Hamptons-Based Curator Reconnects With 14 Artists For New Exhibition

Longtime East End arts luminary Arlene Bujese, who owned the Arlene Bujese Gallery in East Hampton, is bringing together a few artists that have caught her eye over the years during a new exhibition at the Kathryn Markel Gallery in Bridgehampton.

Susan Lazarus-Reimen’s Which Bare Their Hearts (Courtesy Photo)

Connections highlights a collection of artists that the curator has encountered since the Arlene Bujese Gallery shut its doors in 2006.

“A number of the artists were represented by my gallery over the years, and after closing the space, I continued to curate shows locally, and included these artists,” Bujese explained. “Having met some of the new, young artists, I was inspired to seek further recognition for them whenever the opportunity arose, and Kathryn Markel once more generously turned over her space to me this year.”

Featured artists include Shari Abramson, Marcel Bally, Monica Banks,, Stephanie Brody Lederman, Felisa Dell, Robin Gianis, Carol Hunt, Susan Lazarus Reimen, Dennis Leri, Christa Maiwald, Barry McCallion, Fulvio Massi, Bo Parsons, and Priscilla Bowden – whose memory the exhibition is dedicated to.

“Of those who were with me in the beginning, Priscilla Bowden was the first, having shown with me when I was director of the Phoenix II Gallery in Washington, DC in the 1980’s,” Bujese relayed.

Fog 2 by Stephanie Brody-Lederman. (Courtesy Photo)

Connections will open on Saturday, February 2 and remain on view through Sunday, February 24.

Robin Gianis’ Urchin Domes. (Courtesy Photo)

“My work is a valentine to the extraordinary/ordinary aspects of our daily lives…A beautiful scene in the woods shrouded by fog, a bird singing on the branch of a tree, my family eating pasta Bolognese on an outdoor terrace in Venice,” Brody-Lederman noted. “I try to imbed everyday objects with meaning and metaphor. Words and their nuance often are a part of my work. I want my work to suggest the passage of time and the surfaces of my paintings are often ravaged.”

The exhibition will represent a range of mediums and motifs – from super objective realism to abstraction.

“When a visitor approaches my work- the collage of seemingly unrelated objects/words/ images of a piece – it is my hope that they enter a world of magic and mystery; a world of stories that resonate in a deeply personal way,” Lazarus-Reimen expressed.

For Hunt, Connections will offer a unique look at her daily life. “It is from my Drawing A Day series of small works on paper every day for a year,” Hunt shared about the works featured in the exhibition. “I will be showing five of these in Connections.”

MAY 26, 2017 by Carol Hunt. (Courtesy Photo)

An opening reception will be held on Saturday, February 2 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Heavy Weather by Fulvio Massi. (Courtesy Photo)

“Discovery of new artists informed my gallery vision over the years, and I have the opportunity to pursue this still,” Bujese added.

Kathryn Markel Gallery is located at 2418 Montauk Highway in Bridgehampton. For more information, call 631-613-6386 or visit www.markelfinearts.com.