Artists from Art for the Soul at Gallery A3 in January 2024
Paul Midura, Stand Up for Your Rights, acrylic on Masonite. Photo: Gallery A3
Source: Gallery A3
Gallery A3 is proud to announce a collaboration with Art for the Soul Gallery, with artists from the Springfield gallery displaying their work in Amherst during January. Curated by Rosemary Tracy Woods, Executive Director of Art for the Soul, and William “Billy” Myers, Artistic Director and Chief Curator, IN RESIDENCE: Art for the Soul Gallery Artists includes work by Charlie Gould, Lorraine MacAlpine, Paul Midura, and Ryan Murray. The exhibit will run from Thursday, January 4 through Saturday, January 27. There will be an opening reception, free and open to the public on Jauary 4 from 5-7 p.m. There will be a free online art forum on Thursday January 18. Gallery A3 is located at 28 Amity Street 1 D. Hours are 2-7 p.m. Thursday – Sunday.
About the Artists
• Charlie Gould studies art on sidewalks and bridges, by highways and railyards, and under sun, clouds, and rain. His paintings, he says, explore how vibrant nature dances relentlessly upon the weary remains of an age of human possibility.
• Lorraine MacAlpine began her artistic career as a fashion illustrator in the Advertising Department of Forbes & Wallace in Springfield. After a career in advertising and marketing, she made a commitment to explore her artistic roots. She explains that she creates her paintings with a spontaneous emotional expression, using a gestural brush technique with layered colors that yield whimsical, painterly images.
• Over the years, Paul Midura’s artwork has included a variety of forms including painting in oil, acrylic, and watercolor, pop art sculpture, sculpting in alabaster, drawing, and mixed media projects. His subject matter covers landscapes, portraits, action paintings, commentary art, and “experimental” art, which he defines as “watching videos of other artists’ techniques and materials and giving it a try”.
• Ryan Murray received his Bachelor’s in Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University and currently resides in Springfield. While in college and studying abroad in Europe, he developed a love for street art and its large, unflinching compositions, which he carried into his own spray paint artwork back home. His work addresses the plight and stigma of mental health struggles in the African American community, a subject that must be equally large and unflinching.
About Art for the Soul Gallery
Stella Butler and Rosemary Tracy Woods opened the original Art for the Soul Gallery at the fully renovated, former Classical High School in Springfield, with a second gallery location added in downtown Springfield at Tower Square in late 2015. From these two sites, Woods, as Executive Director, and William “Billy” Myers, as Artistic Director and Chief Curator, have brought some of the country’s most renowned artists of color to the attention of Springfield’s art-loving community.
The gallery’s mission is to be a premier venue where diverse artistic talent is discovered, honored, and celebrated. Art for the Soul is committed to promoting local emerging artists’ work and aims to advance knowledge of these talented artists’ achievements, contributions, and experiences through classes and workshops for adults and children in the community.
About Gallery A3
Gallery A3 is an artist-run, cooperative gallery located in the Cinema Complex in downtown Amherst, Massachusetts. Members include painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers, and mixed media artists. It is supported in part by grants from the Amherst Cultural Council, Pelham Cultural Council, and Springfield Cultural Council, all local agencies, which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Gallery A3 was founded in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. A group of local artists believed art to be essential to the health and healing of a community and began the gallery as a place to share ideas and artistic support. Since that time, the gallery has been home to over 60 artists and is now celebrating 21 years of monthly shows with monthly openings and forums, all free and open to the public, and an annual juried show that supports regional artists.
