxie Gallery on Wednesday, August 6th from 5:00pm to 8:00pm for the opening reception of Hera At The Hoxie. This exhibition will feature the work of Hera Gallery members Alexandra Broches, Linda Denosky-Smart, Cynthia Farnell, Claudia Flynn, Jeannette Jacobs, John Kotula, Jill McLaughlin, Barbara Pagh, Caroline Pyle, Roberta Richman, Myron Rubenstein, and Troy West. On display will be photography, paintings, sculpture, quilts, and more. Having just recently celebrated Hera Gallery’s 34th anniversary, this exhibition will again present gallery members with an opportunity exhibit together as a group. As always, Hera Gallery is dedicate to the creation and promotion of quality artwork within Washington County; and the pieces displayed in this show are sure to maintain this long tradition of excellence.

Here are some images from the recent 24 Hour Challenge. This event was in conjunction with our current show, 30Days + 24Hours. There were some very brave, and creative, artists who stayed awake for a very long time making art. Above, Jason Mayoh and James Russo beginning work on their comics. Below is an image of the African Drum circle that played during the opening. A scene from the opening, above; and POW!! playing during the 24 Hour Challenge, below. Alec Thibodeau giving a presentation about Dead in Desemboque , a book that was recently published that he illustrated for. Below, the gallery at 2:00am on Sunday. Dawn in the gallery, Brendan Kelley working on his book, ECTOMY pt. 2.

This Article was taken from the July 31st issue of the South County Independant. By Doug Norris/Features Editor WAKEFIELD - When you walk into the "30 Days + 24 Hours: All Rhode Island Comic Book Exhibition" now showing at Hera Gallery, be prepared. This isn't your grandfather's Kryptonite. Here, Red Riding Hood is depicted as a sexually aggressive vagina. A plantain and a tomato are shown practicing safe sex. And the monkeys of old Rocky Point Park run amok in Warwick. Hera's space is dedicated to a wide range of comic arts, from storyboards to prints, comic books to graphic novels, and even comic-inspired, pop art ceramics, all created by Rhode Island artists. The exhibition, which runs through Aug. 30, included a "24 Hour Comic Book Challenge" from noon on July 19 to noon on July 20 in which artists worked live in the gallery. The day also featured comic-related events, including documentaries, slide shows, book readings and musical...

Visit Hera Gallery for a series of casual discussions regarding member’s works, inspirations, and methods. The talks will be led by gallery members whose work is currently on display in the 34th Anniversary Show. Bring your lunch, and prepare for an intimate and interesting opportunity to learn about what happens before a piece of artwork is 'finished.' Troy West June 14th, 1:00 Troy West will attempt to find connections between drawing (to see what is really there without pre-meditations), sculpture (ways to connect past with present), architecture and planning (ways to bring present challenges into projects for a sustainable future). Alexandra Broches June 21st, 12:00 - 1:00 The work represented by the these photographs from the series The Domesticated Landscape reflects the interest that perhaps underlies all my work, the relationship between culture and nature, man and our landscape. Barbara Pagh June 21st, 12:00 - 1:00 Barbara Pagh will talk about the influence of the lo...

Finding Folklore: A collaborative project celebrating the lives and tales of local people Nominations Due July 15th Artist, former director of Hera gallery and South County native, Chelsea Heffner has developed Finding Folklore to encourage community members to collect a contemporary folklore of their area. Through the nomination process and the recording of local stories, Heffner hopes to start a conversation about what is of value to this small community. To participate, please write us to nominate someone you feel should be part of local folklore. In 500 words or fewer, tell us who this person is and what you find remarkable about his/her life. Please include contact information for both yourself and the person you are nominating. Any South County resident can be nominated. Nominees who would like to participate will have their portrait painted and their stories recorded and turned into a small book. The project will culminate with an exhibition of the portraits and personal hist...

1545DRAW offers outdoor life drawing in beautiful gardens, year round. The group is facilitated by artists, and thrives on new participants. Feel free to call Lori (401 294 7816) for more information. The group meets every Sunday from 2:00 - 5:00pm, all media is welcome; however, you must bring your own easel! Model fee is $10.00

Troy West is showing art and architecture at two venues in Germany this year. An Architekur, an exhibition and publication on Community Design in Berlin (anarchitektur@amx.de), and MYTHOS FABRIK EIN DEUTSCH - AMERIKAN ISCHER DIALOG exhibition and conference in Offenbach thru August 2008. Pictured at right: The Dietze Building, Newark, New Jersey 19th century toy factory renovated into 10 units of artist work/live space, 2500 sq. ft.

Claudia Flynn received The Innovators Program Award for Original Art in a Publication by the Johns Hopkins University Press. "LIFELINE," a digital mixed media work was selected by the Art Advisory Board at the School of Medicine for an upcoming book and traveling exhibition beginning in San Juan, Puerto Rico in June.

Hera Gallery member, Alexandra Broches, will be exhibiting her work at the Gail Cahalan Gallery in Providence.  Alexandra will be exhibiting a series of photographs that capture elements of the natural world.  These masterful black and white images are wonderfully designed, inspired visions.  Collections of eggs, bones, and feathers are artfully arranged and edited to provoke a sense of wonder and curiosity in the viewer.  These easily overlooked artifacts of nature become interesting displays of natural patterns through Broches's lenses. The opening reception will be held on Saturday, May 17th, from 4:00 - 7:00pm. The exhibit runs from May 14th through June 7th. Gail Cahalan Gallery 200 Allens Avenue Providence, RI 02903 www.gcgallery.net 401-744-0295

Last Saturday night, Hera hosted the opening reception for our current exhibition, Crossing Borders/Cruzando Fronteras . The evening was a great success, attended by artists, patrons, and people who hold the issue of immigration close to their hearts. Overall, it was a festive night, which enabled some very pertinent conversations. Right: Artist Agustin Patino with his painting, Immigrants with Five Senses. Below: Dusan Petran, of Yorick's Marionette Theater, displays his handmade marionettes during the opening reception.

An Evening of Films presented by José Torrealba, Saturday, May 10th, 6:30 – 8:30. The Providence Latin American Film Festival is a non-profit pan-cultural organization, to promote Latin-American culture and more specifically to provide Latin American film directors with an opportunity to exhibit in New England. Director, Jose Torrealba, has selected the film The Price of Sugar to show at Hera Gallery. This film follows Father Christopher Hartley as he organizes some of this hemisphere’s poorest people to fight for their basic human rights. This film raises key questions about where the products we consume originate from and at what human cost they are produced. Please view the films website for further details.

Hera Gallery is lucky to have Dusan Petran of Yorick's Marionette Theater present his work at the opening reception of Crossing Borders / Cruzando Fronteras. The opening and performance will be held at the gallery on Saturday, April 26th from 6:00 - 8:00. For more information about Yorick's, please view his website .

Hera Gallery is pleased to announce our spring fundraiser, a portfolio raffle. Back by popular demand, this raffle offers supporters an opportunity to bid on 14 original artworks; including paintings, photographs, prints, jewelry, mixed media art. This suite of work consists of a uniquel handmade portfolio box created by local artists, Aggie Stewart. This custom box opens to reveal fourteen 11” by 14” pieces of artwork. This year Hera Gallery is luck to have guest artist, Maryjean Viano Crowe, participating. She has generously contributed a mixed media piece titled “Rebus” to the portfolio. Maryjean is a prolific artist, whose work has been exhibited and published nationally; her art can also be found in permanent included in the collections of museums both within the United States and abroad. In addition, Claudia Fieo, Claudia Flynn, Alexandra Broches, Barbara Pagh, Cynthia Farnell, Islay Taylor, Jeannette Jacobs, Jill McLaughlin, John Kotula, Maureen Murray, Myron Rubenstein, R...

The United States is a mosaic of people and cultures; there is no other country in the world with more diversity. Almost all of us have a recent or distant ancestor who has crossed a border to get where they are today. Historically, waves of immigrants from various parts of the world have populated and enriched our shores. We have embraced our diverse history and our thriving culture based on the patchwork of immigration; yet, there have also been anti-immigration sentiments. Today the civic discourse between those who see immigration as a source of strength for our country and those who see it as dangerous to our way of life focuses mainly on people entering the States from Latin America. Unfortunately, this national dialogue has become dichotomized into ‘us versus them,’ ‘liberals versus conservatives,’ and ‘Democrats versus Republicans.’ The nuances of this intricate concept get lost in impassioned debates, and the topic is only addressed in starkly contrasting blacks and whites. Th...

Barbara Pagh will be exhibiting as part of Providence Art Windows. Her installation will be at Two Brothers Beauty Supply, 60 Eddy Street. An opening reception will take place on Thursday March 20 from 6-8 pm at Design Within Reach, 210 Westminster Street. The installation will stay on view through June 13th.

Hera Gallery is pleased to present “Artists From Shady Lea Come to Hera,” an exhibition featuring the eclectic works of the artists from the Mill at Shady Lea. This show will feature the works of Jane Bailey, Roberto Bessin, Jon Campbell, Barbara Crane, Jeff Elsbecker, Jody Eyre, Susan Hayward, Karen Imbriale, Sandra Krupp, Sew Many Things, and Amanda Wright. The Mill hosts a vibrant and thriving community of makers; tucked away on Mattatuxet River, the Shady Lea Mill is home to over forty artists, craftsmen, and designers. Continually changing and expanding, the Mill is an organic entity thriving off of the creativity of its tenants. “Artists From Shady Lea Come to Hera” will present the diversity of work created by select tenants of Shady Lea. Included in this biopsy will be the large format pastel drawings by Jane Bailey. Bailey’s paintings are laced with a sense of poetic loneliness, and allows for the pastel drawings to examine depth of light and space. Similarly, Barbara Cr...

Hera Gallery is pleased to announce the new membership of Troy West. West has a long established relationship with Hera Gallery; he has participated as an artist, curator, and has also helped to facilitate exhibition catalogues. Trained as an architect, West held degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and the School of Architecture at New Jersey Institute of Technology. West’s work has earned him numerous national and international awards. And has also been featured and cited in numerous books and periodicals. Troy’s artistic practice is not confined by media, as he employs a variety of materials and methodologies. His works of art have been selected for solo and group exhibitions throughout the country. He has also co-curated four socio-political art exhibitions with Hera Gallery member, Claudia Flynn.

The following text is from gallery member, John Kotula; who has been working very hard to organize the upcoming exhibition and lecture series Crossing Borders/Crusando Fronteras: On Saturday, April 19, 2008 a show entitled Crossing Boarders/Cruzando Fronteras will open at Hera Gallery. It is the goal of this exhibit to create civic engagement on the theme of immigration. Crossing Boarders is part of a larger project that has been developed with the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative, supported by many individuals and organizations. A second exhibit, entitled American Dreams/Sueños Americanos will open May 11, 2008 at the Pawtucket Visitor’s Center. I have been working on organizing this project and want to share some of the process through this blog. From 2005 through 2007, I was living in Honduras as a Peace Corps volunteer. I tried to keep up with the news back in the States by going to internet cafes and reading the New York Times online. On June 18, 2006, I ran across this article: “…a f...

The opening receptions for this years Children's and Young Adult's Exhibitions were last weekend. Both events were highly attended and well received. We are very excited to have an opportunity to bring the states most prolific young artists together, and offer an opportunity to exhibit their work in a professional gallery setting. Please enjoy the following pictures of the gallery.

Long time gallery member, Alexandra Broches will be exhibiting a recent photograph in the juried show, The Altered Landscape , at the Newspace Center for Photography in Portland, Oregon.  The exhibition runs from February 8th through 26th 2008.

Hera Gallery is pleased to be hosting the 24th Annual Children's and 23rd Annual Young Adult's Exhibition; which will open on Saturday, February 2nd and run through March 1st.  A true celebration of the developing talents from Rhode Island, this show offers young artists from across the state a unique opportunity to present their original artwork to the community in a professional gallery setting. Over 300 public, private, and home-schooled students will be participating in the exhibition. The exhibition will feature paintings, photography, sculpture, ceramics, papier-mâché, and more. This month long exhibition will showcase the limitless range of technique and creative expression of our local young artists. In addition to the programming for the exhibit, Hera Gallery is very pleased that Karen Stackow will again be leading a creative children’s workshop. Stackow is local artist and public arts specialist. Her workshops are always dynamic and provide exceptional opportunit...

Hera member, Barbara Pagh, will be exhibiting her recent work at the Grimshaw-Gudewicz Gallery at Bristol Community College in Fall River, MA.  The invitational exhibition, Printmaking Now, runs from January 24th through February 21st.  The opening reception is January 24th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm.

As the saying goes, you cannot judge a book by its cover. Because if you were to make the mistake of judging Myron Rubenstein by his proverbial cover; you would find every impression wrong. As an artist, he is the allegorical Clark Kent. His calm demeanor yields way to reveal an alternate identity that highlights Myron as an extremely prolific artist. Always quietly working on a new project, Myron has recently launched a new website, enrolled in art classes again, and is an active member at Hera Gallery as well as NoHo Gallery in Chelsea, NY. Myron is constantly pushing himself. His artistic origins are in the field of graphic design, which led way to explorations in traditional media. Canvas, oil, and mixed media then gave way to a search ‘for the convergence of traditional painting, photography, and the virtual world of computing.’ This examination of method and material led to Myron’s characteristic computer generated art. Again, the ebb and flow of his creativity has led hi...