By Isaac Piper
August 28 marked the 14th year that the NewNow gallery held a show. Each year new artists of a variety of backgrounds can display their art for all to see. Held at the Tri-C East Gallery, the show held a variety of mediums, from quilts to photography. One particular piece included many screens streaming different angles of the life of a stranger. The show itself had a large turnout with over one hundred people. Many of the artists were in attendance, giving the background on their pieces with a few even offering their works for sale. While Juror Tiffany Gaines selected the Best of Show winner, event attendees got to vote for their personal favorite piece.
Helping throughout the show was East Gallery Director, Cara Romano. As Director, Romano helps with much of the show’s overall planning and scheduling. Not only is she Director, she also teaches art classes for Tri-C. Looking towards future plans, Romano had two hopes. The first was better signage for the artist’s works. As for the second, Romano hopes to extend the visiting hours of the gallery. Currently, she finds the gallery hours too limiting for some students to be able to enjoy, hoping to extend them to include both nights and weekends.
A highlight of the opening was the speech given by multiple members of the staff. First was Cara Romano, welcoming everyone and giving an introduction to the new School of Creative Arts Dean, Gabe Schwartz. Next, the new board head of Artist Archives, Joselyn Ruth, spoke. Ruth excitingly announced an ambitious new project, that being a complete revamp of the archival space. These renovations would include new art racks and movable shelving to even better display the art in the collection. Ruth urges anyone interested in the collection to view sooner rather than later as the gallery will be shut down during the renovations.
To end the event, the Best of Show award was given. The recipient was Barbara Eady for her piece Black Madonna and Child. This quilt used a technique called raw edge applique allowing her to layer the behind the heads of each figure. The centerpiece, which featured two figures with halos around their head surrounded by a blue pattern, was crafted in a class separate from the patterned border. Eady was inspired by both “beauty and holiness.” This was not her first show either as she previously won an award for a different quilt. Lastly, Eady gave advice for future artists: “Look at everything. Make something that makes you feel and work in that medium. Taking a class helps too.”
