Summer Goddess by Margo Selski
This upcoming Thursday, Rehs Contemporary will be hosting the opening event for ARC Select. The exhibition will include works by eight of the finest artists working today, all of whom participated in the 16th Art Renewal Center Salon.
The Art Renewal Center (ARC) is a nonprofit organization promoting realist, representational, and figurative art, ranging from the Old Masters to the present. But of course, as is made evident by the works in this Thursday’s opening, academic art is not limited to still-lifes and portraiture. Surrealism, fantasy, mystery, and the macabre all have their place in representational art, from Mike Wimmer’s gnome communities to the Lewis Carroll-inspired dreamscapes by Margo Selski to Dan Chudzinski’s incredible sculptures based on creatures from mythology folklore, and cryptozoology. The Thursday opening will also include some darkness from Greg Hildebrandt, the brightness of Shana Levenson, a touch of sensuality from Tina Spratt, some illusion from Christine Porter Lofaro, and oddities by Allen Douglas.
This year marks the fifth edition of the ARC Select exhibition hosted by Rehs Contemporary. However, for the first time, this year’s edition will include some of the award-winning works from the most recent ARC Salon, including Summer Goddess by Margo Selski, which won the Enchanted Living Award for imaginative realism. Other featured works that were also selected for exhibition at the ARC Salon include Greg Hildebrandt’s Atomic Disintegrator and three paintings by Mike Wimmer, including The Companions.
Each artist brings a unique set of skills and artistic vision to the mix, creating a dynamic and thought-provoking experience. The works of all eight artists displayed together show that realist, representational, and figurative art is as relevant today as it was centuries ago; that an artist can explore the depths of their creativity while still authentically capturing elements of the natural world and aspects of everyday life.
The ARC Select exhibition will be displayed from April 4 through May 3, 2024.