The Bonfoey Gallery, 1710 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio – will be exhibiting new works by Julian and Barbara Stanczak. The exhibition, Color and Form, will be on view in our street level and lower gallery from November 6 – January 2. A public conversation with the artists will be held on Saturday, December 5th at 10:30 am.

I have had the pleasure of a lifelong appreciation for these two exemplary artists and educators. How many other young artists have been lucky enough to call the Stanczaks professor, or have been privileged enough to receive their admiration of a well-crafted line or color, or to feel the mutual appreciation of wood grain and the form within. No husband and wife has had a larger influence on the Cleveland art scene through their teaching and educating than Julian and Barbara Stanczak.

At an age when most people would be going to school, trying to figure out what they want to do with their life, Julian Stanczak was enduring hardships not many of us will ever be able to comprehend. It would have been so easy to give up – but he is a stubborn man! He had a long, arduous journey to get where he is today. Through his pristine, luminous canvasses, he shared his positive vision and appreciation of life with the world. Stanczak taught at the Art Academy of Cincinnati from 1957-64 and was professor of painting at The Cleveland Institute of Art, retiring in 1995 after 31 years of motivating young minds. His influence is still felt today by all the students he taught over the years and all the art that he continues to make.

Barbara’s understanding and love of form expands beyond the visual senses to the sense of touch and deeper human communication. Her sculptures in stone and wood are a document of scrupulous seeing, hard work and intuitive sharing. Barbara taught at the Cleveland Institute of Art for 37 years, until she retired in 2011. She nurtured in her students a desire to innovate, dare and explore novel materials and concepts. She designed not only projects, but the students themselves became objects of design as she gave them form and structure. She received multiple awards for her tireless efforts in education, including the Judson Smart Living Award for contribution to excellence in Education in Cleveland’s University Circle, and the Viktor Schreckengost Teaching Award from The Cleveland Institute of Art.

For more information about Color & Form: The Works of Julian and Barbara Stanczak, or other upcoming exhibitions, please contact The Bonfoey Gallery, 216.621.0178, or visit our website at www.bonfoey.com .

 

Color & Form: The Works of Julian and Barbara Stanczak: November 6, 2015 –  January 2, 2016.

Conversation with the artists: 10:30 am Saturday, December 5

 

Bonfoey Gallery

1710 Euclid Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

bonfoey.com