Eighty-five retailers and 105 artists are participating in The Greenwich Arts Council’s 21st annual Art to the Avenue show, turning downtown Greenwich into a strolling gallery for the month of May. “It’s a wonderful collaboration that truly benefits the stores, restaurants, businesses, artists and the Greenwich Arts Council programs,” says Leah Marmon, Greenwich Arts Council (GAC) Board President and chairwoman of Art to the Avenue 2018. Artists come from all over Westchester and Connecticut and receive 70 percent of the sale of their artwork displayed. Don’t miss these impressive examples from this unique exhibit, from top area artists.
Pratibha Garewal
Mount Kisco, NY
Art History: An accountant by profession, Garewal turned to art after having a brain tumor removed in 1999. “I decided to take a change of pace and indulge my artistic urges more. Since then, I spend most of each day painting and being inspired by the work of photographers who capture the beauty of nature.”
The piece: “Amazing Poinsettia,” (pictured above) was influenced by pinks and greens in the plants’ petals. “These vibrant colors found in nature always give me a much desired warmth and vivaciousness; getting lost in admiring the petals is the first step; the second: a dab of my brush into my color tray and water bucket, before letting the elements take control on the sheet.”
Find it: Carlisle, 40 Greenwich Ave.
Corey J. Marchetti
Seymour, CT
Art History: Marchetti is currently studying industrial design at the University of Bridgeport. “There, I study how to research, sketch, and build innovative designs. It is important that my work is made to inspire and unite all, no matter their background.”
The piece: “Sunrise at Sea” is constructed out of metal, wire, spray paint, and wood and was inspired by everyday life and the painter’s childhood. “When I go to school, I pass by Long Island Sound as the sun rises. I can see the sun’s reflection over the water and watch how the rays bounce off the gentle waves. As a child, my family and I would go to the Outer Banks, NC, in the summer. The water reminds me of being alive and free.”
Find it: YWCA, 259 East Putnam Ave.
Anelisa Calmet
Rye, NY
Art History: Calmet was born in Lima, Peru and lived in Venezuela, Brazil and Puerto Rico. “My Latin American heritage has deeply influenced my paintings,” she notes. Her acrylic-on-canvas works can be found in private collections throughout Florida, Peru, Connecticut and New York. “Varying brushstrokes express different emotional states. Using bright colors and differing textures is how I convey energy, joy, calm and serenity.”
The piece: “‘Color and More’ is full of life and energy, reflected with the use of vibrant colors and vivid textures,” Calmet explains. She begins her paintings very spontaneously with just a few lines, shapes and colors. “My intuition guides the whole process and allows my work to evolve organically.”
Find it: Richards, 359 Greenwich Ave.
Susan Kalla
Riverside, CT
Art History: Kalla has shown her work in many venues in Greenwich, New York City and Washington, DC. “Though art is my first love, I took a more practical career path. I studied computer science and worked in finance as a top-ranked technology investor.”
The piece: “Late Afternoon Pool” was inspired by a trip to Taormina, along the eastern edge of Sicily. “The sun was starting to sink into the ocean with the strongest rays directly shining on the pink lilies and white flowers surrounded by leafy jade plants. The shadows were deepening around the sides of the pool when I tried to memorize the scene. That pool would remain etched in my mind as the most beautiful thing.”
Find it: Bistro Versailles, 339 Greenwich Ave.
Carol Nipomnich Dixon
Old Greenwich, CT
Art History: Dixon teaches art to adults at the Greenwich Art Society Studio School (collage mixed media and a critique course) and through Stamford Adult Education (drawing). She previously taught Advanced Placement Art History and Studio Art at Greenwich Academy, where she chaired the Arts Department.
The piece: “The ‘Sunlit Woods’ oil painting is an abstract work created from my imagination and inspired by nature’s vivid colors lit by sunlight,” says Dixon. Along with the color, the movement and texture of the paint try to convene the emotion one gets when in the midst of a wooded area, full of foliage and wild flowers.
Find it: Out of the Box, 73 Greenwich Ave.
Carolina Bradbury
Riverside, CT
Art History: “I got a degree in fashion design and worked for the main brands in Argentina until 2000, when I decided to make a change in my career and dedicate myself entirely to art,” says Bradbury. Her first steps were in painting and over the years she’s incorporated other disciplines such as photography, and sculpture, the latter being her favorite.
The piece: The piece is a part of a series called ‘Steel Manhattan’. “Being that New York City is one of the most photographed cities in the world, I have chosen to show it through the negative of the pictures. By using this resource, I’m able to play with lights, shadows and all the gray scale, thus generating a visual effect that resembles steel.”
Find it: People’s United Bank, 410 Greenwich Ave.
Photos by Bruce Plotkin
