“Being an artist teaches you how to see in a way that can be both instant and long lasting,” says painter Joyce Greenfield. But how does one see clearly during experiences and responses as unpredictable and simultaneous as the Black Lives Matter movement, the global climate crisis, and the pandemic? Greenfield's answer to that can be seen in her show PORTALS AND MEMORIES, on view at City Gallery from April 3 - April 25, with a chance to Meet the Artist on April 3, 4, 24, and 25 from 2PM - 4PM.
PORTALS AND MEMORIES features a series of oil paintings that began as old, less-developed paintings, reworked with pigments and paints into a thoughtful collection of new work. “In many of them a ghost of the former painting peeked through and inspired my response to it,” explains Greenfield. “It became clear that many of them appeared to suggest chaos, disruption, fear, and sadness, but they also all had a hint of hope, a Portal to a better time, or Memories of good times that sustain us.”
In many ways, this exhibit is reflective of our collective experience in the past several years — layers of emotions, attempts to hide and reveal, remembering our past, and seeing through to the hope of our future.
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Greenfield has studied fine art at Washington State University, Paier College of Art, Creative Arts Workshop, and with many individual professional painters. Her work has appeared in local and regional shows, and won several awards. She is a member of the Connecticut Watercolor Society, and has taught at Creative Arts Workshop.
PORTALS AND MEMORIES is free and open to the public, and runs April 3 - 25, 2021. Visitors can Meet the Artist on April 3, 4, 24, and 25, from 2PM - 4PM. City Gallery is located at 994 State Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Modified gallery hours are Saturday and Sunday, 2PM - 4PM, or by appointment. The number of visitors is limited to 4 at a time. All visitors are required to wear a mask and observe social distancing protocols. For further information please contact City Gallery, info@city-gallery.org, www.city-gallery.org.