Joseph Piccillo

1/12/17
PRESS RELEASE

Resource:Art Announces Eminent, A Three-Part Exhibition Series Celebrating Extraordinary Western New York Talent

RESOURCE:ART (R:A) has chosen to highlight the work of three widely acclaimed Western New York artists— Joseph Piccillo (b.1941), Adele Cohen (1922-2002) and Jackie Felix (1929-2009)— in a three-part exhibition series entitled Eminent scheduled to begin later this month. An overview of Buffalo’s artistic past reveals a rich and layered story of which these three artists are an integral part. Realizing that who we were, who we are, and who we might become as an arts community are all inextricably connected, R:A is proud to have the opportunity to host this series of exhibitions that celebrate a selection of artists who have strengthened and enriched our arts community. All three artists in the Eminent series have celebrated, international reputations and have not been exhibited in Western New York in several years. In addition, much of the work included in the series has never before been exhibited anywhere. All three exhibitions will have a ticketed preview event, followed directly by opening receptions and will then be viewable by appointment only (716-249-1320 to make an appointment). For each exhibition, there will be a special preview experience from 5:30-7pm which will include food and cocktails curated and prepared by Chef Colleen Stillwell. Tickets for the preview are $35 per opening, or $100 for admission to all three openings. www.resourceartny.com for more information and to register. There will be a public reception following the ticketed preview, from 7-9pm, with a cash bar.

This is the first exhibition series organized by R:A, a collaboration between Anna Kaplan (BT&C Gallery), Elisabeth Samuels (Indigo Art) and Emily Tucker (Benjaman Contemporary) (www.resourceartny.com). R:A is an art consultancy group founded to promote WNY artists and place their work in public, corporate and private collections. This unique collaboration also aims to ensure the legacy of regional artists of the past, present and future. In addition to the Eminent Series, R:A has also taken on the representation of artist Milton Rogovin’s estate in Western New York. The details of an exhibition and public art project scheduled for May 2017 will be announced in a few weeks time. Tucker explains, “We are thrilled to shine a light on some of the most important artists of Buffalo’s past. We feel it’s important for collectors and artists alike to be reminded of the revolutionary work that occurred here in the 20th Century.”

Following are details on each of the three exhibitions
A solo exhibition of large-scale mixed media works by Joseph Piccillo opens Thursday, January 26th at Hi Temp Fabrications, 79 Perry St, Buffalo. The show will remain on view through February 11th, 2017 and is viewable by appointment only (716-249-1320). Piccillo’s skillful realizations of horses and figures in motion will be featured in this, the first exhibition of the artist’s work in almost a decade. Piccillo employs humble materials—charcoal and graphite—creating powerful, and dramatic renderings, breathtaking in their scale and mastery.

A solo exhibition of abstractions by the late Adele Cohen opens Thursday, February 23th at Hi Temp Fabrications, 79 Perry St, Buffalo. The show will remain on view through March 15th, 2017 and is viewable by appointment only (716-249-1320). Adele Cohen’s life and art are inextricably linked. She developed an abstract style that was rooted in expressionism, her views on the human condition, and her belief that there is beauty in the dark side of life. Cohen’s large oil paintings will be exhibited as part of Eminent for the first time since they were shown at the Burchfield Penney Art Center in 1981.

A solo exhibition of paintings by the late Jackie Felix opens Thursday, April 20th at "The Boiler Room" @ 500 Seneca St, Buffalo. The show will remain on view through May 11th, 2017 and is viewable by appointment only (716-249-1320). Throughout her prolific career, Felix sought to highlight the larger human conundrum. Felix culled her imagery from popular magazines, books and movies, which she used to create her memorable compositions, fiercely rendered in her bold expressionistic canvases. Felix is best known for her narratives featuring parodies of sentimental romance and expressions of misplaced desire. Felix frequently interjects a cutting wit and a thin veil of black humor, as her imagery deals with struggles of the human condition.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

JOSEPH PICCILLO received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Art Education at the State University College at Buffalo, where he has been an inspirational professor, notably having Robert Longo as a student who continued in Piccillo’s tradition of creating large scale drawings in charcoal. Piccillo’s work has been exhibited extensively across the U.S. and for many years was represented by the Betsy Rosenfield Gallery in Chicago. Grants and awards include a purchase award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, 4 SUNY Research Fellowships, CAPS Fellowship, and National Endowment for the Arts. Among publications, his art was reviewed by Reagan Upshaw in Art in America in 1980 and by Grace Glueck for the New York Times in 1984. His work has been shown nationally and in Belgium, England, and Switzerland. He had solo exhibitions in the Burchfield Penney Art Center and Albright-Knox Art Gallery to great acclaim. A recent partial list of collectors includes 18 public collections, such as the Art Institute of Chicago, Brooklyn Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Milwaukee Art Museum, San Francisco Museum of Fine Arts, and Albright-Knox Art Gallery; and 29 corporate collections, such as IBM, Bank of America, General Mills, American Express, Ralph Lauren, Guess? Jeans, and Microsoft.

ADELE COHEN (1922-2002)
Buffalo in the 1950’s and 1960’s was a hub for creative activities - the visual arts, theater, poetry and literature flourished. Adele Cohen came to artistic maturity during this period and its nurturing environment. Cohen’s forms, colors and compositions are organic, and often call to mind ancient geologic formations, plant forms, body parts,and architectural fragments. Frequently she would combine material that speaks to the sinewy nature of our own muscular structure, juxtaposing the delicate with a heavy darkness. Her unique artistic vision was abstract, emotional and powerful. She considered each work of art as a chapter in a continuous narrative,working towards creating archetypal images and forms that resonate on an individual as well as universal level. Cohen’s work is included in private and public collections across the country, including, The Burchfield Penney,Albright Knox, Zimmerli art Museum, & University of Massachusetts.

JACKIE FELIX (1929-2009) earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (1981) and Master Fine Arts (1983) degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She received many awards and residencies, including the prestigious Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant in 1997. Important artist residencies include the Millay Colony for the Arts in Austerlitz, NY in 1997; Artpark in Lewiston, NY in 2000 and Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio in 2000. Her art was presented in solo and group exhibitions in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and South Carolina. She was commissioned to produce paintings and murals for public view in the Buffalo Museum of Science and Hallwalls’ former home in the Tri-Main Building. She also taught painting, printmaking and drawing at various institutions in New York State. The Burchfield Penney Art Center owns an enormous 11-panel storyboard painting, 2 large oil triptychs, 5 paintings on paper, and 5 monotypes. While her work has been exhibited in numerous exhibitions at the Burchfield Penney since the 1980s, Storyboard: The Sexual Politics of Jackie Felix (on view from February 10-April 29, 2012) provides the opportunity to present a major solo exhibition representing great accomplishments of her dynamic artistic career.

ABOUT RESOURCE:ART
RESOURCE:ART art consultancy group is a unique collaboration that brings together the talents of three independent Western New York gallerists: Anna Kaplan (BT&C Gallery), Elisabeth Samuels (Indigo Art) and Emily Tucker (Benjaman Contemporary). Kaplan, Samuels and Tucker each have extensive curatorial experience and professional relationships with artists working in a wide range of media, including painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, fiber and mixed media works. RESOURCE:ART also manages the execution of site-specific fine art and considers every project as a unique collaboration between the artist and the site, navigating aesthetic, formal, and functional concerns. RESOURCE:ART recently completed a large project with Delaware North Companies and is currently working with Cannon Design on several local projects. www.resourceartny.com for more information.