Since 1990, Jean Brandt’s store front law office has doubled as Brandt Gallery. The space is ideal for solo exhibits and  thus fills a niche in the local landscape. This summer’s schedule keeps a close focus while offering two- and three-person  shows as well.

IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT:

JUNE 8–JULY 7, 2012 

Melanie Newman and Terry Durst met as bartenders at the Beachland Ballroom. One night last year, they had an idea for  an installation exhibit that will let you know that It’s Not Your Fault. Terry is a Brandt Gallery veteran, having shown his  work here through the 1990s. This show will be Melanie’s first in the space, although she is familiar with Tremont as her  first show post-BFA graduation from CIA was hosted by the Doubting Thomas Gallery.

TWO CANNONS AND AN IKON:

JULY 13–AUGUST 4, 2012

Photographers Barbara Merritt, David Szekeres and Monroe Cooper have been a part of Tremont art scene for over  twenty years. They come together in this exhibit that seeks to explore the ways each uses photography.

Since she was gifted a Pentax K1000 in 1994, Merritt’s life has been driven by photographic imagery. She was  immediately hooked by film chemistry and the philosophy of imagery. Although she has never made movies, she’s continually mesmerized by the medium. This series is a short story, inviting viewers to fill in the blanks between the  stills. Szekeres has had three solo exhibits at Brandt. He says that work “delved into [his] memory bank of images [he]  had seen in dreams. This provoked more emotional reaction than [he] had expected.” While Szekeres’s early shows were  a mix of drawings and paintings, he eventually began to first make manipulated photographs of what he wished to paint.  He has moved on towards also showing his photography on its own.

Tremont resident Monroe Cooper has show extensively in Tremont. After decades showing mostly sculpture, he has  recently moved toward photography. His maritime photos are often displayed at Grumpy’s. For this exhibit, Cooper  experiments with various images and large scale reproduction.

QUIET

AUGUST 10–SEPTEMBER 1, 2012 

Meredith Hahn is inspired by music, nature and everyday life. She translates her  experiences into two manners. Her Mother Nature series is in a style of organic surrealism, while she explores pop graphic art with more cartoon-like figures. Her show Quiet is an exploration of the term “quiet.” Lingering figures teeter  on the edge of calmness and melancholy, contrasted by abrupt eruptions of loud color. The pieces draw the viewer in, to  reveal the story of the scene.