Monorchid Enhances Its Art Program With A New Director/curator

December 2012 will mark the first exhibition curated by the new Art Program Director at monOrchid in Phoenix, AZ.
By: monOrchid LLC
 
Nov. 18, 2012 - PRLog -- PHOENIX (November 18, 2012).  The monOrchid is the premier art gallery in Downtown Phoenix.  Because we are located in the heart of the arts district on Roosevelt Row in central Phoenix, the exposure that this building receives is incredible. The purpose of the monOrchid art program is to provide quality art programming while introducing emerging and established local artists to the community and inspire art appreciation in the public.  The monOrchid’s mission is to promote local art and generate cultural awareness in the community while serving as a magnet for continued creative development and collaboration.  Wayne Rainey, owner and operator of the monOrchid and Rainey Studios decided it is time to take the art program not just to the next level, but three levels further and bring in an experienced curator to direct the gallery.

Mr. Rainey selected Justin Germain to enhance the vision he has for the monOrchid art program.  Mr. Germain is an Arizona native and moved to the valley 13 years ago to pursue his education in Art History.  He now holds a Master of Arts in Art History and a Master of Public Administration, two fields that developed not only his aesthetic sense but also a love for community engagement and exploring the crossover between art and society.  Justin comes to the monOrchid with over 10 years in gallery management and curatorial experience with organizations in the Phoenix area including Larsen Gallery and Arizona State University Art Museum.

Mr. Germain believes there is virtually no limit to the opportunities for monOrchid.  He states, “I have always been disturbed by the comments that Phoenix has no culture and I strive to explore and share what the valley offers to its residents and visitors.  I am thrilled to work with monOrchid; the space embodies our local flavor and the aesthetics of urban Phoenix.  I hope to help develop more awareness and interest in the arts of our community by working and collaborating in a creative environment focused on generating a buzz for downtown.  I think we are going to push the envelope of what a Phoenix art gallery is and hopefully inspire other arts businesses to follow along!”

Mr. Germain’s first exhibition at monOrchid will open in December, featuring two Phoenix area artists, Dino Paul and Laura Spalding Best.

Dino Paul is a graphic designer, illustrator and artist.  He has been practicing his craft for over 30 years, but is relatively new to the “art world” first sharing his artwork in 2011.  Dino’s work as a designer and illustrator have garnered numerous local and national awards and his work has been featured in and numerous design competitions and publications.  His art does not have any social commentary or compel thought through obscurity; the work is focused on his personal view of the world and experimentation with imagery.  He calls his work his “perception of observation” because he creates his images from his mind’s eye without having any direction or rules to follow, often resulting details that are just “a little off.”  Dino’s images of people and nature use bright colors, distorted features, misaligned light sources, or skewed perspectives that challenge the viewer to question their own perception and hopefully find amusement in the disjointed details.

Laura Spalding Best is Arizona State University alumni who has shown in the greater Phoenix Metropolitan area for nearly 10 years and been featured in multiple local publications as well as New American Paintings.  Laura also recently received a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Artist Grant to continue working on several series of paintings that examine the urban landscape of Phoenix and the mundane structures that represent the community.  For some time her work has focused on the collective aesthetic of the urban landscape.  The idea that individuals and communities are connected literally and abstractly by common fixtures and sights is a driving force behind her paintings.  Her new paintings describe different areas of greater Phoenix by the electrical lines and telephone poles that line the streets.  The images reveal the unique history and character of each structure and the links between them.  By unifying the portraits of these objects into a single painting or a series of paintings, she represents a monumental network that we all relate to, even though it is mostly unnoticed in our everyday lives.

The exhibition is open at monOrchid through the month of December (12/1-12/31).  MonOrchid is open to the public First and Third Fridays every month and by appointment.  For more information about the monOrchid and its services visit http://www.monorchid.com .
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Source:monOrchid LLC
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Tags:Phoenix, Art Gallery, First Friday, Artwalk, Curator
Industry:Arts, Entertainment
Location:Phoenix - Arizona - United States
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