KJ Shows - Portrait of an Artist
Exhibition Dates: September 8-11, 2018
Reception Date: Saturday, September 8th (7-9pm)

Art has the power to start conversations and form connections. In 2008 I began working on a series of oil paintings that has done just that and it has profoundly impacted my life both personally and professionally.

The series began unexpectedly when I decided to paint an old pair of my PF Flyers that were lying on my studio floor. I wore them nearly every day and their worn soles and weathered edges told a story of my life. I became intrigued with the concept of capturing the story and character of other artist who’s work I love.

I see these paintings as unconventional and non judgemental portraits.

Shoes speak volumes about who we are. After time they develop a character all their own.

This series is about paying homage to a variety of contemporary artists worldwide and being able to connect with them personally. Creating art is my greatest purpose, yet it can become isolating. This series gives me the opportunity to connect with other artists all over the world. To date I have painted over 100 shoe portraits of both world renowned and obscure artists, including: Jamie Wyeth, John Baldessari, Ed Ruscha, Jenny Holzer and Annie Sprinkle……. and the list keeps growing.

I personally contacted artists and asked them to send the pair of shoes that best represents them. The number of positive responses that I’ve received so far pleasantly surprises me. Most of the artist have allowed me to keep their shoes. I now have a wire in my studio with over 50 pairs of shoes strung above my easel. The growing number of correspondence, ephemera and photos that I’ve collected has become an additional point of interest. Every day I look forward to going to the mailbox to see who has responded. This book chronicles the portraits, correspondence and contributing artists as a way for people to discover these great artists on their own. I plan on developing this series the rest of my life.

-KJ Shows

O' Neil Scott - American Emotion
Exhibition Dates: August 31 - September 6, 2018
Reception: Saturday September 1, 7-9pm

American Emotion

American Emotion is an exhibition that takes a look at individuals and their different emotional states in relationship to America. These emotions span from a sense of pride to a sense of sorrow and anger. American Emotion touches on topics such as the border situation, immigration and the country’s current sense of divide around justice and reverence for others. Asking the questions of, how do these topics make us feel as Americans, as well as how is the view of America being impacted across the world, each painting holds symbolism beyond the first glance.

I feel there is a constant emotional push and pull within American society.  I have experienced a large amount of injustice just being a black male in America. As a marginalized American, I think I have a higher sense of empathy for others. I easily relate to situations around equal rights, whether it’s Black Lives Matter, Women’s Rights or any other civil rights movement. Injustice for some Americans is an injustice for all Americans. We can only move forward together, recognizing that we all come from one race, the human race. Currently, I am thinking about how America as a country is feeling about its current state and reflecting that through each painting. Even with each painting portraying a different topic they all have an underlying theme of society’s current state.

Each painting encourages the viewer to step out of their current world and connect with other races, nationalities, and religions. In the end it should bring forth some awareness and understanding towards our fellow Americans. Hopefully this exhibition shows the ties that bind instead of the knives that divide.

TESS BARBATO - DARK MONEY
AUGUST 24TH - AUGUST 30, 2018
RECEPTION SATURDAY AUGUST 25, 7 - 9PM 

DARK MONEY

Over the last few years, I have explored the concept of money through my artwork. Although I have touched on many subjects, I have so far missed the most important- dark money. Dark money is what drives our government and society. It’s what creates and kills laws, alters what’s portrayed in the media, and what elects our politicians. Most elections and ballot referendums can be predicted by which campaign has more money behind it.

With the passing of Supreme Court decisions, starting with Buckley v. Valeo to the most recent Citizens United, buying results is essentially the standard method of governing. This stacked deck is more than enough to make us feel that the system is rigged. One person, one vote no longer stands. People can take to the streets, start hashtag campaigns, and vote but nothing will come of it. The military industrial complex will shut down any protest. Social media crusades are only effective on diseases and creeps. Votes are useless when money controls our politicians, not to mention the fact that many votes literally don’t count with gerrymandering and the Electoral College.

As a millennial, the system that once had promise is now beyond troubling. The fact that the majority of people want gun control and our politicians have done absolutely nothing about it is proof of the effectiveness of dark money. The CDC isn’t, at a minimum, provided funds to study gun deaths or guns as a pubic health issue. Despite the hard evidence of other countries and their forward thinking regulations and proven results, American elected officials do nothing but send thoughts and prayers, which have been scientifically proven ineffective and are just nice sound bytes. The reasoning behind this is painfully clear, which is there’s no money to be spent or gained in regulation.

There’s an inconceivably long list of such examples, most notably climate change and healthcare. All of these subjects have obvious solutions, but they are thwarted by dark money. America has turned away from following science and common sense. Greed and special interests are the only things that drive policy. This has led to the systematic dumbing down of the proletariat, who routinely vote against their own interests.

I have little hope for this country on the current path we are on. We are failing in almost every aspect. There is no light to be seen at the end of this tunnel of tragedy that we find ourselves in. The concept of this series is to illuminate what has been darkened so that others can see what is truly there.

-Tess Barbato

DECONSTRUCTED
AUGUST 1 - 10, 2018
MEET THE ARTIST RECEPTION SATURDAY AUGUST 4, 7 - 9PM

Gallery Director Carolyn Kramer is proud to present DECONSTRUCTED, a solo exhibition by newcomer to our 2018 roster, Dallas based artist Tom Hoitsma. Tom's current work consists of large-scale, landscape based "gestural" abstract paintings. 

URBAN SAINTS
Large-scale portrait paintings by CHRIS LÓPEZ
July 7th through July 13th, 2018
Meet the Artist Reception: Sunday July 8th, 7-10PM

Press Release

URBAN SAINTS is a series of large-scale portraits juxtaposing doctrinal Renaissance painting techniques with modern masculinity. The artist, Chris Lopez, is well known for his portrayal of the attitudes and distinctive personalities of his subjects in the details of his otherwise burly and raw nude paintings. His work is masculine to the core, but in a way that represents man in totality: rugged, brawny, sensory, and sensual.

Lopez says that this series is a play on the word “saint”, combining the painting styles of the Apostles and other religious masterpieces with modern subjects, adorning large tattoos that showcase their personalities. His paintings do not just represent each man, but reveal their personal memoirs; the hardships they have faced, their private suffering, and the stories they carry with them. There is an instinctual response to each painting; a relation made between the work and the viewer’s own experiences that creates an intimate, empathic connection. Viewers are enticed by the paintings to explore the personalities of each subject, from their most masculine features to their clandestine sensitivities. 

To Lopez, the men in his paintings represent saints in a secular way. He offers that “people don't need to be religious to be a saint to someone”, and reflects on stories of perseverance, passion, moving to a new country for a better life, and dealing with loss. He argues that the hardships his subjects have faced have made them better men, saint-like in his perspective, which is why he has chosen to portray them in this virtuous manner. An intentional choice to use acrylic paint on oriented strand boards blends texture into the portrait, giving the subject another expression in a realistic language. Lopez considers the panels an essential part of the painting process as they become the gestures that create and actualize his subjects.

The series is not just about the emotional and multifaceted nature of the men Lopez portrays. URBAN SAINTS is an homage to the sanctity within all of us.

Gallery Director Carolyn Kramer is proud to present THE WILD ONES, a series of large-scale photographs by artist Martina Gates. In these photographs Gates has captured the power and symbol of freedom in The Horse. Each tangled mane and arched neck bring viewers back to the exact moment these inimitable images were captured with tangible energy.

"My connection with horses has always been a part of my life. Since I was a young child it has been the place that brings me the deepest source of peace, security and happiness. Being able to capture these imperial animals with a camera is a true gift. Other forms of art have always inspired my creative process, whether it be drawing, architecture, fashion, design, or the simple magic of a singular brushstroke. When I finally realized that The Horse was my totem, the first day of photographing these magnificent beings in the wild I suddenly felt the earth shake as the thundering horses came towards me. The sensation was everything I had been waiting for. This form of art is what I will be doing for the rest of my life. This is what fulfills me. The Wild Ones is a culmination of my spiritual connection with this majestic creature". 

~ Martina Gates

The Exhibition REBEL WITH A CAUSE Has been extended to Saturday June 23, 2018

JO HAY OPEN STUDIO GALLERY
is pleased to present
REBEL WITH A CAUSE

Featuring artists Michael Elsasser, Jo Hay, KJ Shows, O’Neil Scott, Tess Barbato, and Cobi Moules. 

Carolyn Kramer is proud to exhibit the work of six extraordinary painters and their depiction of rebels from the past and present day. Tarana Burke, founder and activist of the #METOO movement has been painted by artist Michael Elsasser. Artist Jo Hay has painted Emma Gonzalez, teenage survivor of the Parkland shooting, and founder of March for Our Lives. Rosa Parks, iconic civil rights activist who refused to sit in the back of the bus has been painted by artist KJ Shows. Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes, activists and the faces of the Feminist Movement as well as the founders of Ms. Magazine has been painted by artist Tess Barbato. Football player Colin Kaepernick who took a knee to protest police brutality of people of color has been painted by artist O’Neil Scott. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a tireless advocate for the equality of women and the first Jewish woman to be appointed as a Supreme Court Justice has been painted by artist Jo Hay. Muslim activist Linda Sarsour, one of the original four founders of the Women’s March, has been painted by artist Jo Hay. 

These are the names of real American heros. 
These are Rebels with a cause.

#metoo #guncontrolnow #womensmarch #takeaknee
#transgenderEquality #civilrights #feministMovement