Fine Arts Show Jan. 19-March 6 at Highpoint Episcopal Church

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — Fine arts painters Susie Stern of Dunwoody (www.susiemstern.com), Laura Davis Shainker of Sandy Springs and Deb Rosenbury of Marietta (www.debrosenbury.com), will team up Jan. 19 through March 6 to present "Shared Space," a gallery exhibit and sale of their oil, acrylic and mixed media paintings.

The exhibit will be on display at Gallery 4945 at Highpoint Episcopal Community Church, which is located at 4945 High Point Road in Sandy Springs.

Many of the works offered will depict landscapes, abstracts and animals, and the artists will donate a portion of the proceeds to North Valley Animal Disaster Group (www.nvadg.org), a non-profit organization working to rescue and care for pets and farm animals displaced by the recent wildfires in Northern California.

The gallery will be open Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. until noon, and Sundays from 9:30 a.m. until noon, as well as by appointment by calling the church. The artists will host an opening reception on Saturday, Jan. 19, from 6-8 p.m.

“As artists, we are makers,” said Stern. “We observe, and when successful, create something that has the power to move another to the point that they react. Deb, Laura and I have created this body of work in hopes that our audience will both delight in its visual impact and find satisfaction in knowing we are gifting back by supporting the work of North Valley Animal Disaster Group.”

“Susie, Laura and I both feel a strong responsibility to care for our environment, and the creatures who inhabit it with us,” said Rosenbury. “We were deeply moved by the plight of the animals during the recent wildfires in Northern California, and look forward to channeling our creative energies to make a positive impact by supporting those who are caring for them.”

“I am delighted to showcase my work with Susie and Deb,” said Shainker. “I hope people will enjoy exploring our creative differences and similarities, as they join with us to benefit North Valley Animal Disaster Group.”

Susie Stern, who received her BFA from the University of Colorado, spent a decade in New York City, working towards an MS in Visual Communications at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and working at the Whitney Museum, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and the Bronx Zoo. She also helped design Daniel’s Story, a permanent children’s exhibit at the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.

She moved to Atlanta over 20 years ago to serve as Design Director of Turner Broadcasting’s children’s book publishing division. She is the creator and founder of Cowbunnies, a global ladies’ handbag brand. Now that her children are grown, Stern is devoting time and creative energy to her painting as well as equestrian pursuits.

Deb Rosesnbury grew up in northern Indiana. She always had a special interest in art and studied interior design at Indiana University. After graduation, she moved a number of times, managing her own interior design business and home interiors store. She expressed herself artistically through creating beautiful spaces with fabrics, paints, patterns and accessories.

In Atlanta, Rosenbury began creating handcrafted items for local home stores and soon moved her home-based cottage industry into the Urban Art Collective in Chamblee. Here, she was inspired to begin painting, drawing on her years of experience combining colors, patterns and shapes. Her work has been displayed at numerous galleries including Markay Gallery, Marietta, Ga.; Newbill Collection by the Sea, Seaside, Fl.; Gilchrist Gilchrist, Nashville, Tn. and Urban Art Collective in Atlanta.

Laura Davis Shainker began painting more than 25 years ago. A Sandy Springs native, she began by studying classical principles and techniques in drawing and painting, and further developed those skills through workshops and classes with a number of contemporary artists. She owned the Art School in Sandy Springs from 2015 to2016, where she coordinated and managed workshops with well-known artists from around the country, and also taught art at the diDomizio Art Center. Shainker now paints fulltime, and is focused on depicting contemporary landscapes and figures.

Photo: Sandy Springs Artist Laura Davis Shainker