Vivid Art Gallery First Friday Art Opening

Vivid Art Gallery will host an art opening for Featured Artist Tamar Kander and Local Artist E.C. Bannon on October 4th as part of the Hubbard Woods Design & Dine District’s (HWDD) annual “Art Attack” event.   Coinciding with its monthly First Friday event, the opening runs from 5-8 PM, is open to all and is free of charge. In addition to great art, there will be refreshments, including the gallery’s signature “Monet Mule” cocktail. Live jazz will also be playing at the gallery to round out the evening.
 
The gallery is thrilled to welcome Kander, of Bloomington, Indiana, as a special exhibitor this month.  She will be presenting new abstract work in her exhibit entitled KISMET.  Her mixed-media paintings are large, multi-layered, and non-representational, rich in both texture and color.   Kander’s background is similarly rich – she was born in Jerusalem, grew up there and in South Africa, and studied art in Johannesburg, Italy, London and New York.  Her work is represented in numerous museums, and corporate and private collections nationally and internationally.   
 
Describing the body of work being presented at the gallery, Kander states, “My most recent paintings teeter between landscape-inspired expression and more formalized non-representational works whose shapes and tints I find somewhere inside me.”  From the quiet gray and blue tones of her Lake series to the playful colors and shapes in “Waking Up ,” Kander strives to expose the hidden beauty in the everyday.
 
Describing her painting process, Kander says, “I begin with a formal idea of color and structure. Loose but predetermined. I then layer collage as well as different mediums to form the groundwork for the next stage. I use pigments as well as textural elements and build up the surface to make it rich and evocative. I progress as if I am having a conversation with the painting. I add color and line and wait until the painting tells me how to proceed; it’s back and forth until I feel it is complete. It is a constantly shifting process.”
 
Also on display during the month of October will be works by Local Artist E.C. Bannon. Her exhibit, titled Graphites,, will include her most recent representational work. Bannon’s show at the gallery is part of its “Local Artists Program,” which provides exhibition space to a different local artist each month. Says gallery owner Cynthia Burr, “We think it’s important to support the local art community by providing a space for local artists to show their work. It’s a way for artists to build their resumes and gauge public reaction to their work.”
 
In addition to the art opening at Vivid, a number of other HWDD businesses will be hosting artists for Art Attack. The event is a joint venture with the North Shore Art League (NSAL), and many of the participating stores will be exhibiting work by NSAL artists.  Each business will also be serving a specialty cocktail for the evening.  The Fat Shallot Food Truck - which specializes in gourmet sandwiches, including buffalo chicken, grilled cheese, and truffle blt – will also be on hand. We look forward to seeing you there!