Steve & Colin Sherrell: Dot to Dot

Opening: Friday, Jul 12, 2019 6 – 9 pm
Friday, Jul 12 – Aug 3, 2019

Together, Steve Sherrell, a painter and digital artist and his son, Colin Sherrell, a sculptor, bring audiences 65 years of making and exhibiting artwork. "Dot to Dot" explores form and questions the idea of formal art through analogy and metaphor. See the exhibition in the Dempsey Family Gallery located on the first floor of Water Street Studios starting July 12, 2019.

Steve Sherrell is a career painter with early influences from his father who was a painter and window dresser for a large department store. As a boy he was exposed to Abstract Expressionism, Cubism, Pop Art and American Realism. His training at the School of the Art Institute was with Ray Yoshida and Whitney Halstead, who introduced him to studio practices that he has utilized since he graduated. He is Professor Emeritus of Art at Joliet Junior College.

Steve Sherrell says, “I’ve done all the stuff, the shows, the travel, the galleries, the museums. I have worked as an artist for 50 years. I worked at an art museum. I’ve started galleries, been with galleries, been in the magazines and newspapers. I taught college art for 30 years. I have done interesting things and know many, many interesting, amazing people. But the truth is, I prefer to be in my studio, doing what I do. That is where I am myself and feel at home.  Art has given me a reason to wake up every morning and begin the day smiling.”

Colin Sherrell is a third-generation artist with a father and a grandfather who painted during his time. Colin Sherrell obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the New World School of the Arts. Graduating in 2011 from New World, Sherrell immediately pursued a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Miami. Now Contemporary Art gallery represented Colin at the time. After 8 years of showing and four solo exhibitions in Miami, FL, Sherrell moved back to Illinois to continue his art career in his home land.

He shares, “Growing up surrounded with art, my work tends to deal with referencing art and existing sculptural tendencies including Conceptualism, Fluxus, Dada, Minimalism, Arte Povera, and endless amounts of theory. I approach these tendencies with reference to a wide variety of traditional fabrication processes and materials.” Colin works in woodworking, fiberglass, glass, ceramics, stone masonry, and metal fabrication, and more.

 

Opening reception for both exhibitions will be held on Friday, July 12, 2019 from 6:00-9:00 p.m.

The artists will be present at the reception to discuss their work and answer questions. In addition, appetizers will be provided by Gaetano's Batavia, cash bar featuring beer from Solemn Oath Brewery, and wine will be available for purchase. This event is free and open to the public.

We encourage all visitors to make a $5 donation at the door to support arts programming at Water Street Studios. A special thank you to event sponsor, K.Hollis Jewelers and Batavia Enterprises Inc. Don’t forget to share your photos with us during the event by using #2ndFridaysBatavia

We are partnering with the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry and Clothes Closet during our 2nd Friday Gallery Opening Receptions. We are happy to accept donations on their behalf. Please consider bringing an item from their current needs list that can be found at www.bataviafoodpantry.org.

 

Image: Dot to Dot by Steve Sherrell and Colin Sherrell, right (top to bottom) Way Down South by Linda Woods, Boats of Old by Linda Palmer, Gifts from the Gulf by Jennifer Hunger