HCC Art Galleries Feature Exhibitions

HCC Art Galleries Feature Exhibitions by MICA Alum Charlie Risselada and Columbia Photo Artists, March 31 to May 1

Reception for both galleries scheduled for April 7 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Howard Community College’s (HCC) The Rouse Company Foundation Gallery and Art Department Gallery feature two new exhibitions by local artists from March 31 to May 1, 2011.

The Rouse Company Foundation Gallery features the work of Charlie Risselada in an exhibition of large scale poured paint paintings that are derived from topographic sources, such as the local landscape of the Chesapeake Bay and the Eastern Shore.

The Art Department Gallery features photographs by the Columbia Photo Artists group. A reception for both exhibits will be held on April 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.

Charlie Risselada is a local artist who graduated with an M.F.A from the Maryland Institute College of Art and a B.A. from the Cleveland Institute. He recently had a solo exhibition at McDaniel College. His colorful, large scale organic and abstract shapes create the illusion of detailed technical maps, and the fluidity of the paint gives the paintings a life of their own. 

Explaining his process, Mr. Risselada says, “My paintings are derived from actual land formations taken from nautical charts, usually of the Chesapeake Bay or the Eastern Shore. After the shapes are cut from wood and sealed, I pour specific colors of paint onto the surface, where they proceed to move and interact. I make initial choices and then the painting, in turn, makes its own. I reply, always drawn to that inevitably unpredictable conversation.”

The Columbia Photo Artists is a group of photographers committed to the creation of photographic works that are art; that is, they do more than just document or decorate. They are a casually run organization with no formal structure other than bimonthly meetings. They critique each other’s work, organize field trips and give themselves occasional assignments. All members exhibit their work. 

The members of the Columbia Photo Artists are Tim Ambrose, Scott Berlin, Joe Bettinger, Bruce Blum, Ann C. Eid, Joan Forester, Jerry Gettleman, Dennis Gilbert, Harriet Rosenberg, Jone “Jay” Taylor, and Jerry Weinstein.

Exhibit viewing hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Rouse Company Foundation Gallery is located in the Horowitz Arts Center and the Art Department Gallery is located in McCuan Hall on the Howard Community College campus at 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD, 21044. For more information about the exhibition and gallery programs, visit www.howardcc.edu or email rbafford@howardcc.edu.