The Art League of Ocean City cordially invites the community to its free monthly reception at the Ocean City Center for the Arts on 94th St. bayside on Friday, July 11, from 5-7 p.m. Please note the July reception will be on the second Friday of the month rather than the first Friday due to the July 4th holiday. Refreshments will be served compliments of Rosenfeld’s Jewish Delicatessen.
The Thaler Gallery will feature the annual juried Beverly Bassford All-Media Show with guest juror Ann Coates of Bishop’s Stock Gallery, Snow Hill, MD. Beverly Bassford, a former Art League Board member, was passionate in her advocacy for the Art League to have a new facility, which became a reality for the nonprofit and the town of Ocean City in 2013. After Ms. Bassford passed away in 1999, her family established a prize in her name, which grew into the Beverly Bassford juried show. This year’s show features fine art in all mediums by local and regional artists with a monetary prize for the winner.
The featured artist for July, whose work will be displayed in the Galleria, is Helene English. Helene’s artwork evokes contemporary life in an abstract style. Taking photos of her subjects with paintings in mind, she then uses the photographs as references for her art, painting with oils on canvas and drawing with pastels. Many of her canvases are painted over the edge of a 2-inch stretcher to achieve a “complete” look without a frame. She is interested in the play of shapes and colors, and often finds humor in the imagery she chooses to paint, exploring themes such as Reflections on the River; Boat Paintings; Dogs and Their People; and Ocean City, Maryland Images. Helene has exhibited her work in numerous one-person and group shows and galleries.
July’s Artist-in-Residence in Studio E, Kim Bemis, is an acclaimed fine art photographer who lives in the Himalayas in India, where he studies Transcendental Meditation and yoga. Kim’s hometown visits inspire him to portray the wildlife and beauty of the towns, beaches, marshes and flowers of the Eastern Shore. In addition, Kim has a wonderful portfolio of India landscapes. Bemis’ photographic art is represented at many venues including the Art League of Ocean City, the Rehoboth Art League, and restaurants and coffee houses along the mid-Atlantic coast.
The Spotlight Gallery will feature Nancy Rider, a Nebraska native and former Baltimore resident, now living on the Eastern Shore where her art reflects the beaches, boardwalk, sea and sky of her surroundings. Color plays an important part in her work as she uses it to set the mood or convey an emotion.
The Art League’s “Summer Artist-in-Residence” for July, August and September is David Simpson who will display his work in Studio D and will be teaching at the Arts Center throughout the summer. An Ocean City native, David connects artistically to the shore as evidenced in many of his oil paintings that focus on the human figure, landscapes and seascapes. A board member for the Worcester County Arts Council and an adjunct professor at UMES, David is teaching a Plein Air Workshop at the OC Center for the Arts on July 12-13. This two-day workshop will assist painters in selecting a subject to paint, adapting to changing light, and managing the ins and outs of the painting process outdoors. Some painting experience is necessary and artists need to possess most materials. For more details or to register for this or any class, contact the OC Center for the Arts at 410-524-9433 or visit their website at www.artleagueofoceancity.org .
Funding for programs and exhibits offered to the public by the Art League of Ocean City at the Ocean City Center for the Arts is provided, in part, by the Worcester County Arts Council, Maryland State Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, organizations dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive.
