The Artists' Gallery has been a lasting presence in the downtown Columbia landscape. For visual proof, consider its 20th anniversary exhibit "Celebrating 20 Years! Charter Member Show."
Exhibiting in this show are charter members Deborah Hoeper, Bonita Glaser, Jing-Jy Chen, Denise Tarbell and Carl Segal. Their work has been shown on these art gallery walls for a long time and, for that matter, also has a place on living room wallsall over Howard County.
These artists generally have a strong interest in depicting landscapes.
Hoeper, for instance, uses the medium of watercolor to emphasize how atmospheric conditions affect the way in which you perceive a landscape. In "Three Pines," the entire landscape seems as if it is being perceived in a hazy way, with only those three pine trees possessing a very solid form. In "Mountain Sunset," that time of day makes for a darkish brown landscape topped by a pale yellow sky.
Glaser has a different approach to watercolor landscapes here, because there is a relatively sharper sense of definitional line and color in "Assateague Channel." The calm blue water and yellow reed-defined shoreline attest to a bright and sunny day in which the natural world is seen with refreshing precision.
Nature also serves as the basis for Chen's watercolors, which fall within art-historical traditions in Asian art. Her "Blue Iris" is a beautifully spare depiction of a plant defined by its slender green stalk and delicate blue-and-yellow flowers.
There's also an immersion in nature in Segal's vividly colorful photographs. In "Seahorse in Bright Garden," that yellow seahorse ironically almost pales by comparison with the assertive shades of blue, green and other colors to be seen in an underwater coral reef environment. The photographer is securely on dry ground for "Striped Beauty," which provides a close-up portrait of a tiger.
The other exhibiting charter member works in stained glass. Tarbell's floor-standing "Elevator Gate" has stained glass panels set within an oak frame. The panels have a purple lattice design that really stands out against the otherwise clear glass panes.
A visually punchy sense of color is often seen in this exhibit. Besides showcasing multiple artworks by the above-mentioned charter members, this exhibit also includes a lot of art by gallery members who have joined it over the past 20 years.
An oil painting by Nancy Lee Davis, "Friendly Cows," makes a striking impression owing to the three purple-and-white cows backed by invitingly green grass. Artists see the world in their own distinctive ways, and if Davis sees purple cows, well, she sees purple cows.
Deep purple also predominates in Barbara Steinacker's pastel "Saltwater Marsh," which suggests that atmospheric conditions can make an entire watery landscape seem to be dominated by variations on a single color.
The other artists in this group show deal with a range of subject matter and mediums. On a locally topical note, Rana Geralis has a watercolor,
"Preakness Runners," in which the nervously thin definitional lines give a sense of just how fast these horses are racing down the track.
Among the woodworkers in the show, Jim Oliver's modestly sized "Dogwood Bowl" calls your attention to wood grain patterning; and among those working in ceramics, Winnie Coggins has a "Celebration Bowl" whose festive colors speak to this show's anniversary mood.
"Celebrating 20 Years: Charter Member Show" runs through May 29 at the Artists' Gallery, in the American City Building at 10227 Wincopin Circle in Columbia. Call 410-740-8249 or go to http://www.artistsgallerycolumbia.com.