Thisweek two of the city’s favorite art galleries host openings with innovativetouches, including Peltz Gallery on Knapp Street and Tory Folliard in the Historic ThirdWard. StartingJuly 25, at 6 p.m., the walls of Peltz’s vintage Victorian building will becovered in what gallery owner Cissie Peltz describes as “feminine splendor.”Peltz hosts its “18th Annual Remarkable Women Show” that includes more than 35artists from across the nation. Pastels, paintings, drawings, wall hangings anda variety of original prints are exhibited throughout the entire gallery. Evennames familiar to the Milwaukeeart community offer the promise of new artwork: Anne Kingsbury, Barbara Manger,Joanna Poehlmann, Evelyn Patricia Terry, and Della Wells.
Cross-culturalartistic expressions can be found in the work of Latin-American artist NicolaLopez, Native-American artist Juane Quick-To-See Smith, and Chinese artist HungLiu. The show also introduces two new talents to this Milwaukee tradition. African-American artistMargo Humphrey displays her exciting suite of lithographs with gold leaf while Chicago’s Marilyn Proppworks in oil pastels. From the large watercolors by nationally renownedJeanette Pasin Sloan to the petite gouache paintings of Diane Levesque, themultiplicity of mediums, themes and ideas presented in the show illustrates the“remarkable” in the title.
CissiePeltz’s own special accomplishments and love for art culminates with the 19thbirthday of the gallery this July. The public is invited to a special party onSaturday, July 26, from 11 a.m. through 4 p.m. Champagne, ice cream and cakewill be served during this festive occasion, with an informal artist’s panelfrom 1-2:30 p.m. honoring Peltz’s enthusiastic contributions to art.
ToryFolliard Gallery hosts another of the city’s favorite artistic legacies thatspans more than 35 years. The Milwaukeeborn and nationally recognized artist Patrick Farrell displays his newpaintings in the exhibit “Patrick Farrell: Calla Lilies and Fruit.” Nine newpaintings portray masterful still-life techniques by an artist who appears onthe pages of Who’s Who in American Art.Farrell’s small vignettes, painted with oilon linen or board, capture an ethereal and eternal moment in time with theirmeticulously detailed hyperrealism. Farrell reintroduces the calla lily to hispainting compositions while still incorporating the subject material he’sfamous forbowls of fruit and the occasional butterfly that represent the richbounty and beauty in life.
Aspecial preview of his work on Thursday, July 17 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. willprovide a delightful opportunity to meet the artist, and the Folliard gallerywill offer a keepsake poster of this exhibition to those attending. Thisexhibit leads into Gallery Night andDay starting July 25, where another reception honors Farrell together with theceramic sculptures of Mark Chatterley and works on paper by T. L. Solien.