Beatriz Ledesma: Book Publication

July 11, 2024 Viridian Artists

Congratulations to Beatriz Ledesma on the publication of her new book:
MANDALAS: A PERSONAL JOURNEY IN MANDALA JOURNALING

Click here to order your copy!

Press Release: “Moments in Time”

July 2, 2024 Viridian Artists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PLEASE LIST

“Moments in Time”
Viridian Affiliates
Tuesday, July 9 – Saturday, August 3, 2024
Opening Reception: Thursday, July 11, 6-8pm
Closing Reception: Saturday, August 3, 4-6pm

Marie-Ange Hoda Ackad * Matthew Cohen * Irene Christensen
Charles Hildebrandt * Beatriz Ledesma
Shawn Marshall * Vernita N’Cognita * Sheila Smith

Chelsea NY: Viridian Artists is pleased to present “Moments in Time,” an exhibition of outstanding art by artists who are part of Viridian Artists’ Affiliate program. The show opens Tuesday, July 9 and continues through Saturday, August 3, 2024 with an Opening Reception: Thursday, July 11, 6-8pm and a Closing Reception, Saturday, August 3, 4-6pm.

Time and timelessness are both constant considerations in our lives as we pass through different phases of living. When we are young, we anxiously awake summer vacation and when we grow older, time speeds along far too quickly. Creative acts as well, are moments that vary in length psychologically, spiritually, and emotionally as well as in actuality. These artists, each in their own creative and aesthetic ways are uniquely dealing with time.

Artist Beatriz Ledesma sees herself as a symbolist artist and is drawn to the spirituality and symbolism of ordinary objects. In our present era, she finds scissors to be particularly relevant and meaningful objects to contemplate, for in her research she discovered that scissors have been believed to possess protective powers, serving as a talisman against witchcraft and malevolent forces. In medieval times, scissors were commonly placed beneath doormats to ward off evil. The artist states that “In light of our current tumultuous and chaotic times, as inhabitants of this earthly realm, it is worth considering what things we would like to eliminate from our daily human existence. Therefore, it is worth considering the idea of keeping scissors under our doormats as a form of protection from unwanted influences.”

Matt Cohen’s mixed media works contain areas of layering paint, wire mesh, etched and painted plexiglass, and sections of drawings secured with thin, dark wires. Cohen’s art concerns the juxtaposition of time and timelessness. There is the sense of history in the making of his work as he incorporates layers to expose earlier decisions. He feels a connection with some Baroque painting and is influenced by the dark recesses and overlaying of painted grids. About the works in this show, he states that “these moments of memory are equally present with thoughts that are continuous in our moments of exchanges, activities, or observations in our physical present; they are not truly of the past – they are one of many thoughts we have throughout our lives and are there in our minds on an equal plane.”

Shawn Marshall is a Kentucky-based artist whose artistic process is significantly shaped by the integration of her multidisciplinary background in architecture and sculpture. She is concerned with consumption and waste and so collects discarded and found materials of paper, cardboard, etc. and then merges the carefully selected mixed media with paint to, as the artist says, “create intricate webs and imprints of our existence.” The artist sees each of her artworks as a dialogue between the present and the past. She goes on to say, that “it is through this rhythm of placement and removal that our intricate relationship with the world unfolds, leaving behind a tapestry of ideas, experiences, and memories that weave together to create new imprints and narratives.”

Sheila Smith’s first camera was a Brownie box camera. In the sixties, as a secretary to the creative director of Columbia Records, Smith was exposed to and inspired by the great photographers of that era. She went on to study advertising and design at SVA, ultimately becoming an Art Director and continuing to work with top photographers, including Richard Avedon. She studied photography at the New School while at the same time taking drawing and painting classes at the Art Students League. Painting for many years, she never abandoned photography and has continued to take pictures since 1997. Now, her photographs have become paintings as she alters and reconstructs them in photoshop. About her work Smith says, “I enjoy photographing a multitude of subjects which categorizes me as a “generalist."

Charles Hildebrandt lives and works in Winston-Salem, NC. His early artistic beginnings were in photography, but his creative work has grown to include mixed media collage and acrylic landscapes. Many of his mixed media pieces still involve his photographic work, but also include acrylic, sheet metal, and other materials. About his paintings, the artist says that “the majority of landscape paintings come from a memory, or an extension of an image from a photograph taken. However, few of them are literal translations of either; they are combinations of life experiences, observations, photographs, and interpretations.” Moments.

Irene Christensen manages to divide her time producing her work not only in her studios in New York City as well as in Oslo, Norway, but also for one month each year in Costa Rica. She has exhibited in both Europe and the United States since 1983. She participated in the Personal Structures exhibition organized by the Global Art Affairs Foundation and hosted by the European Cultural Center in the context of the Venice Art Biennale of 2017. Her work is represented in many museums and personal collections in Europe and USA. About the work in this exhibit, “Tomorrow We Meet The Alligator,” the artist states that “The alligators are predators but part of life on this earth. In my series of streamers I use 7”x5” hand dyed and drawn/painted paper, pasted on either old fax paper or muslin cloth or rice paper."

Montreal-based artist Marie-Ange Hoda Ackad sees the contradictions between what things look like or appear to be and what they actually are. Particularly in this time of fake reality and ‘alternative facts’ when almost anything can be falsified, she asks us to focus not on what we see but on the meaning that lies within. In the United States she has shown at the ISEA International Symposium of Experimental Arists, the Brownsville Museum in Texas, Center for Contemporary Art in Bedford, New Jersey and Viridian Artists in Chelsea NYC. Her work appeared on a billboard in central Los Angeles as part of the Billboard Creatives 2016 Exhibition. She participated in the Help Hope Nepal Mural project during Art Basel Miami 2015 and her portrait of Gradimir Pankov, former artistic director of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, won the Bronze Award in painting in the Art Forward international competition in 2016 and was featured in a film tribute to Pankov’s achievements.

Vernita N”Cognita, aka Vernita Nemec has been dealing with the environment through her art-making for the past 20 years, first with her Endless Junkmail Scroll and now with sculpture created from upcycled plastic food containers and other plastic detritus. She uses the aesthetics of Wabi-Sabi by focusing on the beauty of the discarded plastic’s physicality and uselessness and then creating art from it, saving it from enlarging the plastic gyres growing in the oceans, killing the coral and sea creatures who think it is food. These plastic objects from everyday life coalesce into compositions that speak to the chaotic interplay between our lives and the pervasiveness of plastic detritus that continues to grow with time. Nemec has been active as an artist, a curator, environmentalist and a feminist, organizing one of the first all-female art exhibits, “X-12”, in 1970. She was a part of Soho 20, a feminist cooperative gallery, in the 70’s & has presented more than 30 solo exhibits and performances in the US, Europe and Asia. More about the artist can be found on Wikipedia.

Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12–6pm
For further information please contact: Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director
or Jenny Belin, Assistant Director at viridianartistsinc@gmail.com
visit us on Instagram @viridianartistsinc and see us on Facebook & YouTube at Viridian Artists Gallery

Press Release: “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”

June 4, 2024 Viridian Artists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PLEASE LIST

“The Unbearable Lightness of Being”

A group exhibit of Viridian Artists

June 11- July 6, 2024

Opening reception Thursday June 13, 6–8pm

Closing reception Saturday, July 6, 4–6pm

Steffani Bailey * Jenny Belin * Saba Besier * Renée Borkow * Zoe Brown-Weissmann *
Ellen Burnett * Sabine Carlson * Irene Christensen * Stacey Clarfield Newman * Matt Cohen * Chasity Colón * Rebecca Dearden * Rhonda Donovan * May DeViney * Stefanie Eins *
Arlene Finger * David Fitzgerald * Deb Flagel * Alan Gaynor * Wally Gilbert *
Joshua Greenberg * Charles Hildebrandt * Kazuo Ishikawa * Kat King * Marco Lando * Beatriz Ledesma * Stephanie Lempres * Rosemary K. Lyons * Shawn Marshall *
Sai Morikawa * Rick Mullin * Nancy Nicol * Vernita Nemec * Brett Poza *
Laura Rutherford Renner * Sarah Riley * Bruce Rosen * Kathleen Shanahan * Dorothy Shaw * Susan Sills * Virginia Smit * Robert Smith *Sheila Smith * Christopher T. Terry * Meredeth Turshen *

“The goals we pursue are always veiled. A girl who longs for marriage longs for something she knows nothing about. The boy who hankers after fame has no idea what fame is. The thing that gives our every move its meaning is always totally unknown to us.”

― Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Chelsea NY: Viridian Artists is pleased to present an exhibition of extraordinary art by the artists of Viridian. The show opens June 11 and continues through July 6 with a reception Thursday, June 13th, 6–8pm and a closing reception Saturday July 6, 4–6pm.

“Only the most naive of questions are truly serious.”

― Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Milan Kundera was a Czech writer who explored through his writing the intricacies of life and thought with his particularly sensitive observations of people and ideas. “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” was published in 1984 with much of the plot set during the Communist occupation of Czechoslovakia and yet it was more about love than politics and more about philosophy than reality. The book has remained a favorite of many, perhaps particularly free-thinking artists. It seemed the perfect theme for this show happening during the 3rd or 4th spring of the pandemic when we are all so tired and drained by the last few years and the ongoing craziness of reality.

“Our dreams prove that to imagine - to dream about things that have not happened - is among mankind's deepest needs.”

― Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being

We look forward to bringing to you “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” in the form of drawings, paintings, collage and other art forms rather than only in words.

Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12–6pm

For further information please contact: Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director

or Jenny Belin, Assistant Director at viridianartistsinc@gmail.com

visit us on Instagram @viridianartistsinc and see us on Facebook & YouTube at Viridian Artists Gallery

Press Release: Stefanie Eins: “Miniature Works from the African Desert”

May 1, 2024 Viridian Artists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Please List

Stefanie Eins
“Miniature Works from the African Desert”
May 16 – June 8, 2024
Opening reception Thursday, May 16, 5 – 8 pm
Closing reception Saturday, June 8, 4 – 6 pm

Chelsea NY: Viridian Artists is pleased to present Stefanie Eins’ “Miniature Works from the African Desert”, her first solo exhibition with the gallery. On view from May 16 through June 8, the exhibit will feature miniature paintings and drawings by the artist which she created in Namibia, Africa. The opening reception will take place on Thursday, May 16, from 5–8pm with a closing reception occurring the last day of the exhibit on Saturday, June 8, 4–6 pm.

Unlike most art exhibits you will see in New York City, Stefanie Eins’ first solo exhibit at Viridian consists primarily of miniature drawings and paintings that she completed over the last twenty-five years. In this exhibition We will be showing mostly small sized work: the impact is remarkable.

The small paintings, created since 1993, are filled with color created through a slow, laborious process of layering oil paint in abstract shapes and spaces with the theme being simply the power of color and pure form. A fascination with color and the abstract spaces created with light and shadow in the endless environment of the African desert are among the many sources of her inspiration. Growing up in Germany and then living 20 years in Switzerland created for the artist a sense of life as a traveler, absorbing her surroundings and gathering memorabilia to incorporate into her art; found stamps, tickets, and fragments from nature.

Together with the small painted works, Eins is presenting two series of drawings. From 2000 to 2012, her lines only hint at the total picture, leaving just clues to the scene’s whole. Incorporating collage elements of pressed eucalyptus and olive leaves half-covered with transparent paper, the drawings hint at life conserved. Her mother’s passing during that time gives a sense of sadness to many of the pieces in this series of works.

The drawings that Stefanie created from 2013 to 2024, were made with a more intuitive approach. Rather than thinking ahead as she drew, the artist would instead let the work emerge intuitively and then analyze it later. During this time, she also experimented with a sewing machine using it as her tool for drawing. Most of these 20 collaged works are also limited in size along with four larger lino prints made in 2022 that are part of a series of 21.

Stefanie has exhibited her art extensively throughout Switzerland, Germany and Africa. The noted curator Gabriele Obrist wrote about Stefanie’s large format art saying “Envision rectangles, each distinct in size and delineated by strokes of varying boldness- some solid, others mere outlines. These shapes coalesce into intricate compositions, reminiscent at times of the luminous allure of stained-glass windows, or, in a fleeting change of perspective, the enigmatic depths of archaeological sites viewed from above. The abstract nature of these forms is a canvas for the mind, inviting a myriad of associations. They act as portals, guiding us through the corridors of memory and the vast expanses of our imagination.”

Viridian Artists looks forward to sharing this wonderful exhibit with you and we hope that you will come Saturday, June 8th at 4pm, to hear Stefanie talk about how she approaches creating her incredible art.

Press Release: Robert Smith: "The Shadows Know"

April 3, 2024 Viridian Artists

Robert Smith
“It’s curtains 2742”
Archival Pigment Print

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Please List

Robert Smith
“The Shadows Know”
April 16th–May 11th 2024
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 18th: 6 –8 p.m.

Chelsea NY: Viridian Artists is pleased to present an exhibition of extraordinary photographs by Robert Smith entitled “The Shadows Know.” The show opens April 16th and continues through May 11th with a reception Thursday, April 18th, 6 to 8 p.m.

The photography of Robert Smith offers a new context to the tradition of classical Chiaroscuro. He shows us a different, dynamic way of capturing Chiaroscuro through a series of close-up photographic images of curtains taken during the last half decade. With a simple, natural fiber cotton curtain and a window opening, a developing breeze begins to create movement against the wooden sash. Of course, the play of light being such a fundamental touchstone, the accompanying darks and shadows in ephemeral folds are revelatory, creating all manner of expressive, visual possibilities.

In effect, Smith is creating a connection of the human centric world of fabric to the natural world of air, in movement, in a symbiotic relationship that becomes a fascinating, visual landscape. At that, his oeuvre has focused mainly on the close-up, undisturbed natural landscape, yet he sees this tangent as a logical extension of interest as he ages with accompanying physical limitations. It’s an example we may take to heart.

The images themselves range from the simple to the complex, from the bold and dramatic to the lyrical and sublime. Encompassing powerfully evocative blacks measured against mysterious and magical shadows, they bring to mind abstract expressionist compositions akin to Franz Kline and Robert Motherwell paintings and Aaron Siskind photographs. Historically, Siskind and Minor White are two of his favorite creators, good company.

Smith lives in New York and has a summer studio on Monhegan Island off midcoast Maine, steeped in landscape art history, and where these photographs were taken. There he leads “Steps to Seeing” walks opening eyes to the richness of the natural landscape while acknowledging the importance of the practice of Sensory Awareness, a discipline of living more in the present moment that has given him a special way of seeing, informing his vision. Smith has a deep body of work from Monhegan and Point Lobos, California. His photographs are in numerous private and corporate collections in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Africa and throughout Europe. One final point, Robert has a good sense of humor and insists there is no truth to the rumor that he is, in some way, related to Lamont Cranston! Enjoy this exhibition.

Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12–6pm

For further information please contact: Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director

or Jenny Belin, Assistant Director at viridianartistsinc@gmail.com

visit us on Instagram @viridianartistsinc and see us on Facebook & YouTube at Viridian Artists Gallery

Contemporary Dancer, Geo Koryu , will be performing at Kazuo Ishikawa's Closing Reception on Saturday, April 13th at 4pm.

April 3, 2024 Viridian Artists

Kazuo Ishikawa
”Imaginary Landscapes”
Closing Reception: Saturday, April 13, 4–6pm

With a 4pm Butoh-inspired Contemporary Dance Performance by Geo Koryu

Geo Koryu is native of Japan, Butoh-inspired contemporary dancer, and a Certified Evans Method Modern Dance Instructor. He studied Japanese Butoh dance with Yoshito Ohno, Yukio Waguri, Ko Muroboshi, Toru Iwashita, Moe Yamamoto, and Seisaku; Japanese sword dance with Kensei Namiki; Mime and Break Dance at Harajuku Dance Academy, Laban-Bartenieff-based-modern-dance with Bill Evans, Limon-Technique with Angela Dennis, Release-Technique with Gretchen Hurd, Middle-Eastern Dance with Narah Bint Durr, and West-African Dance with Jonathan Burbank. Recently, Geo was an Artist in Residence at Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, at Center for Remembering and Sharing in Manhattan, and at Leimay at Cave in Brooklyn NY.

Kazuo Ishikawa's "Imaginary Landscapes" is featured in Meer Magazine

March 20, 2024 Viridian Artists

Kazuo Ishikawa
Imaginary landscapes
19 Mar — 13 Apr 2024 at the Viridian Artists in New York, United States

Kazuo Ishikawa, “Winter Forest”, H30 x W19 x D7 inches; Mixed Media. Courtesy of the artist and Viridian Artists

Viridian Artists is pleased to present Kazuo Ishikawa’s "Imaginary Landscapes", his first solo exhibition with the gallery. The exhibit will feature a mixture of old and new wall sculptures with the older works possessing more vivid colors while the newer works have more natural coloration.

It’s always interesting to see how an artist’s work evolves and Ishikawa’s works allow us to see this one small aspect of his creative evolution. Though the artworks are somewhat different over time, the artist’s method of composing remains the same and his intention continues to be one of looking for hidden landscapes as he begins to gather the variety of materials he uses to create each work. In the new works, one finds more natural materials like bark & branches that add an aspect of realism to these otherwise abstract and imaginary representations of landscape. It has been said that:

Kazuo Ishikawa finds himself always looking for hidden landscapes as he gathers together a variety of materials to create an artwork. To bring these elements to life, he makes the invisible visible to the viewer through juxtaposing the inconsistencies and complexities. Approaching his constructions from multi-dimensional perspectives, the works he creates possess complex spatial considerations that defy easy interpretations.

Ishikawa’s imaginary landscapes begin with hidden landscapes akin to blueprints – a basic landscape drawing of sorts, of spaces “seen” that don’t exist in three-dimensional space, for they are “hidden” in his imagination. The artist creates the works intuitively, using the drawing as a beginning and then fitting together the found elements like a jigsaw puzzle, but with many layers of meaning.

In his more recent works, the artist works more closely with the theme of Mother Nature, using more natural elements and materials, as he conjures more real places, like forests. Though he uses the same methods with both series of works, the artist finds the conclusion to be more specific and literal. As he states:

In this way, I draw, find, and mine the pieces. My way is still not perfect and completed, still in progress. I will try to improve it and strive for perfection.

Washington Square News Review : "Herstory": An exhibition for all genders.

March 12, 2024 Viridian Artists

The “Herstory” gallery inside of Viridian Artists Inc. on 548 W. 28 St. (Courtesy photo by Vernita Nemec)

Viridian’s Herstory exhibition has received a wonderful review in The Washington Square Review

Throughout history, a woman’s place in society has often been tethered to men. With the prerogative of redirecting this pattern, the “Herstory” exhibition at the Viridian Artists Inc. gallery in Chelsea alters the spelling of history, creating a new feminist narrative.

“Herstory” is an annual exhibition put on by Viridian Artists Inc. to celebrate Women’s History Month. Open until March 16, this year’s exhibition features artists including Jenny Belin, Renée Borkow, Matt Cohen and Sai Morikawa. With acrylic, oil, multimedia and photographic works, “Herstory” examines the triumphs, tribulations and perseverance of the female experience.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Press Release: Kazuo Ishikawa: "Imaginary Landscapes"

February 28, 2024 Viridian Artists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Please List

Kazuo Ishikawa
"Imaginary Landscapes"
March 19- April 13, 2024

Opening Reception: Thursday, March 21, 6–8pm
Closing Reception: Saturday, April 13, 4–6pm
With a 4pm Butoh-inspired Contemporary Dance Performance by Geo Koryu

Chelsea NY: Viridian Artists is pleased to present Kazuo Ishikawa’s "Imaginary Landscapes", his first solo exhibition with the gallery. On view from March 19 through April 13, the exhibit will feature a mixture of old and new wall sculptures with the older works possessing more vivid colors while the newer works have more natural coloration. The opening reception will take place on Thursday, March 21, from 6–8pm and the artist will be present that evening.

It’s always interesting to see how an artist’s work evolves and Ishikawa’s works allow us to see this one small aspect of his creative evolution. Though the artworks are somewhat different over time, the artist’s method of composing remains the same and his intention continues to be one of looking for hidden landscapes as he begins to gather the variety of materials, he uses to create each work. In the new works, one finds more natural materials like bark & branches that add an aspect of realism to these otherwise abstract and imaginary representations of landscape.

It has been said that "Kazuo Ishikawa finds himself always looking for hidden landscapes as he gathers together a variety of materials to create an artwork. To bring these elements to life, he makes the invisible visible to the viewer through juxtaposing the inconsistencies and complexities. Approaching his constructions from multi-dimensional perspectives, the works he creates possess complex spatial considerations that defy easy interpretations.”

Ishikawa’s imaginary landscapes begin with hidden landscapes akin to blueprints – a basic landscape drawing of sorts, of spaces “seen” that don’t exist in three-dimensional space, for they are “hidden” in his imagination. The artist creates the works intuitively, using the drawing as a beginning and then fitting together the found elements like a jigsaw puzzle, but with many layers of meaning.

In his more recent works, the artist works more closely with the theme of Mother Nature, using more natural elements and materials, as he conjures more real places, like forests. Though he uses the same methods with both series of works, the artist finds the conclusion to be more specific and literal. As he states, “In this way, I draw, find, and mine the pieces. My way is still not perfect and completed, still in progress. I will try to improve it and strive for perfection.”

We look forward to sharing these exciting and evocative works with you. You can see more of his art on the gallery website at www.viridianartists.com/Kazuo Ishikawa and on his website: https://kazuoishikawa.com/ and blog: https://kazuoishikawa.seesaa.net/

Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12–6pm

For further information please contact: Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director

or Jenny Belin, Assistant Director at viridianartistsinc@gmail.com

visit us on Instagram @viridianartistsinc and see us on Facebook & YouTube at Viridian Artists Gallery

Press Release: HERSTORY: The Battle Continues

January 31, 2024 Viridian Artists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Please List

HISTORY
HERSTORY
The Battle Continues
An exhibition for all genders

February 20 – March 16, 2024
Opening reception: Thursday February 29, 6–8pm

Marie-Ange Hoda Ackad * Ayako Bando * Saba Besier * Jenny Belin * Reneé Borkow
Zoe Brown-Weissmann * Ellen Burnett * Sabine Carlson * Irene Christensen * Matt Cohen
Tonia Cowan * Rebecca Dearden * May DeViney * Vicki Engonopoulos
Elizabeth Fidoten * David Fitzgerald * Deb Flagel * Elizabeth Ginsberg * Joshua Greenberg Miho Hiranouchi * Lori Horowitz * Kat King * Beatriz Ledesma * Angela M. LaMonte Stephanie Lempres * Rui Mercia * Sai Morikawa
Rick Mullin * Vernita Nemec * Anna Novakov * Petronia Paley * Alla Podolsky
Laura Rutherford Renner Melissa Schainker * Kathleen Shanahan * Susan Sills
Vicky Tesmer * Meredeth Turshen * Ellen Waldorf * Ku Watanabe *
Maiko Watanabe * Victoria Webb* K. Junko* Rosemary Lyons

Chelsea NY: Viridian Artists is pleased to present “HERSTORY,” an exhibition of outstanding art by all genders celebrating women. The show extends from February 20 – March 16, 2024, with an opening on the eve of the first day of International Women’s Month, Thursday, February 29, 6–8pm.

Because women are still 2nd class citizens in so many ways, we have listed some of the startling facts of HERSTORY, both positive and negative. The source for these facts is: https://yourdream.liveyourdream.org

1769 — The early American colonies base their laws on the English common law, which said, “By marriage, the husband and wife are one person in the law. The very being and legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage, or at least is incorporated into that of her husband under whose wing and protection she performs everything.”

1777 — All states pass laws taking away women’s right to vote.

1833 — Oberlin College is founded as the first co-educational institution that accepts women and African Americans.

1848 — At Seneca Falls, 300 women and men sign the Declaration of Sentiments, a plea for the end of discrimination against women.

1848 — New York passes the Married Woman’s Property Act. For the first time, a woman isn’t automatically liable for her husband’s debts; she could enter contracts on her own; she could collect rents or receive an inheritance in her own right; she could file a lawsuit on her own behalf. She became for economic purposes, an individual.

1870 — The 15th Amendment is ratified, saying, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” African Americans may vote now, but women may not.

1872 — Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman to run for U.S. President. She receives few votes.

1890 — Wyoming becomes the first state to grant women the right to vote in its state elections.

1900 — By now, every state has passed legislation modeled after New York’s Married Women’s Property Act (1848), granting married women some control over their property and earnings.

1918 — Margaret Sanger wins her suit in New York to allow doctors to advise their married patients about birth control for health purposes.

1920 — The 19th Amendment is ratified and grants women the right to vote. It declares: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

1922 — Suffragette and activist Rebecca Felton is appointed the first woman U.S. Senator. At 87-years-old, she serves for only two days.

1923 — The National Woman’s Party proposes a Constitutional amendment: “Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and in every place subject to its jurisdiction. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” It does not pass.

1932 — Hattie Wyatt Caraway, of Arkansas, becomes the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate.

1933 — Labor Secretary Frances Perkins is the first woman to serve on a Presidential Cabinet under Franklin D. Roosevelt.

1934 — Lettie Pate Whitehead becomes the first American woman to serve as a director of a major corporation, the Coca-Cola Company.

1936 — Judicial approval of medicinal use of birth control is established.

1937 — The U.S. Supreme Court upholds Washington state’s minimum wage laws for women.

1963 — The Equal Pay Act is passed, promising equitable wages for the same work, regardless of the race, color, religion, national origin or sex of the worker.

1964 — The Civil Rights Act passes, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.

1965 — In Griswold v Connecticut, the Supreme Court overturns one of the last state laws prohibiting the prescription or use of contraceptives by married couples.

1969 — In Bowe v. Colgate-Palmolive Company, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals rules that women meeting the physical requirements can work jobs that had been for men only.

1969 — Shirley Chisholm, of New York, becomes the first African American woman in Congress. Her motto is, “Unbought and unbossed.” She serves in the U.S. House of Representatives for 14 years.

1971 — In Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corporation, the U.S. Supreme Court outlaws the practice of private employers refusing to hire women with pre-school children.

1972 — Title IX of the Education Amendments prohibits sex discrimination in all aspects of education programs that receive federal support.

1972 — In Eisenstadt v. Baird, the Supreme Court rules that the right to privacy encompasses an unmarried person’s right to use contraceptives.

1972 — Katharine Graham becomes the first woman to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company (The Washington Post).

1973 — With its Roe v. Wade decision, the U.S. Supreme Court declares that the Constitution protects women’s right to terminate an early pregnancy, thus making abortion legal in the U.S.

1974 — Housing discrimination on the basis of sex and credit discrimination against women are outlawed by Congress.

1974 — Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleur determines it is illegal to force pregnant women to take maternity leave on the assumption they are incapable of working in their physical condition.

1974 — The Women’s Educational Equity Act funds the development of nonsexist teaching materials and model programs that encourage full educational opportunities for girls and women.

1974 — The Equal Credit Opportunity Act passes. It does away with the practice of banks requiring single, widowed or divorced women to bring a man along to cosign any credit application.

1975 — In Taylor v. Louisiana, the court denies states the right to exclude women from juries.

1978 — The Pregnancy Discrimination Act bans discrimination against women based on pregnancy, childbirth or related medical issues.

1981 — Sandra Day O’Connor is appointed as the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

1984 — In Roberts v. U.S. Jaycees, sex discrimination in organizational membership policies is forbidden, opening many previously all-male organizations (Jaycees, Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions) to women.

1987 — After being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress designates March as Women’s History Month.

1994 — Congress adopts the Gender Equity in Education Act to train teachers in gender equity, promote math and science learning by girls, counsel pregnant teens, and prevent sexual harassment.

1994 — The Violence Against Women Act funds services for victims of rape and domestic violence, allows women to seek civil rights remedies for gender-related crimes, provides training to increase police and court officials’ sensitivity and a national 24-hour hotline for battered women.

1996 — Supreme Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg writes the landmark decision in United States v. Virginia, which held that the state-supported Virginia Military Institute could not refuse to admit women.

1997 — Madeleine Albright is sworn in as U.S. Secretary of State. She is the first woman in this position.

2005 — Condoleezza Rice becomes the first black female Secretary of State.

2007 — Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female Speaker of the House.

2009 — Sonia Sotomayor becomes the first Hispanic American and the third woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

2013 — The ban against women in military combat positions is removed; this overturned 1994 Pentagon decision restricting women from combat roles.

2013 — Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. The new bill extends coverage to women of Native American tribal lands who are attacked by non-tribal residents, as well as lesbians and immigrants.

2016 — Hillary Rodham Clinton makes history when she secures the presidential nomination for the Democrat Party, becoming the first U.S. woman to lead the ticket of a major party. She loses the election.

2017 — A worldwide protest called The Women’s March happens the day following Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. It was the largest single-day protest in U.S. history with an estimated 4 million participating in local marches across the nation. The organizers’ goal for the march was “send a bold message to our new administration on their first day in office, and to the world that women’s rights are human rights.”

2020 — Kamala Harris is sworn in as the first woman and first woman of color vice president of the United States. She said, “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last.”

2022 — The Supreme Court rules that the constitution does not confer any right to abortion, thus overruling both
Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) and setting off waves of protests across the U.S.

The Road Ahead

Women are still at a higher risk for poverty:

· Unequal 20 cent wage gap between men and women

· Bear the burden of low-wage jobs and unpaid caregiving work

· 1/3 of single mothers live in poverty

Women are still victimized by sexual violence:

· 33% of women are likely to be abused

· 4.7 million American women experience physical violence by an intimate partner

· Women in the U.S. military are more likely to be raped by fellow soldiers than killed in combat

Women are still underrepresented in leadership:

· 19% of all members of Congress are women

· Of 50 state governors, 4 are women (8%)

· Of the Fortune 500 companies, 25 are led by women CEOs (5%)*

*The source for these facts is: https://yourdream.liveyourdream.org

Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12–6pm

For further information please contact: Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director

or Jenny Belin, Assistant Director at viridianartistsinc@gmail.com

view the gallery website: www.viridianartists.com or visit Instagram @viridianartistsinc

and see us on Facebook & YouTube at Viridian Artists Gallery

Two photographs by Alan Gaynor will be included in an exhibition at the Colors of Humanity Art Gallery

January 30, 2024 Viridian Artists

Congratulations to Alan Gaynor!
Two of Gaynor’s Photographs will be included in the Colors of Humanity Art Gallery’s February 2024 show, entitled “Red”.

Click here on February 1, 2024 to find out which works were chosen and to see which works were selected as winners

Artists Talk on Art Presents: ATOA’s “Presidents' Panel”: January 22nd, 2024 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EST

January 16, 2024 Viridian Artists

Artists Talk on Art Presents:

ATOA’s “Presidents' Panel”

Panelists

Lori Antonacci, co-founder and founding president of Artists Talk on Art

Albert Dépas, artist, poet and educator, founder of Fessings Coaching Service

Vernita Nemec, director of Viridian Artists Gallery, former director of Artists Talk on Art

Moderator

Doug Sheer, co-founder and president of Artists Talk on Art

January 22nd, 2024

7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EST

Virtual Event | Hosted via Zoom

PASSWORD and ZOOM LINK”

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86314194491

Password 737066

Press Release: “UN-TRASHED”an “Art from Detritus” exhibit

January 10, 2024 Viridian Artists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Please List

“UN-TRASHED”
an “Art from Detritus” exhibit
Curated by Vernita Nemec
January 23 – February 17, 2024
Reception: Thursday, January 25, 6-8pm
Art Talk, Saturday February 17, 4pm

Denise Adler * Jennifer Bain * Brandin Barón * John Bassett * Annaliese Bischoff
Zoe Brown-Weissmann * Ellen Burnett * Lindsay-Ann Chilcott * James Ciosek
Irene Christensen * May DeViney * Harry DeLorme * Kiffi Diamond * Jean Foos
Debra Friedkin * Michael Angelo Gagliardi * Rachel Green * Halona Hilbertz
Bernice Sokol Kramer * Kathy Levine * Mia Loia * Gail Meyers * Nancy Nicol
Felicia Olch * Melinda Rasch Elizabeth Downer Riker
Courtney Lee Weida * Larry Zdeb

Chelsea NY: Viridian Artists is pleased to present the exhibit “UN-TRASHED” featuring fine art made primarily from trash. The heart of this exhibit is the message of the three R's: Reduce/Reuse/Recycle and most importantly, Upcycle, as the artists in this exhibit have done. The exhibit will open January 23 and continues through February 17 with a reception January 25, 6-8pm and an Art Talk Saturday, February 17, 4pm. 10% of sales of the artworks in this exhibit will be given to an environmental organization fighting the evils of trash.

“UN-TRASHED” attempts to say it straight as artists have long used trash as a medium, sometimes because of the beauty they see in such objects or other times because of limited funds. But the message in this exhibit is clear: we must realize that our environment is at stake if we continue to merely discard packaging and broken or un-desired objects in our possession. We must begin to un-trash, reuse and upcycle all that we possibly can. The artists in this exhibit are showing us only one solution – to make art created primarily from debris. Some of the works present themselves through the mere use of these materials, others are more decisive in their message of the evils of trash if it is left untethered.

“Art from Detritus”, or art from waste, was conceived by artist/curator Vernita Nemec in 1994 in Portland, Oregon during the annual conference of the National Recycling Coalition (NRC). The first “Art from Detritus” exhibit was presented in the lobby of a recycled Sears Roebuck building, the corporate headquarters for municipal waste & recycling in Portland. Since then, the exhibit has re-occurred with funding from the Kauffman Foundation, the Puffin Foundation and sponsorship by the NRC. Past Detritus exhibitions have occurred in Pittsburgh, Kansas City MO, Phoenix AZ, Turners Falls MA and NYC. You can see more information and images of past Detritus shows at www.ncognita.com. Since that time, the changing groups of artists in these environmentally conscious exhibits have opened an ongoing dialogue about the importance of protecting the environment through their art-making.

We hope that you will be able to see this art in person and we hope that you can come on the last day of the exhibit Saturday, February 17 to hear these artists talk about their art and environmental concerns.

Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12–6pm

For further information please contact: Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director  or Jenny Belin, Assistant Director at viridianartistsinc@gmail.com

Visit Instagram @viridianartistsinc, see us on Facebook & YouTube at Viridian Artists Gallery, or viridianartists.com

Press Release: "Just a Moment"

December 27, 2023 Viridian Artists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PLEASE LIST

“JUST A MOMENT”
Viridian Affiliates
December 26 – January 20, 2024
Opening Reception: Thursday, December 28, 6-8pm
Closing reception: Saturday, January 20, 4-6pm

Laura Rutherford Renner, Joshua Greenberg, Arlene Finger, Ed Ferszt,
Steffani Bailey, Sabine Carlson, Michael Reck, Jenny Belin, Brett Poza

Chelsea NY: Viridian Artists is pleased to present an exhibition of outstanding art by artists who are part of Viridian Artists’ Affiliate program. The show opens December 26 and continues through January 20, 2024 with an opening reception Thursday December 28, 6-8pm and a closing reception Saturday January 20, 4-6pm. Featured are the artists Laura Rutherford Renner, Joshua Greenberg, Arlene Finger, Ed Ferszt, Steffani Bailey, Sabine Carlson, Michael Reck, Jenny Belin, Brett Poza. In addition to seeing this exhibit in person, one can see this fascinating exhibit digitally at www.viridianartists.com.

Sometimes it takes “Just a Moment” to create a powerful artwork, other times it can take years. Usually an artist can tell when a piece “works” or if they have gone too far and must begin again. These artists in this exhibit are each inspired in their own unique ways, concerned with different goals and implementing a wide variety of materials and methods.

Trained as an occupational therapist, Laura Rutherford Renner enjoys painting figures engaged in the experience of their environments, often portraying her feline muse stalking or at play. She finds that the process of painting and the quiet engagement of brush to board provides daily calm and purpose.

Joshua Greenberg calls this series of his photographic imagery “The Colorful Whimsies II”, dominated by large color fields showing abstract scenes in reds, yellows and blues. He sees his images as “light, humorous, surprising… and whimsical”. In this series, he is combining photo-based imagery with digital processing to create abstract art.

Arlene Finger is inspired by the view outside her window. She tells us that “the artwork encompasses the architectural facade that I see through my window. The sky and the trees, the shape of the building, and color are the source of inspiration for my work.”

Ed Ferszt, inspired by classical writing, has created four prints from a series of watercolors, available as a suite or individually, based on Homer’s “Iliad”. Ovid, in his commentary about Homer’s Iliad notes, "Nothing is more useful … than those arts which have no utility."

Steffani Bailey’s art in "Just A Moment" evolved from an on-going process of "finding", of arranging, painting, and composing. Each piece has its own sensibility and creates a conversation involving contrasts of balance and quiet, soft texture and motion, muted shape and color.

In this grouping, Sabine Carlson shares six small paintings in which figures of humans and water birds reach out and look for moments of balance. She goes on to say that “I imagine the protagonists as if they might be engaging in a wobbly conversation during chance encounters before continuing their journeys along unpredictable currents.”

Michael Reck, for the past two years, continues investigating texture and the interaction of layers in his paintings. He begins each work by using heavy bodied gesso as the initial layer that he manipulates with various tools and his fingers.

Jenny Belin is showing digital prints of her original cat portrait paintings, which come from the pages of a book that she is writing and illustrating. With a working title: “Sonnets for Sweet Potatoes: A Cat’s Guide to the ups and downs of NYC”, she began creating this project late last year as a compilation of painted and written portraits of the cats that she has known during her years in New York City.

Brett Poza almost always works from photographs she takes or diagnostic images from people she knows. Her drawings are created with wood burning tools. She says that “drawing by burning allows me to create a textured and colored surface that gives more to me than a flat drawing. Through working this way I try to direct the viewer toward ideas of resilience and transformation, taking things hat are broken or in need of healing and making them into something beautiful.

The creative process is often beyond explanation, even by the artists as they engage in creating, but here are a few thoughts from artists we all know to remind us how important the creative moment is:

“Art is a guarantee of sanity.” – Louise Bourgeois

“Creativity takes courage.” – Henri Matisse

“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” – Andy Warhol

“We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.” – Bob Ross

“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso

“Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.” – Claude Monet

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.”
– Georgia O’Keeffe

“Life is art. Art is life. I never separate it.” – Ai Weiwei

“Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it.” – Salvador Dali

We look forward to seeing you soon at Viridian and sharing “Just a Moment” together.

Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12–6pm

For further information please contact: Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director
or Jenny Belin, Assistant Director at viridianartistsinc@gmail.com

Visit Instagram @viridianartistsinc, see us on Facebook & YouTube at Viridian Artists Gallery, or viridianartists.com

"Just a Moment" is featured on Meer Magazine's Website

December 27, 2023 Viridian Artists

***Joshua Greenberg, The Colorful Whimsies II, No.17, The Window Family Looks Across the Street (detail). Courtesy of Viridian Artists***

Click Here to View Meer Magazine’s article!

Chelsea NY: Viridian Artists is pleased to present an exhibition of outstanding art by artists who are part of Viridian Artists’ Affiliate program. The show opens December 26 and continues through January 23, 2024 with an opening reception Thursday December 28, 6-8pm and a closing reception Saturday January 23, 4-6pm. Featured are the artists Laura Rutherford Renner, Joshua Greenberg, Arlene Finger, Ed Ferszt, Steffani Bailey, Sabine Carlson, Michael Reck, Jenny Belin, Brett Poza. In addition to seeing this exhibit in person, one can see this fascinating exhibit digitally at www.viridianartists.com.

Joshua Greenberg calls this series of his photographic imagery “The Colorful Whimsies II”, dominated by large color fields showing abstract scenes in reds, yellows and blues. He sees his images as “light, humorous, surprising… and whimsical”. In this series, he is combining photo-based imagery with digital processing to create abstract art.

Steffani Bailey’s art in "Just A Moment" evolved from an on-going process of "finding", of arranging, painting, and composing. Each piece has its own sensibility and creates a conversation involving contrasts of balance and quiet, soft texture and motion, muted shape and color.

In this grouping, Sabine Carlson shares six small paintings in which figures of humans and water birds reach out and look for moments of balance. She goes on to say that “I imagine the protagonists as if they might be engaging in a wobbly conversation during chance encounters before continuing their journeys along unpredictable currents.”

Michael Reck, for the past two years, continues investigating texture and the interaction of layers in his paintings. He begins each work by using heavy bodied gesso as the initial layer that he manipulates with various tools and his fingers.