Opening Reception Tuesday, November 10, 5:00 – 7:00 PM, Patton-Malott Gallery at Anderson Ranch
Snowmass Village, Colo. — Anderson Ranch Arts Center, a premier art making destination and catalyst for critical dialogue in the contemporary art world, will present a solo exhibition of new works by Betsy Chaffin entitled “From There to Here.” The exhibition consists of drawings and paintings on view at the Patton-Malott Gallery at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, Colo., November 8 – 30, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. The public is invited to a special opening reception taking place Tuesday, November 10, 5:00 – 7:00 PM.
A former Artist-in-Residence at Anderson Ranch, Chaffin has been involved with the artist community in various roles since 1978, though this is her first exhibition with the Ranch. “From There to Here” will showcase works that reveal an integrated progression of her artwork completed over the last 18 months. Twelve ink and mixed media drawings inform a larger collection of abstract paintings, the first series of acrylic paintings Chaffin has created in years—she began painting the series during a January Studio Concentration in 2015. The visual overlap in the vocabulary of mark making and abstracted forms is apparent, hence the theme, “From There to Here.” The initial drawings served as source material for the paintings, and are part of a much larger series. The drawings, all sized 15” x 18,” were layered over pages from one of Chaffin’s father’s physics textbooks, a merging of logic and order with art and the intuitive response. The derived paintings vary in size, from 12” x 9” to 40” x 30.”
“It has been my privilege to be involved with Anderson Ranch,” explains Chaffin. “My artistic development has occurred right here. There is a wonderful creative energy here—in the summer it’s invigorating just to walk through the workshops. To be in a community that is supportive of artists and the creative spirit is pretty amazing.” Chaffin continues, “In 2007, I was fortunate to have a residency at the Ranch. That experience changed the direction of my work. It is not an exaggeration to say that Anderson Ranch has changed my life.”
The opening reception is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, please visit andersonranch.org or call 970/923.3181.
About Betsy Chaffin
For Betsy Chaffin, art is a long-standing passion. It was not the classroom of an M.F.A. program that formed the philosophy and basis of her work, but the good fortune of participating in workshops at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, conducted by some of the country’s leading artists: Gregory Botts, Jane Hammond, Allison Miller, Enrique Martínez Celaya, James Surls, Alexis Smith, Holly Hughes, Harmony Hammond, Roberto Juarez, Ernst Haas, Buzz Spector and Roy Dowell. She has participated in residencies at Anderson Ranch and the American Academy in Rome. Her work is included in private collections throughout the United States.
Chaffin is represented by J Costello Gallery, Hilton Head, S.C. More at www.jcostellogallery.com/artists/betsy-chaffin.
About Anderson Ranch Arts Center
Founded in 1966, Anderson Ranch Arts Center is a premier destination in America for art making and critical dialogue, bringing together aspiring and internationally renowned artists to discuss and further their work in a stimulating environment. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains of Aspen/Snowmass, Colo., the Ranch hosts extensive workshops for everyday, emerging and established artists in eight disciplines, including Photography & New Media, Ceramics, Painting & Drawing, Furniture Design & Woodworking, Sculpture, Woodturning, Printmaking, and Digital Fabrication. In addition to the Summer Series, Featured Artists & Conversations, the Ranch also hosts engaging events throughout the year including: the Recognition Dinner (Thursday, July 21, 2016) honoring the National Artist Award recipient; the Annual Art Auction & Community Picnic (Saturday, August 6, 2016), a thirty-six-year-old tradition which features works of local, national and international artists; and the Artists-in-Residence Program, fostering artistic growth for emerging and established visual artists. In 2016 Anderson Ranch will celebrate its 50th anniversary, furthering its mission to provide transformative experiences that celebrate artists, art making, creative dialogue and community. Learn more at www.andersonranch.org or 970/923.3181.
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For further information, please contact Jennifer Slaughter at 970/923.3181 x 301 or jslaughter@andersonranch.org.
