Thursday, April 02, 2009
Buffalo MARK Program Artists Opening
Members of the freshman class of the New York Foundation of the Arts (NYFA) MARK Buffalo program will hold an exhibit of their artwork at Artspace, 1219 Main Street in Buffalo, with the opening to be held from 6-10 p.m. Saturday, April 4.The artists who will be exhibiting are Val Dunne, Lukia Costello, Jax Deluca, Iris Kirkwood, Connlith Keogh, Kara Daving, Kevin Kegler and Dennis Bertram. The Artspace gallery hours are from noon-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday or by appointment, and the show runs through April 28.
MARK is the (NYFA) new statewide six-month program, started in late 2007, for visual artists who want an opportunity for individualized focus on the professional side of their creative practice. MARK addresses the concerns of artists living outside of New York City while providing them with a new network statewide. Participating artists can expect MARK to spark goals and help to define concrete steps while providing individual and group feedback on how to better present themselves.
The MARK Program includes focus on how artists can expand their visibility, emphasizes goal setting and includes using the Internet effectively, strengthening grant or project applications, improving writing and speaking about their work and identifying exhibition opportunities. Between seminars, artists will be assigned projects related to their specific goals and individual feedback given to all participants. The first class of Buffalo MARK artists traveled to New York City as the conclusion of the program to present themselves and their at to curators and gallery operators there.
The following are artists’ descriptions:
Kara Daving: Kara Daving's work represents a marriage of two contradictory worlds: the natural and the synthetic. She explores the similarity between jellyfish and plastic bags while examining the ramifications of when they are commingled in the oceanic abyss. Recently her work has been shown in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Kentucky, Ontario and New York.
Kevin Kegler: This past year, Kevin Kegler had solo exhibits of his recent paintings and mixed-media constructions at the 10th Street Community Garden and at Chow Chocolat, both in Buffalo. He is preparing for two more exhibits in Western New York this year at Art Dialogue and the Meibohm Gallery
Lukia Costello: Lukia Costello is an award winning local exhibitor and arts volunteer working to local artists and arts organizations via board membership of Artspace Buffalo Alliance, The Urban Canvas project and volunteer with the Buffalo Society of Artists and the Arts Council of Buffalo. She also donates artwork and photographic services to non-profits.
Dennis Bertram: Dennis Bertram is currently completing a large 60 by 72 inch painting at the Buffalo Arts Studio, one of his "flying" series of paintings. Dennis Bertram will be giving a painting demonstration and artist talk at the East Aurora Art Society on April 17.
Val Dunne: Is currently working in both traditional black and white photography, as well as digital color formats. The resident photographer and artist member of the board of the directors at the Buffalo Arts Studio has shown her work at the Buffalo Arts Studio, CEPA, Hallwalls and the Olean Public Library, and recently had a successful solo show at Betty’s. She has donated her work to various charities, including AIDS research and the SPCA.
For more information, people can contact Lukia Costello at 880-9324.
Photo: "Wall," by Val Dunne
