New Art Show Features Interesting Trio

By Bob Bahr, Prairie Village Arts Council member

Make plans to see the Nov. 6 opening of the newest art show at the R. G. Endres Gallery, in Prairie Village's municipal building--this exhibition features the thought-provoking work of three area artists: Lisa Healey, Aimee Fresia, and Jean McGuire.

"Muriel's Dilemma," by Lisa Healey

Lisa Healey explores the narrative qualities of photography in her work, which can suggest strong emotions behind portraits or mix fantasy elements with reality. "Looking closer at small parts of nature in a big way, through photography, reminds us we are also a small part of this larger world," says Healey. "We rely on our environment so we must consider how to best protect and conserve it."

"There's Nothing We Bring With Us," by Aimee Fresia

Aimee Fresia combines painting and collage in her artwork that promotes healing and understanding in a tumultuous world. Her work requires care to both make and to appreciate. "Collage speaks to me with its layering and the time it takes to create each section, each piece and strip put on purposefully and with intention," she says. "I layer things in a way that makes sense to me--realistic landscapes with fleeting leaves or solitary polar bears. I try to capture solitary moments, real or imagined."

"From Soldier to Boy," by Jean McGuire

Antique photos become modern portraits in the hands of oil painter Jean McGuire. "An interest in antique photos lured me into portrait studies after a 40-year break from my art," says the artist. "I love the faces, the expressions, and the attitudes of these, usually, long-forgotten people. The theme for all of these portraits is the story behind each picture. I love pondering what kind of life each of them had while I am working on their portrait. Each of the pieces in this show was created by using a limited palette to create colors. I was taught in grade school that an artist only needs to use red, yellow, blue, and white to create every color. A background in commercial printing embedded that belief even deeper. I like to break down my paintings into the layers of color you would see if you were color separating a four-color process photograph. I complete this breakdown in my mind, with no computer aids, and it still thrills me to see the depth evolve as the layers go down."

It's easy to visit the exhibition--it's a mere stroll through the municipal building on Mission Road. The current show featuring these three artists will be on view at the R. G. Endres until January, but a choice selection of pieces from the three artists will stay on view at the Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse until March.