Welcome to Westville

May 30th – June 30th, 2019: Kehler Liddell Gallery presents: Quiescence, by photographer Alan Shulik, and Drawings with a Chance of Narrative, by Amanda Walker. The exhibitions open with Artist Talks on Sunday, June 9th @ 2pm, followed by an opening reception until 5pm.

Amanda Walker’s most recent collection of artworks presents a series of vignettes, each with their own story to tell. Or at least, each with their own chance at a story to tell. The artist states: “I am fascinated by the point at which opposites meet: living death, open secret, excessive moderation, etc. There is both ambiguity and clarity within the small space where two contradictory ideas collide. It is this sometimes infinitesimal space that I want to understand. I use narration as a sort of wedge to begin the exploration.” Using water color and colored pencils, Walker “strive(s) to understand the duality inherent in our humanity and language using imagery from history, theater, and a little bit of pop culture.”

Meanwhile, photographer Alan Shulik is searching for a little bit of peace. The artist states that the title of his show (Quiescence), brings to mind images like “a very still, motionless body of water [or] rock formations under a starry night sky, cloudless and still” – both examples of images one will find on the gallery walls. Shulik states these recent works “reflect my pursuit of tranquility and peace in landscape and seascape images, as well as in life itself.”

Alan Shulik is a fine-art photographer who lives in Guilford, CT, and has been a CT resident for over 30 years. Shulik has exhibited in solo and group exhibits in the USA as well as France. His work has won numerous awards and honors, and been recognized in exhibitions/venues, such as: The Art of the Northeast, Spectra (Silvermine Guild of Arts, New Canaan, CT), Images (Shoreline Arts Alliance, Guilford, CT), The Print Center (Philadelphia, PA) Richardson Symphony Orchestra (Dallas, TX – in a remarkable “photography concert” presenting a slide-show of his images to the music of American composers such as Aaron Copeland), Ridgefield Guild of Artists, and more. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Connecticut Homes and Gardens, and Focus Magazine.

Amanda Walker was born and raised in Texas. In 2000, she moved to New York City to pursue costume design. In 2004, she graduated from the Yale School of Drama with an MFA in costume design. Within the last 10 years, a lifetime of doing art has combined with a career in theater. Currently, she lives in Connecticut with her husband and cat designing costumes and create art.

** Artist Talks presented by ArtEcon Initiative: ArtEcon Initiative is a neighborhood-based non-profit and an outgrowth of ArLoW (Art Lofts West), New Haven’s only affordable artist housing. The primary mission of ArtEcon is to produce and support free, or low cost, arts and community programs for all ages in the Westville West-Rock neighborhood. Artist Talks are presented by ArtEcon, whose 2019 programming is made possible with support from the Pincus Family Foundation and Department of Economic and Community Development, CT Office of the Arts, which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.More information: www.ArtEconInitiative.org. **