At Gallery 5
Exhibit showcases two distinct styles

LEWISTON – Two artists. Two very different styles. One unique exhibit.

L/A Arts Gallery 5 will show “Two Painters,” a fine arts exhibit featuring the works of Pamela Johnson of Lewiston and Michael Ranucci of Auburn from Wednesday, Sept. 3, through Saturday, Sept. 27

An opening reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 3 at the 49 Lisbon St. gallery.

This is the first exhibit in the gallery showcasing the expanded works of only two artists. “We wanted to create an opportunity for the community to examine a body of work that an artist creates over time to see how an artist builds on a concept and expands their creative process,” said Tammie Grieshaber of Gallery 5. “We are fortunate to be able to bring together two such disparate artists of brilliant talent as Pamela and Michael.”

A visual artist, Johnson’s studio production includes oil and acrylic paintings, intaglio and digital prints, drawings and watercolors, handmade paper, books, mirrors and snow globes. She has exhibited widely in the United States and in Italy, and has received numerous grants and awards.

Her paintings are a collage of techniques and images. Mechanical reproductions and meticulous drawings are interwoven with abstract and nonrepresentational painting, printmaking, text and poetry.

As an associate professor of art and visual culture at Bates College, she advises senior students on theses in studio arts, teaches painting, drawing and printmaking courses.

Besides teaching, Johnson has been assistant to Helen Frankenthaler in New York City and Connecticut, and assistant curator of prints and drawings to Dr. Elizabeth Broun (currently director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum) when she was at the Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence, Kan.

Johnson holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in art history from the University of Kansas, a bachelor of fine arts degree in painting from the Kansas City Art Institute and a master’s degree in painting and printmaking from Bennington College. She attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 1986.

Ranucci’s lifelong interest in visual arts was first developed through independent drawing and school art classes. He took drawing and art classes at the college level and after graduating and through the 1980s continued with drawing and using acrylic paints for landscapes as well as experimenting with abstract work. His abstract work advanced his understanding of balance and design; however, his inspiration was always rooted in realistic representational art.

It was inevitable that Ranucci’s work evolved into a representational style that pays close attention to abstract design. He studied three years with master classical artists Numael and Shirley Pulido in Hancock, N.H. (New England School of Classical Realism). Today, his rich palette and minute detail bring to life the old masters he studied.

Gallery 5 is open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday; from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday; from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday; and by appointment through curator Tammie Grieshaber. Call 576-4805.

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