Press Release: Heights Arts Gets Vibrant with New Exhibitions: Prismatic and Spotlight: Amelia C. Joynes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 2024
Cameron Gorman
programs@heightsarts.org
Heights Arts Gets Vibrant with New Exhibitions: Prismatic and Spotlight: Amelia C. Joynes
Heights Arts’ first exhibitions of the year highlight artists working in color, abstraction, and natural materials.
Cleveland Heights, OH: Heights Arts, a multi-disciplinary arts nonprofit nestled in the heart of Cleveland Heights, unveils two new exhibitions on January 12: Prismatic focuses on the work of a group of creators, while Spotlight: Amelia C. Joynes highlights multimedia work by a solo artist.
Prismatic is a celebration of abstraction and hue. Though each participating artist works in varying disciplines and mediums – including glass, sculpture, and watercolor – the resulting pieces will capture a rainbow of shared vibrancy. As if looking through a Prism, this show will both pull apart and recombine color itself, making for a vivid gallery experience.
The exhibition features five artists – Hope Hickman, Marianne Hite, Sue Kirchner, Cherie Lesnick, and Patricia Zinsmeister Parker. Hickman works primarily in the realm of sculpture, producing large-scale, candy-colored patterns, while Hite, a Kent State graduate, creates fused glass hangings. Their work will pull the show into three dimensions.
“When light is emitted or reflected through glass, it lends a certain quality to the piece that nothing else can duplicate,” says Hite, who also employs techniques such as enameling, sandblasting, and laminating while creating her glasswork. “Moreover, the effects of heat, timing, and gravity ensure each piece its own identity. I find experimenting with such a distinct and elusive medium invigorating.”
Lesnick’s pieces are created utilizing paint and mixed media – also a medium employed by Zinsmeister Parker – while Kirchner works in encaustic wax. Through a layering process, this ancient technique provides a sense of depth in the piece.
“Rejected imagery that initially seems strange or awkward can, after some reflection, begin to penetrate the mind in various ways,” Zinsmeister Parker says. “Sometimes it takes a bit of work to deal with and process artwork, especially an abstract painting that lacks the usual visual clues that help us enjoy a work of art.”
Prismatic runs simultaneously with the solo show in Heights Art’s Spotlight Gallery: Amelia C. Joynes. Through combining various textures and materials – including enamel, fabric, glass, and metal – she aims to reflect and re-interpret the natural world.
“I have always been involved with creative arts and encouraged to explore new possibilities, as a passage to new ways of seeing and creating,” says Joynes. “My artwork challenges me to re-envision possibilities in the way I use artistic materials within my environment.”
Both exhibitions open on January 12 and run until March 10, 2024. An opening will be held at Heights Arts (2175 Lee Rd.) on the 12th of January at 5 p.m.
Additionally, on February 15, there will be an accompanying poetry event focusing on both exhibitions. Ekphrastacy: Artists Talk and Poets Respond celebrates visual art with live poetry written in response to current exhibitions. Attendees will join Heights Poet Laureate Siaara Freeman and three guest poets for an evening of visual and literary celebration – details forthcoming via Heights Arts’ website.
Those interested in attending may also be interested in Heights Arts’ musical programming – including the artistic atmosphere of ARTbar concerts, the community connection of Gallery Concerts, and the unique chamber music experience provided by Heights Arts’ signature Close Encounters series. More information on the music season can be found at: www.heightsarts.org/music/heights-arts-2024-music-season/.
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Founded in 2000, Heights Arts (www.heightsarts.org) is a nonprofit, multi-disciplinary arts organization whose mission is to cultivate a strong, diverse, and collaborative arts community by inspiring people of all ages to engage in the arts; supporting the arts through education; providing exhibition and performance opportunities; and fostering public appreciation for the arts.
Heights Arts is generously supported by funding from individuals, businesses, and organizations, including: The AHS Foundation, Jean, Harry, and Brenda Fuchs Family Foundation, Thomas Hoyt and Katherine Brooks Jones Family Foundation, The Arthur E, Elsie G, and Betty M Kranz Family Foundation, WWMR Foundation, Peggy and John Garson Family Foundation, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, The City of Cleveland Heights, The City of University Heights, Ohio Arts Council, and the Mandel Foundation. Winter Season Sponsor: No Exit New Music Ensemble.
2175 Lee Road ∙ Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 ∙ 216.371.3457 ∙ www.heightsarts.org