Come and explore the new exhibit at the Bluff View's River Gallery, where they are honoring the compelling nature of looking closely, the wonder of color in glass, and the religious prayer in creating. The featured artists are Edward Cook, John Geci, and Sister Mary Grace Thul.
Edward Cook
The art of the miniature landscape attempts to draw the viewer in to look at all the details. For this exhibit River Gallery is displaying Cook's work unframed, which provides the onlooker a glimpse into his artistic practices and motivations. He paints his color palette around the image and makes observations while he is painting that tells a story of a moment and place in time.
A self-taught artist, Ed Cook painted for his own enjoyment winning awards for his work in local art shows before deciding to leave the corporate world and pursue his talent fulltime. Cook first discovered the joy and challenge of painting miniatures in 1983 and has since received awards in both international and national shows for the exquisite detailing in his minute rural scenes.
Miniaturism is not a new form of art, but can be traced back into the pages of ancient history. Today this exciting art form continues to experience a growing popularity as the small, jewel-like works of art find their way into museums and private collections the world over.
The emphasis in miniature art is on quality. Many hours of meticulous effort go into miniature paintings and the same aesthetic principles for all good paintings apply to miniatures as well. The scale of a painting has nothing to do with its quality -- bigger is not necessarily better.
John Geci
Delicate, translucent, and colorful are a few words to describe Geci's glass pieces. These merletto vases and eclipse bowls add interest, texture, and color to the exhibit.
"Glass is often described as a super-cooled liquid, but I prefer to think of it as static motion," John explains. "I try to design pieces that retain the organic character of their molten state. Using primarily transparent colors and a few well-placed stripes, my pieces highlight the material’s transparency, fluidity and potential for brilliant coloration. Rather than making works that demand to be center stage, I envision my pieces as quiet assistants—subtly enhancing the environments they are placed in."
Sister Mary Grace Thul, OP
As a nun, Sister views painting as a prayer. The series of expressive paintings are titled "I AM" so one can truly ponder the multi-faceted meaning of God. In discussing her hopes for this exhibit Sister says, "my prayer is that it might inspire some people to know how great the mystery of I AM is for their personal spiritual selves."
Before becoming a cloistered nun, Sister Mary Grace Thul served a summer internship at the Cincinnati Art Museum, taught art in the Cincinnati public schools, and established a custom art business with two colleagues. Sister Mary Grace entered the Dominican Monastery of Cincinnati in 1962 and in June of 2014 celebrated her Golden Jubilee of first profession. In 1999, a collection of Sister’s “Marian” prints was received into the Vatican Library in a special ceremony by Pope John Paul II. Sister Mary Grace has exhibited widely and created many sculptures, paintings, and woodcuts, commissioned by churches around the country for liturgical use and purchased by collectors for their homes. Many of her artworks are on permanent display at the Mater Ecclesia Institute in Cincinnati.
"My goal is to produce art that is contemporary enough to be accessible and widely spread to the people of today," Sister Mary explains. "For this I am grateful to God for the opportunities and friends who have made it possible for a cloistered nun to reach out to so many. Art can be prayer. My artwork is my way of living a contemplative life. Art brings me inner peace. I hope my art brings inner peace to the viewer."
The River Gallery is located in the Bluff View Arts District at 402 E. 2nd Street, and is free and open to the public. To learn more, visit river-gallery.com.
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