News release from the University of Saint Francis:
USF Presidential Gala showcasing New England “open air” paintings
(July 31, 2014) — The University of Saint Francis will open its arts season with “2014 Presidential Gala: Cape Ann Collection Connections” on Saturday, Sept. 6 at the Rolland Center for Art and Visual Communication on Leesburg Road.
The evening will explore an exhibition of historic paintings produced en plein air, or “in the open air” by artists known for the technique. Scenes from their Cape Ann region, including Gloucester and Rockport, Mass. are depicted.
Artists with works in the Weatherhead Gallery exhibition will include Emile A. Gruppe (1896-1978), Aldro T. Hibbard (1886-1972) and Anthony Thieme (1888-1954), as well as other historical painters from Cape Ann.
The Goldfish Gallery adjacent to Weatherhead Gallery will showcase works by contemporary plein air painters of Cape Ann, from the estate of Frederick Rigley (1914 – 2009) and Don Stone of the National Academy. Works by Stone will be on loan from Parkview Physicians Group—Cardiology of Fort Wayne.
As a complement to these exhibitions, the Artist Spotlight Gallery will display the works of Indiana artists Fred Doloresco and Douglas Runyan. Cape Ann artists Line’ Tutwiler and David Tutwiler will also display. Each artist will exhibit paintings from annual travels to Cape Ann to paint the New England landscape.
Collector and artist Douglas Runyan of New Haven, Ind. and Weatherhead Gallery Director Justin Johnson are exhibition coordinators. Runyan, artist-collector Fred Doloresco of Angola, Ind. and collector Lisa Gilman of Wabash, Ind. have loaned artworks for the exhibition.
The Presidential Gala will include food, beverages and live music in a covered outdoor setting between School of Creative Arts buildings A and B, in front of the Rolland Center. A cash bar will be available.
Lovers of the arts are invited to attend the free exhibition and evening. The exhibit will continue in the Rolland Center galleries through Oct. 5. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Summer hours May through August are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
In tandem with the Presidential Gala, an exhibition lecture, “Douglas Runyan and Fred Doloresco,” will take place Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the North Campus auditorium at 2701 Spring St., Fort Wayne.
Artists and collectors Runyan and Doloresco will present the historical context of Cape Ann and its historic plein air tradition. Noting several works in the exhibition from their own art collections, they will describe the importance of these works in terms of their influence on contemporary plein air painting. They will also describe how they became interested in Cape Ann as artists themselves.
About the University of Saint Francis
The University of Saint Francis, founded in 1890 as a comprehensive university in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs through the School of Health Sciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership and School of Creative Arts. In addition to its traditional programs, the university designs focused curriculum for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point on online. More than 2,400 students from a broad geographic region attend USF for its academic excellence.
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