Art Openings: Young Artists 2010

Work by more than two dozen young artists appears in Young Artists 2010

Come join the fun at the exhibit's opening reception,
Friday, February 26, 6-9 pm at Pia Sjölin Design

A festive reception on Friday, February 26, from 6 to 9 pm celebrates 29 young artists whose work appears in the juried exhibit titled Young Artists 2010, at Pia Sjölin Design, in the Shoppes at Farmington Valley, on route 44 in Canton, Connecticut. The exhibit continues through Sunday, March 28, seven days a week.

See the entire list of participating artists below.

Work in the show include paintings; drawings, photography and other works on paper; blown glass; jewelry; and installations. The works range from polished works in glass and technically meticulous photographs and drawings to loosely worked acrylics and paintings that refer to graffiti and comic-book imagery. One installation artist makes playful use of text combined with everyday objects, such as ordinary office supplies. Look for images of some works to appear on Pia's blog in the coming weeks.

All artists showing work in the exhibit are 25 or younger. Most are in their 20s, many in their teens, and a couple still of grade-school age. Student artists attend classes at Simsbury and Canton high schools, the University of Hartford art school, and Tunxis Community College, among other schools. Other artists graduated from Franklin Pierce University, Boston University, and Sarah Lawrence College.

At the reception, participating artist Mike Detelj will read his spoken-word work, "Acts of Love." A combo of young jazz musicians will also perform: Brad Parlimen (drums), Jackson Fitzgerald (guitar), Zack Wiles (bass), and Tom Kelley (sax)

In conjunction with the exhibit, the gallery will host a talk and discussion on Art & Youth on the evening of Wednesday, March 10 at 6:30 pm, including some of the participating artists.

All works in the exhibit are offered for sale, which is not often true of exhibits of student work. Gallery founder Pia Sjölin, a working artist herself, believes that part of supporting young artists is encouraging them to take their first steps toward becoming self-sustaining artists. "I remember that when I was starting out it was so hard to get anything into a show where people could see it and react to it. I want to do for the young artists what I want to do for all artists: just give them a show, and that encourages them to produce more work," she said.

The Young Artists 2010 at Pia Sjölin Design exhibit coincides with other exhibits in the Hartford area that showcase the work of young artists who are still in school:

* Farmington Public Schools K-12 Student Select Art Exhibit, through February 26, in the community room at the Farmington Public Library, 6 Monteith Drive, Farmington.
* Next, the Emerging Talent Show, through March 14, features works by high-school seniors from 11 schools in the region. At Gallery on the Green, Route 44 at Dowd Avenue, Canton.
* There's also a student show coming up in Harwinton, we've heard, but we haven't yet received details about it; stay tuned.

Young Artists 2010 Participating Artists:

Group 1: Ages 16 to 25
Bethany Altschwager
Dan Army
Joe Bun Keo
Ross A. Delano
Mike Detelj
Rob Engvall
Andrés Felix, Jr.
Jordan Ford
Sarah Galpin
Chris J. Giordano
Daniella Henry
Ashley Hunt
Ethan Lavendier
Sam Lavendier
Gavin Louis
Andrew Mailhot
Elissa Maillet
Madelin McPhee
Daren Orr
Laura Perrotta
Julia C. Perrotta
Marisabel Santiago
Taylor Schroeder
Brad Smith
Jeremy J. Starn
Amelia Whitney

Group 2: Under 16 years old

Noah O’Leary
Andy Thibodeau