Solo Exhibition opens this Saturday!

This Saturday, June 27th, from 7-9pm, I will officially unveil two dozen absolutely brand new paintings, as well as release my new book Arts In Store: Rethinking the Relationship Between Art and Business. It all takes place at the Armory Center for the Arts, in Pasadena California! The show will be up from June 28 through to August 30, 2009.

I've been working toward this day for the past two years. In 2007 I received an Individual Artist Grant from the City of Pasadena to complete a very ambitious project, of which this is the end result. I can't think of anything that I have dedicated myself to more fully than this exhibition, and I believe the work is very strong. We've been hanging the work all week, and the response from the gallery staff has been more than a little bit encouraging! If you are in the area, please take a few minutes to check it out!

My exhibition, entitled The Dynamic Landscape, opens in conjunction with Drama of the Gifted Child: the Five Year Plan, curated by David Burns, which opens in the Armory’s Caldwell Gallery. Artists in that show include Dan Bayles, Spencer Douglass, John Knuth, Julie Lequin, Julie Orser, Marco Rios, Amy Robinson, Christopher Russell, Kelly Sears, and Bari Ziperstein. With so many well known local artists exhibiting together, the opening night should be full of people, most of them familiar faces!

All of the artwork I'm exhibiting has been inspired by my travels through the landscape. I begin by making drawings while riding inside or on top of moving cars, buses, trains, boats and airplanes. Afterwards, I transform the drawings into dynamic paintings with vibrant colors contrasted with areas of exposed canvas.

Many of the paintings were created outside, in full public view at the courtyard of One Colorado, a historic mixed-use retail property in old town Pasadena. I interacted with families and individuals passing by, sharing my process and passion for art.

I am grateful for the support of the Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission and the City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division, without whom this entire two year odyssey would not have happened!

The Armory is loacted at 145 North Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, and is open Tuesday – Sunday, noon - 5 p.m. Admission is free. The Armory is easily accessible from the Gold Line Memorial Park Station in Pasadena. For information about Armory exhibitions and events, the public may call 626.792.5101 x122 or visit the Armory website at www.armoryarts.org.

I look forward to seeing you there!
Michael