Szalay/Takács Secrets

Art is full of secrets…secret meanings, symbolism, struggles and statements.

Some secrets go to the grave with the artist, leaving curators and art historians to spend centuries speculating and theorizing about the mysteries hanging on museum walls.

And some living artists blog about the secrets they have hidden in their paintings, hoping someone will care about the painting enough to read the blog.

Szalay/Takács Secrets is chock-full of both kinds of secrets.

Judy Takács and the late Marilyn Szalay share their inaugural exhibits at the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve, and this colorful, symbolism-packed, large-scale figurative, artistic feast, opens Thursday May 24 from 5:30 to 8pm.

Marilyn Szalay is best known for her superbly drafted figurative charcoal drawings. Bodies, heads and hands are closely cropped for maximal compositional fascination. Szalay taught life drawing to decades of artists at all the major art institutions of Northeast Ohio; Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland State, Cuyahoga Community College and Cooper School of Art. Stories of her larger-than-life personality live on as does her legacy of powerful and psychologically charged figurative art which took inspiration from her journalistic style of photography.  Many of the stories behind her drawings will now forever remain a secret.

Judy Takács has made a mark on Ohio art and nationally with her Chicks with Balls series, celebrating unsung female heroes, topless and holding balls. Several of her Chicks paintings, including a self-portrait, will be included in Secrets, as will various paintings inspired by the health decline and subsequent death of both of her elderly parents over the past two years. In administering to their lives and later their possessions and writings, Takács uncovered many stories which she explores in recent works with titles like, Cancer Honeymoon, Serenity Prayer, Ephemera Collector, Guardian Angel of the Good Death and a posthumous imagined portrait of her aunt, who was sent away as a teenager and died at 21. Takács blogs about the symbolism and stories behind many of her paintings at chickswithballsjudytakacs.blogspot.com, but also knows how to keep a secret.

Szalay/Takács Secrets opens May 24 from 5:30 to 8pm and runs through July 14 at the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve.

AAWR’s Annual Members’ Exhibition 2018 also opens this spring, beginning with a reception on Thursday, March 15, 5:30 to 8pm.

This exciting multi-media show is known for both the quality and diversity of the pieces submitted by its wide array of professional-level Member Artists.

2018’s exhibition will again take an “all inclusive” format, featuring one piece under 24″ from each member hung salon-style. Only original, previously unexhibited work will be displayed. Show attendees may vote for their favorite work for the duration of the exhibition and four awards will be given out at the closing reception on May 4, directly following the Annual Meeting.

On Saturday, April 14, 5 to 7pm, the AAWR Legacy Society will honor the lifetime achievement of Archived Artist Lee Heinen with a celebration at historic Moreland Courts in Shaker Heights.

The admission cost of $80 for an individual and $150 for a couple includes libations, hors d’oeuvres, and tours of the private art collections of several residents. Please RSVP by April 1 by calling 216.721.9020.

Remembering Archived Artist George Roby (1936 – 2017)

This winter marked the sad passing of Archived Artist George Roby, who lost his battle with cancer on Saturday, December 23.

A Cranbrook Academy of Art alumnus, George Roby was a respected Ohio potter and sculptor, and he taught at the Hawken School in Gates Mills for many years. His work included large-scale, expressive slab and coil-built sculptures as well as elegant, functional stoneware. In recent years, he devoted himself to touring Art Interprets Alzheimer’s, a two-person educational exhibition which raised awareness of the disease through creative expression.

Roby’s inexhaustible energy, indelible joy and vibrant artistic spirit will be truly missed. According to his wishes, no funeral or memorial service was held, but the Artists Archives is planning to honor his memory with a pop-up exhibition of his work at a date to be announced.

Per George’s request, memorial gifts in his name may be made to the Valley Art Center (440.247.7507) or Artist Archives of the Western Reserve (216.721.9020).

As part of Art Bites series of programming, we are proud to present three programs this spring that are free and open to the public courtesy of a matching grant provided by Cuyahoga Arts and Culture (CAC). “The Fledgling Collector” with Susan Covey and Kathy Cameron from 1 to 3pm on Saturday, March 24; “Imagination- Go!” with Joseph Polovoi from 6 to 8pm on Wednesday, April 25; and a studio tour of the Shovel Works Building with the 40th Street Artists (Susan Donovan Lowe, Johanna Page, Helen Libens and Lucette Johnson) from 1 to 3pm on Saturday, May 12. To register, please visit www.artistsarchives.org.

ANNUAL AAWR MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION | MARCH 15–MAY 4

Reception 5:30–8pm Thursday, March 15

Open Call! Each AAWR Member is allowed to submit one piece within given size limitations. Votes for the People’s Choice Award will be collected for the duration of the exhibition and announced at the exhibition’s closing party on Friday, May 4 immediately following the Annual Members Meeting.

ART BITES: COLLECTING ART | “THE FLEDGLING COLLECTOR” WITH SUSAN COVEY & KATHY CAMERON | 1–3PM SATURDAY, MARCH 24

SAVE THE DATE! LEGACY FUNDRAISER HONORING LEE HEINEN | SATURDAY, APRIL 14 | MORELAND COURTS

Legacy Fundraising event honoring the lifetime achievement of Archived Artist Lee Heinen at historic Moreland Courts in Cleveland Heights

ART BITES: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES | “IMAGINATION- GO!” WITH JOSEPH POLOVOI | 6–8PM WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25

A presentation on utilizing and increasing creativity.

ART BITES: ARTIST STUDIO TOUR | SHOVEL WORKS BUILDING, 40TH STREET ARTISTS WITH SUSAN DONOVAN LOWE, JOHANNA PAGE, HELEN LIBENS & LUCETTE JOHNSON |1–3PM SATURDAY, MAY 12

SZALAY/TAKÁCS SECRETS | MAY 24–JULY 14

Reception 5:30–8pm Thursday, May 24

Inaugural show for newly Archived Artists Judy Takács and Lynn Szalay.

 

 

Artists Archives of the Western Reserve

1834 East 123^rd Street

Cleveland, Ohio 44106

216.721.9020