Art for Life

Megan Dardis, Beauty in the Breakdown, enamel, acrylic, and oil on
canvas, 100 X 86 inches, 2018.

Megan Dardis Art—Tremont’s newest gallery at 2535 Scranton Road—is an open-and-shut case: Set to open in early spring with a striking collection of her own oils and acrylics. Closed in early spring due to the pandemic.

Yet optimism reigns, and Megan Dardis is confident that, when the establishment opens for good, her colorful, energetic pieces will find an enthusiastic audience. That positivity is evidenced in her work: bright, lively abstracts that offer a message of hope and restoration in a world of chaos and insecurity. A perfect metaphor for the Age of Covid.

Consider Ms. Dardis’s backdrop: Formally trained painter with a degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Medical sonographer, long practiced in internal imagery. Frequently exhausted mother. These are great credentials for producing art that gently mirrors the roiling human condition. “After all,” she observes, “growth is not a streamlined event that arches beautifully into perfection. More often, it’s messy and haphazard. My work is a reflection of that process: the recurring cycles of ebb, flow, derailment and recovery.”

Which is not to say that deciphering an artist’s ‘inner visions’ is key to viewer enjoyment. True, her paintings are otherworldly landscapes tinged with the residue of experience and emotion. But they also are playful and effervescent—enjoyable and accessible at any level.

Ms. Dardis has participated in myriad group and solo shows. In 2017 she also created a twenty-foot outdoor mural that was featured in CAN Journal. Together, her work on canvas and on walls calls to mind another allegory: art with a vibrant inner and outer life.

Megan Dardis Art

2535 Scranton Rd

Cleveland, OH 44113

megandardisart.com

For now, you can see more artwork by Megan Dardis at megandardisart.com. You can see more art in Tremont during Walkabout Tremont on the second Friday of each month, which features art, fashion, music, food, drink and entertainment. Upcoming dates are August 14, September 11 and October 9. experiencetremont.com/featured-events (Due to COVID-19, Walkabout Tremont might not happen. Please check the website and Walkabout Tremont social media for updates.)