The 42nd Student Show at The Galleries at CSU
I enjoy student shows and attend them whenever I’ve a chance. While most student shows are filled with, well, student-grade work, I almost always find a gem or two. So I wasn’t disappointed when…
J. L. David’s Cupid and Psyche
Jacques-Louis David is one of my favorite artists. David’s reputation was cemented for me the first time I visited the Louvre. David made a career revitalizing well-known stories and allegories. From…
Awakenings
Do you remember your first encounters with great art? I vividly recall my introduction to certain artists–life-changing discoveries that revolutionized my views about art. The composer Berlioz recalled his introduction…
Carl Gaertner
Yesterday was a lucky day–I discovered an artist new to me: Carl Gaertner (1898-1952). Gaertner’s reputation is almost entirely local to Cleveland, as Robert Smith‘s is confined to Dayton. Gaertner was born…
Stephen Pentak at Bonfoey
The Bonfoey Gallery (1700 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH) is the kind of establishment I adore: it’s an art gallery in the business of showing real, contemporary artists. Places like it…
Good art books: David to Delacroix, The Rise of Romantic Mythology
Dorothy Johnson has written several books related to David and the Neoclassicists. David to Delacroix: The Rise of Romantic Mythology is probably her best work. I think about this little…
Review: Joseph O’Sickey at Bonfoey Gallery
Just now there is a lot of news and information about O’Sickey. The Canton Museum of Art is hosting an exhibition of his work through July 21, and the Bonfoey…
Book Thief
In the summer before third grade, we moved to a small town far from Dayton. The ramshackle house we rented was across the street from the public library. With its…