New Work by Julie Fakler, Philip Taylor, and John Wells Exhibition Opens at the Guild

Exhibition Dates:  Wednesday, February 22 – Saturday, March 31, 2012

Opening Reception:  Friday, February 24, 7pm-9pm

Gallery Talk with Taylor and Wells:  Thursday, March 1, 2012 from 7-8pm

Julie Fakler creates vibrant domestic animal paintings using acrylic on hardboard; Philip Taylor paints improvisationally with acrylic on canvas; John Wells applies paint and other materials in layers to create abstract works. 

JULIE FAKLER

“I’ve always been painting and drawing as long as I can remember,” Julie states.  After spending a summer on a hobby farm, Julie fostered an interest in the animals’ distinctive physical characteristics and personalities.  “The anti-social cat, the over affectionate dog, the protective donkey, they all give me inspiration to paint.”  Most of Julie’s latest paintings are of her cats, who were all strays before she adopted them.  Julie received her BFA in Painting and Drawing from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.  She is the Gallery Committee Chair at the Paradise Center for the Art and has exhibited work throughout Minnesota.  She’s been the recipient of a 2011 McKnight Established Artist Grant from the Southeaster Minnesota Arts Council, has received fine arts awards for four consecutive years at the Rice County and Minnesota State Fairs, and was awarded an honorable mention in the 3^rd Annual Southeast MN Juried Art Exhibit last year.

PHILIP TAYLOR

“Chance, spontaneity, lyrical and rebellious are qualities in the work,” Philip writes.  “Painting for me is like composing a jazz song... direct, romantic, unconventional and individualistic.”  Philip’s direct and playful strokes and bold colors meld together to create lively works.  His interest in art was sparked after viewing a Jackson Pollock painting in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.  Believing that one can learn a lot just by observing, his working process remains open as he studies art in museums and watches other artists busy in their studios.  Philip received his BA in Studio Art at Winona State University and studied art at Mankato State and Rochester Community and Technical College.  He has shown at the Mod Art Gallery in Kansas City, the Rochester Contemporary Art Center and APW Gallery in New York, River East Art Center in Chicago, as well as in Wisconsin and Minnesota.  His artwork belongs to private collections in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York and will also be featured in a PBS Off 90 television show this spring.

JOHN WELLS

By adding and removing paint and other media in his abstract work, John reflects, “the colors and materials flow in an erratic and self determining way.  It is the interplay between this control and randomness that builds the language of each piece.”  John’s work in this exhibition includes paintings, a series that combines both painting and drawing, collages, and works where the composition is first determined by laying down a geometric pattern on the canvas.  John has been an artist for over 50 years.  He enrolled in Muskingum University as a pre-med student, only to transfer to the University of Cincinnati, where he took art and art history courses in addition to those in design.  He has since been successful as a designer in the U.S. and abroad.  The past nine years he has dedicated to his art and family.  John has exhibited in Ohio and Minnesota, including shows at the University of Minnesota, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Rogue Buddha Gallery in Minneapolis, and Copeland Fine Art in Columbus. 

The opening for New Work is on Friday, February 24 from 7-9pm; Philip Taylor will be handing out some free screen prints at the reception.  In addition, there will be a Gallery Talk featuring Philip Taylor and John Wells on Thursday, March 1, 2012 from 7-8pm in the Gallery.

The Northfield Arts Guild Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10am – 5pm and Saturday 10am – 3pm.