During 2021, In-Town Gallery welcomed six new talented artists to the cooperative. Each of these artists brings a fresh dimension to the collection of fine art shown at the Gallery. All of these artists will be featured during the month of January, and at the Gallery’s First Friday Open House on January 7th.
Renel Plouffe, is a French-Canadian painter who now resides in Ooltewah. She paints with acrylic, oil, pastel, spray paint and charcoal, and she creates abstract expressionism paintings that are built in layers. Renel’s paintings show an interesting balance between beauty and chaos. She obtained a BSA in Graphic Design and went on to complete a specialization diploma in 2D/3D animation. Renel is a magician with paint, an artist who can paint grim and scary subjects in exquisite pastels, gorgeous neon and candy colors.
Good fortune followed Sean Price when he traveled to Maui at the age of 20 to visit his sister who worked at a glass gallery and studio. He became enchanted with what could be created with glass and jumped at the opportunity to become an apprentice, living in Hawaii learning and honing his talent in a studio with an ocean view. Thirty years later Sean creates sculptures in flameworked glass and continues to be enchanted with the process and possibilities available with color and the various elements that can be applied to his creations.
Although a long-time resident of Chattanooga, Lora Miller developed her inspiration for art when traveling with her military family as a child, and now continues with the beauty she feels in nature and her travels to local small towns in the South. Lora’s experiences and talent have resulted in works that are exuberant with color and playful simplicity in design. For most of her career she focused on watercolor paintings which she describes as impressionism that can turn towards abstract. During the pandemic she has spent considerable time exploring acrylic painting, and has taken many of her watercolor paintings and developed them onto large canvas works with acrylics.
Brent Weston has a very unusual and interesting history. His artistic background took its inspiration from trips to Europe where he spent many years adventuring through the Alps and small towns in Italy. Brent was an architecture student at Georgia Tech in the late 1980’s and many of his paintings reflect memories, not only from his travels, but also from his love of structure. Brent has studied at the Atlanta College of Art and at UTC’s painting and drawing program. In 2016 Brent tragically lost about 100 of his paintings in a warehouse fire. However, he is now very excited to display his new works at In-Town.
Photographer Sybil Topel, who has a master’s degree in fine arts, moved to Chattanooga in 2014. Although much of her photography reflects the natural beauty of the river and mountains, her special love are scenes with details that tell the story of a city, which is illustrated by both its renewed and abandoned or neglected architectural structures. Sybil’s work falls into three areas: emotionally charged landscapes, quirky/humorous juxtapositions and pop culture layered with art references. Her work has been chosen by the Hunter Museum’s Spectrum Art Committee for its prestigious annual art auction and is also displayed at the Edwin Hotel.
Robin Howe was exposed to art through her grandfather, an artist and architect who was a master of line and detail. Art for Robin went in a different direction. Casting restrictive rules aside, she relies on tools such as her fingers, popsicle sticks and cereal wrappers to bring a sense of freshness and freedom to her works. Her art provides an avenue to play, explore, think and hopefully to bring joy to others. When she is inspired, she gets lost in her work and allows the outside world to dissipate. Her efforts have resulted in well-deserved recognition and awards.
As it begins the new year, the artists of In-Town Gallery will present a wide range of reasonably priced art and fine craft including paintings in various media, sculpture, pottery, works in wood and metal, unique jewelry, fine art photography and hand-painted silk wearables.
In-Town Gallery is located on Chattanooga’s North Shore at 26A Frazier Avenue. Hours are Thursday through Monday from 11-5 p.m. and 1-5 p.m. on Sunday. Please visit us during these hours or join us on January 7th for our First Friday reception from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. You can also see our artists’ creations and shop at www.intowngallery.com.