Paula Hite Exhibits New Paintings at Gallery A3 in May
Paula Hite, Dormancy Undone, acrylic on paper. Photo: Gallery A3
Source: Gallery A3
Repeating bands of vibrant color dance and weave through Paula Hite’s recent abstract acrylic paintings on paper in her solo exhibit, CONFLUENCE, at Gallery A3, 28 Amity Street 1D in Amherst. The exhibit opens on Thursday May 1 and will run through Saturday, May 31. There will be an opening reception at the gallery on Thursday May 1 from 5-7 p.m. and a free, online art forum on Thursday May 15 at 7:30 p.m. Register here.
About the Artist
The view from Hite’s large studio windows inspired her to explore nature as a metaphor for connection and community. She began by making a series of small monoprints. “Printing, which for me is like drawing with paint, encourages my expressive juices to flow,” she comments. Overlapping columns of striped lines drawn into areas of color echoed how the branches of the tall pines reached out to connect with neighboring trees. Towering trunks and the long shadows they cast also found their way into the prints creating a network of interconnections.
“Inspired by the rhythms and patterning in the prints, I began to work larger with acrylic paint on paper,” Hite continues. She limited her color palette, often painting with complementary colors and rich variations within a color to enliven the painting’s surface. A vital energy emerges in the intertwining organic forms. These animated ribbons of color jostle, nudge, appear, merge, and disappear—inviting the viewer to enter into the painting’s flow in an act of confluence.
Art Forum Online
In an Art Forum online on May 15, Hite will talk about her work and invite questions and comments. This Art for Community program is supported in part by grants from the Amherst Cultural Council and the Pelham Cultural Council, local agencies, which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Preregister for this free program at www.gallerya3.com
About Gallery A3
Gallery A3 is a contemporary, fine art gallery located in the Cinema Courtyard in downtown Amherst, Massachusetts. Members of the artist-run cooperative include painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers, and mixed media artists.
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 23 years of monthly shows with openings and forums, all free and open to the public, and an annual juried show that supports regional artists.