A diverse collection of paintings from 25 members of the St. Tammany region’s burgeoning arts community will hang as an homage to the north shore Sept. 24-Oct. 26 at the Atrium Gallery in Covington.
An opening reception will be held in the Atrium, located on the Christwood living community campus.
The “People and Places” show will be the ninth exhibit in the Atrium in 2023 — the most of any previous year. The Atrium this year became the temporary “rescue venue” for two St. Tammany Art Association exhibits, the result of devastating damage to the STAA gallery by Hurricane Ida. The gallery is expected to reopen sometime this fall.
The new show at the Atrium is being curated by artist and art instructor Gretchen Armbruster, who has mentored many of the area artists whose work will be featured, as will some of her own.
“Sometimes an artist in a certain distinctive place gives meaning to both the place and the people who inhabit it,” Armbruster said. “Somehow the style of people and places is captured, and this is what I feel these artists who live amongst us have achieved.”
Armbruster’s early studies were under the direction of Robert Rosbach, David Jinks and Alan Flattmann. After majoring in art at Louisiana State University, she continued her education at John McCrady Art College and the New Orleans Art Institute. Much of her work, some of which will be in the show, captures the color of carnival, jazz and local personalities. She is also a portraitist.
Other local artists with work in the eclectic exhibit include Tim Brown, Bobbie Calandro, Joann Champagne, Shirley Doiron, Cindy Grega, Brigitte Gomane, Jillian Grimley, Carol Hallock, Ian Hubbell, Elizabeth Jackson, Robert Labranche, Elizabeth McMeekin, Carolyn Zara Morvant, Suzette Pellegrini, Ryan Perea, Kathy Perrault, Robert Santopadre, Mary Ann Bonora Smith, Claire Friedricks Taylor, Valerie Thibaut, Karen Treuting, Teresa Villarrubia and Charles Wright.
“We are so fortunate to have such an array of talent in our region,” said Atrium curator Ann Loomis. “We are pleased to be able to display these unique works and want to thank Gretchen for assembling them.”
The Atrium has hosted art exhibitions that focus on the north shore and Gulf Coast culture and environment since 2012.