Exhibit Looks For Story Behind The Art

It has been said that every picture tells a story. So does every work of art.

That's the theme behind Contemporary Narrative, the latest exhibit at the Foundry Arts Center, 520 N. Main Center, St. Charles.

"It's a show that showcases work with a narrative quality to it," said Laura Helling, Foundry director. "The work engages the viewer to see more than just a moment, but a story behind the moment."

The exhibit--in Galleries I and II -features 44 pieces out of 83 entries from across the country. Twenty-six artists from eight states made the cut, featuring works made from a variety of media, including digital 3D, acrylics on linen, oil, watercolor, textiles, photography and video.

"I'm always amazed at what we get," Helling said. "I usually have a little preconceived idea about what we'll get, but when the pieces arrive I'm always pleasantly surprised."

Winner of the $1,000 grand prize for the exhibit was Wondering Gallery Project, a multiple-media piece by Jeffrey Abt of Huntington Woods, MI. Winners of the $250 prizes were Peggy Wyman of Macomb for the fiber sculpture "Envy Gone Green;" Christy Sawyer of St. Charles for the oil on canvas painting "Contemplative;" James Pace of Tyler, TX, for his mixed media piece "JACKALARRIVES;" and Sara Levin of St. Louis for her digital print "Blue Castle."

"Blue Castle" is an evocative piece showing a young girl with a sign approaching a large, abandoned house. It's one of a series of prints Levin has shot in the neighborhoods around her South City home.

"In South City I see what's happening firsthand," Levin said. "When children see these big houses they see the potential. Through this series we're seeing it all through the eyes of a child. I'm not your typical pessimistic artist."

Levin submitted her work for the exhibition because she liked the contemporary narrative theme. "I felt it fit perfectly with what I'm trying to express in this series."

Pace, an art professor at the University of Texas at Tyler, examines a more somber topic with his piece. "I work with images of terrorists as a metaphor for death," he said.

"JACKALARRIVES" is a reference to a particular terrorist, Carlos the Jackal, known for his terrorist activities in the 1970s. "The piece is done in a prayer flag type form, as a kind of lament," Pace said. "It's saying--I hope you stay away from my door. Don't come by too often."

Contemporary Narrative runs through July 29. "The show is strong," Helling said. "The pieces really engage the viewer. That's what shows do well."

Two other exhibits are also on display through July 29 at the Foundry. Mixed media works by Cleveland Heights artist Tommy White are featured in Gallery III and fiber mixed media pieces are on display by Jeana Eve Klein of Boone, NC, in the Ameristar Gallery.

Art isn't the only thing on display this week at the venue. The Saint Louis Wind Symphony will perform a patriotic concert in honor of Independence Day at 7 p.m. Friday in the Grand Hall. Tickets cost $8 for general admission or $5 for Foundry members.

"They were here last year and the show was so strong and well received that we brought them back," Helling said. "If you've never seen the Wind Symphony, they're phenomenal."

For more information visit http://foundryartcentre.org/