New Exhibit to Display a Moving Still Life

Traditional and contemporary art work will be on display at Reynolds Gallery’s final exhibition of the season, “Views and Visions: The Still Life.” The exhibit, which features paintings and photographs, will be held from Thursday, May 10, through June 22. There will be an opening reception Thursday, May 10, at 4 p.m.

For the second year Westmont’s “Views and Visions” will feature an alumnus. Painter John Morra graduated from Westmont in 1985. He earned a second bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his master’s degree at the New York Academy of Art. He is a leading figure in the world of contemporary American realism and is well-known for his still-life paintings of ordinary objects.

“Inspired by past masters of the genre, in terms of both technique and content, oil painter John Morra is reinventing the still life” wrote John A. Parks in American Artist.

Instead of fresh cut flowers or fruit in a bowl, Morra paints mixers, oil cans, glass insulators and gears from coal furnaces.

The show will feature several of the region’s finest still life painters and photographers: Sonya Fairbanks, Carin Gerard, Wayne McCall, Patricia Chidlaw, Tom Cummings, Leonardo Nunez and Irma Cavat. Other artists include Sara L. Cohen, Kelley Lane and husband Erling Sjovold.

New York artist Peter Cusack will show three paintings he says are based on people he knows and loves.

“I have a great deal of emotion surrounding their creation,” he writes in his blog about preparing for the Westmont show. “I wish it weren’t the case. It can be a very heavy process and my emotions swing in all directions. Overall, it was been a thrilling experience.”

“This show represents some of the most outstanding contemporary still life painters today,” says Tony Askew, gallery director. “We celebrate this tradition with great pride and honor our alumnus John Morra.”

The gallery is free and open to the public 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Fore more information please call the gallery office at (805) 565-6162. For directions, please visit out Web site at www.westmont.edu.