Friday, May 10, 6-8 p.m., the halls of Gallery 201 at City Hall, 201 Howell Ave., Brooksville, will come alive with the radiant hues of a classic color.
The “Shades of Purple” exhibit is set to debut with a grand reception. This exhibit is free and open to the public; live refreshments will be served.
“As a part of a collaboration between Gallery 201 and the Hernando County Fine Arts Council, we have drawn so many beautiful submissions for our ‘Shades of Purple’ exhibit,” said Pedram Moghaddam, curator of Gallery 201. “An exhibit like this brings our gallery full circle. And now, the walls will be awash in shades of purple.”
Perhaps the youngest artist represented in the “Shades of Purple” exhibit is 14-year-old Cyler Dahm, also the third-place winner of the Youth Art division of the 2024 Hernando County Fine Arts Council Art in the Park event.
“I did an acrylic painting of a purple flower field,” she said. “Purple is one of my favorite colors. And I love the feeling of creating art.”
Hernando artist Karen Governale created a trio of fantasy-driven artworks for “Shades of Purple.” “I immediately envisioned a woman with purple toys in her hair. I had a stockpile of small toys I was saving in case one day I decided to make my vision come true. So, I saw this as a great opportunity to make them all come together. This would also be my first time using an airbrush to paint a portrait…”
“For my next piece, I was thinking of a large geode made from resin and crystals. I just love amethyst! So I painted some purple Geode slices on my canvas and added some quartz points and amethyst stones to bring it to life,” she continued. “Another new element for me was adding Styrofoam to look like a faux stone edge.”
“And for the third piece I submitted, I had always wanted to try using pastels on a wood canvas,” she said. “So I drew out her face using soft pastels and wanted to give her a three-dimensional element, so I cut her hair out of MDF wood (another first for me) and painted it purple. I thought it gave her a mysterious look, which in turn made me envision a dark creepy forest..”
Hernando artist Autum Proctor took a fanciful approach to her “Shades of Purple” piece. “I did that piece for Battle of the Brushes, and I wanted to mash up a cross between landscapes and space!” she said.
Allison Doty Sims created a work of taxidermy for “Shades of Purple.” “From its purple flowers to the presentation of the snake,” she said. “This is a nature-made work.”
Spring Hill Artist Priscilla Goede brings a trio of vivid, fantastical artworks to “Shades of Purple.” “I specialize in dragon and fairy art,” she said. “Cooler colors captured in digital art.”
Jewelry maker Judy Katz presents her special hand-woven jewelry in the exhibit. “These are hand-woven and knotted designs, all in shades of purple,” she said. “One piece, High Stepping, is purple agate. Another piece is resin skull jewelry with a cameo.”
Casey Broker presents an iridescent floral painting in rich, lush acrylics. “I love painting florals in acrylics,” she said. “And the bluish purple brings out the beauty.”
Jeffrey Selker brings a trio of creative artworks to “Shades of Purple.” “My works are The Purple House, Chavonne the Warrior Princess, and one depicting an engine,” he said. “I paint in colors and reflections.”
The “Shades of Purple” reception will also feature art in motion, courtesy of a live painting session by artist Deda Nicol. “I did a live painting at Art in the Park, which allowed the artists and patrons to do a collaboration piece. I started off the piece with an outline of a Mahi Mahi that was inspired by the close connection our community has with the ocean. The different patrons and artists added diversity to the piece and showcased a sense of connectedness among their varying backgrounds. One of the meanings behind the color purple is creativity. This helped boost the created flow,” she said.
Live music will also be presented at the exhibit, courtesy of musician Ruth Jeffries. “Like melody and harmony, the arts of color and sound complement each other,” she said. “My hope is that my musical art serves to enhance the artists’ amazing visual talents and the exhibit’s overall experience.”
