September Exhibitions

Kirsten Flaherty, Otis III, 2015, mezzotint, edition of 25.

Enter Silvermine Galleries this fall and you’ll be greeted by graffiti. Vandalism this is not, but rather an energetic installation that brings the vivacity of street art indoors while demystifying the tools and methods of the trade.

Take a few steps further and the scenery shifts: intaglio prints by the New York Society of Etchers (NYSE) define portraits in fresh ways.
And your tour concludes with deconstructed landscapes and abstract circles, presented respectively by Gerald Saladyga and Roger Mudre—two Connecticut-based artists exploring the otherworldly behind the everyday.

Located in the quaint suburb of New Canaan, Silvermine is anything but. An artist-centric arts center that aims to “expand the mind, nourish the soul, and connect people through the universal language of art,” it’s a spot that bursts with inventiveness and promotes creativity across media and styles. Their September exhibitions are evidence of mission accomplished.

Saladyga’s drawings, photographs, and illustrations in Invented Worlds / Surrogate Landscapes are nearly scientific in presentation; marvelous melds of topography, geography, even astronomy, an attempt to document ever-changing environments. To quote the artist, “every piece of real estate has a secret.” Mudre’s Nocturnal ing series also captures secrets: the truths we uncover when alone with our thoughts. These works are inspired by sketches he has drawn late at night, every night, since 2007. By turns delicate and brash, gnarled and graceful, they are bewitching studies in complex patterning.

The NYSE show, Portraits in Print, is particularly worth a visit from fans of interesting portraiture and technical skill. Here you’ll meet printmakers like Kirsten Flaherty, who makes a pit bull’s nose surprisingly lyrical: whiskers rendered softly against a velvety black backdrop, nostrils curled like f-holes on a cello.

After the opening reception on September 19th, return to Silvermine on the 20th for their fifth annual ArtsFest, a free all-ages celebration of activities, talks, and a performance by Street Beat: percussionists and dancers from Los Angeles who fuse Cuban, Latin, West African, and jazz rhythms. The fall weather may be cooling in Connecticut, yet when it comes to creative collaborations Silvermine is just getting warmed up.