Asheville Gallery of Art’s February show, “Who’s New?,” features the work of three new artists, Jane Molinelli, Juditta Musette, and Elise Okrend.
The diverse styles represented by the artists, from expressive to abstract to realistic, highlight the range of work found at AGA, Asheville’s longest established downtown gallery.
Jane Molinelli prefers to use the term contemporary painter to describe herself rather than using the description of abstract artist. “In reality, my work is rarely an abstraction of anything. I use color, line, and mark to convey an emotion, memory, or experience. In this way, I believe I can best communicate to the viewer using the universal visual language we all share.” She works primarily in acrylics and oil, incorporating other media in her paintings, such as pastels and graphite. Molinelli began her work in art as a fiber artist in New York City, having studied fabric design at the Fashion Institute.
Juditta Musette, painter and musician, holds the heartfelt desire that each piece of art she creates is skillfully crafted while being infused with whimsy, irresistible insight, and delight. In describing her process she says, “My visions come from within my mind’s eye. I am motivated to capture light and energy through textures and colors, while engaging with the mysteries of shadow feelings.” Musette feels it is through pure spontaneity and gut feelings that she is able to bring the inanimate to life. She has a film & video degree from the Rhode Island School of Design with a minor in Theatre from Brown.
Elise Okrend, pastel artist, finds inspiration in her observations of the natural world. Okrend says of her work, “My attention is given to a strong sense of light and an intense richness of color. My intent is to connect the viewer to a sense of healing and inner peace.” Okrend loves using pastels because she feels, “they create a direct connection from my body to the paper.” She starts each piece by blocking and building layers of color in the dark areas and working toward the lightest tones and highlights. Okrend has a background in commercial art and design. She worked for many years developing a nationally known greeting card company, MixedBlessing, before returning to her first love of painting.
“Who New?” runs from February 1 through February 28. The public is cordially invited to meet the artists at a reception on Friday, February 6, from 5 to 8 p.m. Their work and that of the other 25 gallery members will be on display and for sale through the month during regular winter hours, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The gallery is located at 16 College Street in downtown Asheville, across from Pritchard Park. For more information, call 251-5796 or visit www.ashevillegallery-of-art.com.