Rita Dawley and Friends: A Mixed Media Exhibit

WHERE:  NAC Gallery, 60 Broadway, Norwich CT 06360
WHEN:  Opening reception: Friday, September 9, 2011at 6:00pm
Exhibit runs: Wednesday, August 31to Saturday, September 25

    The Norwich Arts Center presents Rita Dawley And Friends on exhibit at the NAC Gallery from Wednesday, August 31, 2011 to Saturday, September 25, 2011.   An Opening Reception for the exhibit will be held Friday, September 9, 2011 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.  Along with other fellow artists working in a diversity of media, NAC Cooperative member and mixed media artist Rita Dawley showcases her latest work.


A bold, sometimes tropic color palette and primitive, stylized imagery are characteristic in Dawley’s portfolio, which largely consists of mixed media drawings.  This imagery is often framed in a quilt-like patchwork, evocative of folk images, but with a funky, pop art edge.  These images often hint at an enigmatic narrative.


“I reflect my emotions and moods through humor, whimsy, fantasy, and color,” Dawley says of her work.  “I would hope the viewers might respond with their own imagination and primitive instincts of storytelling while they cruise through mine.”


    Other artists exhibiting include: Karen Barthelson, pastels; Gretchen Higgins: photography; James Kaczman, acrylics; Julia Pavone, mixed; Mark Dixon, photography; San Kane, masks; Cherie-Lin Toporowski, mixed-media; and the artists grandchildren, Nick Dawley, Madison Dawley and Page Vinson.


Though opening receptions are usually held on the First Friday of every month, the opening reception for this show will be held a week later on September 9. Opening receptions in the NAC Gallery are free to the public and a great opportunity to meet the artists. Gallery hours are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 12noon to 4pm. For more info call the NAC Gallery at 860-887-2789 or visit their website at www.norwicharts.org.    


For further updates on what’s going on in the arts in the Norwich area, email the Norwich Arts Center at administration@norwicharts.org, and sign up to receive Intaglio, the NAC bi-weekly newsletter on their website.  NAC receives support from the CT Commission on Culture and Tourism, which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.