The Art League of Ocean City, located in the Ocean City Center for the Arts on 94th street bayside, is one of Ocean City’s hidden jems. The art center’s five galleries display new exhibits of regional and local artists which rotate monthly, so whenever you stop in, you can expect to see something different and exciting.
Exhibits kick off with an opening reception from 5-7 p.m. on the first Friday of each month. The receptions, as with all of the Art League’s activities, are open to the public.
Everything’s in bloom this week outside and inside the Art League. You’ll notice there’s a definite fragrance in the air as soon as you step inside…
Debra Howard: Fragrance
Thaler Gallery — In the main gallery this month is an interactive exhibit that not only involves using your sense of sight, but your sense of smell, too. Debra Howard exhibits 23 fragrance-inspired paintings, each with a vial of fragrance to go along with it. Visitors can choose an essential oil vial, enhale the fragance and see if they can match the fragrance with the painting, or just take it one-by-one as they walk around the gallery. Coffee beans are available so guests can start fresh between fragances. For anyone who wishes to learn more about how our brains respond to fragrance, and about Howard’s art in general, she will be presenting a free Artist Talk at the Art League on May 5.
Debra Howard spent her childhood in Miami, Florida, where she first discovered her love affair with color, light, painting, and sailing. She studied at Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, and began her career in San Francisco where she opened her first illustration studio. After 17 years as a successful illustrator in various cities, she closed her studio to concentrate on fine art painting. Debra is an award winning plein-air artist with a passionate collector base.
“Come to Your Senses” Group Show
Galleria — “Come to Your Senses” is an all media group show inspired by the five senses. Judge: Angela Herbert-Hodges.
John Iampieri Screen Painting
Studio E — Anyone familiar with the neighborhoods of East Baltimore has seen the hand-painted screens that once filled nearly every window and door of the long blocks of brick and formstone rowhouses. Painted screens are an authentic Baltimore urban folk art, created, displayed, and beloved there since 1913.
Screen painter John Iampieri, formerly of Baltimore and now of Bishopville, is the artist in residence for the month of May. A member of the Baltimore Painted Screen Society, he is a roster member with MSAC and Young Audiences of Maryland, and a teacher in schools throughout Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware.
The artist has invited the public to contribute to the screen paintings. The open painting sessions are scheduled for First Friday, May 4, from 5-7 p.m.; Wednesday, May 23, from 1 – 4 p.m.; Friday, May 25, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; and Tuesday, May 29, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Anyone who wishes to participate or watch the work is welcome to walk in.
Environmental Visions
Spotlight gallery — “Environmental Visions” showcases the works of Salisbury University Environmental Studies students. Professor Charlie Ewers teaches two courses for the Environmental Studies Department at SU: ENVR 205 (Art, Nature, Culture) looks at environmental issues from the perspective of the humanities, and ENVR 460 (The Bay in Words and Pictures) is a photojournalism course on Chesapeake-related topics.
One of the term projects for ENVR 205 centers on nature photography—students must take at least one picture a day for 30 consecutive days, make prints of their best four images and write an essay describing the process. In ENVR 460, the class compiles an online magazine of photo-illustrated feature stories.
Featured in the spotlight gallery for the month of May will be a selection of images curated by Charlie Ewers, poster-size prints on foamcore board and a looping slide show.
Artisan Showcase: Joy Galicinao
In the artisan showcase this month is the work of Joy Galicinao, an aromatherapist and jeweler who has been creating jewelry for over 25 years, working with semi-precious metals and stones. A certified aromatherapist, Galicinao began melding her two passions this past year and focuses on creating jewelry for the personal diffusion of essential oils. As an aromatherapist, she focuses on creating blends that target therapeutic, emotional and energetic needs, and as a jeweler, she focuses on creating unique jewelry for aromatic diffusion.
