New exhibitions to open at Rehoboth Art League April 4

In April, the Rehoboth Art League will showcase a selection of juried artworks from the Delaware Watercolor Society, as well as two solo exhibitions from oil painter Sean McCusker and porcelain artist Paola Bari, in its galleries at 12 Dodds Lane, Henlopen Acres.

An opening reception for the exhibits will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, April 4, when anyone interested may visit the Corkran, Tubbs and Ventures galleries to see the displayed work. The exhibitions will continue through Sunday, May 4.

The Rehoboth Art League team welcomes the Delaware Watercolor Society for an exhibition on display in the Corkran Gallery featuring exceptional pieces from its members. The pieces selected were juried and judged by Marie Natale, an artist and educator who holds many awards and acclaim for her work in watercolor. Natale will present a free gallery talk at 10 a.m.,  Saturday, April 5, when she will discuss the jurying process and speak about her experience as an artist. The talk is open to the public, exhibiting artists and league members.

Surreal landscapes full of pigmented intrigue will populate the Tubbs Gallery during the showing of Into the Light: Works by Sean McCusker. The spherical subjects of McCusker’s paintings, although abstract, are reminiscent of the lone hero from films; confidently standing against the world yet yearning for the security of a home just over the horizon. The landscapes he creates are abstract constructs – a stage, rather than representations of a specific place. Like the masked actors in a Greek drama, the characters and objects in his work are emotional archetypes. The meanings and actions of each hero change from painting to painting, and it is left to the viewer, if they so choose, to imagine themselves sitting with the figure, determining what situation it finds itself in.

Porcelain is explored as both an artistic medium and a material substance in Overglazed: Painted Porcelain by Paola Bari, on display in the Ventures Gallery. The exhibition investigates the endless possibilities of working with the delicate textile by showcasing both the basic elements of porcelain artifacts – a ceramic body and glaze – as well as the aestheticization of the porcelain object through decoration. Decoration on porcelain includes overglaze colors, luster and precious metals like gold, satin and silver. Bari’s work is narrative in nature, inviting the audience to contemplate the different uses of porcelain as a pictorial medium.

For more information, go to rehobothartleague.org or call 302-227-8408, Ext. 112.