Exhibitions                                    June 22-July 3, 2008

Reception                                                                        Sunday, June 22, 2-4 pm

Gallery Hours                                     Monday through Friday 12-5pm;

                                                            Saturday and             Sunday 2-4pm

Maxwell Mays gallery

Danna Brackenbury, John McDonough and Donna Kenny Kirwan

Outside and In Rhode Island

            In ‘Outside and In Rhode Island,’ local artists Danna Brackenbury, Donna Kenny Kirwan and Jo  McDonough capture the beauty of the New England landscape in a series of watercolors, oils, and pen and ink works. Artist John McDonough is inspired by the New England outdoors. He paints ithe traditional manner, with subjects ranging from rugged landscapes to idyllic still lifes. Complimenting these works are Danna Brackenbury’s plein air style landscapes of the Rhode Island and Massachusetts coastlines and  works that portray the area’s fleeting, undeveloped landscape. Donna Kenny Kirwan’s watercolors complete this exhibition, depicting the essence of the state’s architectural landmarks and local seaside areas.

 

 

Dodge House Gallery 

Joan Arnaud and Natalie Pfanstiehl: Flora, Fauna and Fantasy

Artists Joan Arnaud and Natalie Pfanstiehl combine the tangible with the abstract in ‘Flora, Fauna and Fantasy.’ Pfanstiehl's vivid watercolors illustrate her love of nature. A Newport native, she has worked on the faculty of the Newport Art Museum and for more than 20 years has led the Plein Air Painters of Narragansett Bay. Arnaud’s vibrant watercolors and monotypes also portray her fondness for the outdoors. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Joan Arnaud was an art teacher for the Cranston public schools for more than 20 years.

 

 

 

 

Founded in 1880 to stimulate the appreciation of art in the community, the Club has long been a place for artists and art patrons to congregate, create, display and circulate works of art.  Located along Thomas Street, in the shadow of the First Baptist Church, the Providence Art Club is a picturesque procession of historic houses, home to studios, galleries and the clubhouse. Through its public programs, its art instruction classes for members and its active exhibition schedule, the Providence Art Club continues a tradition of sponsoring and supporting the visual arts in Providence and throughout Rhode Island.

 

 

All exhibitions are free and open to the publiC

Maxwell Mays gallery

William Heydt, Johanna W. McKenzie and Lanny Parker: Three Perspectives

In ‘Three Perspectives,’ artists William Heydt, Johanna McKenzie and Lanny Parker bring together a series of figures, landscapes and still lifes in media ranging from watercolor to encaustic to oil to graphite, ink and charcoal. In his first exhibition at the Art Club, Heydt showcases his vibrant watercolor portraits, another chapter in his ‘Newportant People’ series. More than portraits of significant people, these works capture the essence of the Newport unseen by tourists. McKenzie, a native New Englander, has worked as an artist since the early eighties. She began work as a clay sculptor, and now focuses on oils, specializing in regional landscapes. She is a founding member of the Art League of Rhode Island. Gordon ‘Lanny’ Parker began his painting career after leaving the corporate world in the early 1990s. He emphasizes line and texture in his series of work that combine a variety of media.

 

Dodge House Gallery 

Robert Venditto: Ramblings

“The more I learn about painting, the harder it gets … I guess they call that growth.”

In this solo exhibition, award-winning artist Robert Venditto showcases a collection of representational oils of both figurative subjects and rich landscapes. Venditto is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and a former art instructor and administrator for the Pawtucket School Department. His work has received recognition from the Providence Art Club, Rhode Island Watercolor Society, the Wickford Art Association, Spring Bull Gallery and the Cranston Cultural Arts Council.

 

 

Founded in 1880 to stimulate the appreciation of art in the community, the Club has long been a place for artists and art patrons to congregate, create, display and circulate works of art.  Located along Thomas Street, in the shadow of the First Baptist Church, the Providence Art Club is a picturesque procession of historic houses, home to studios, galleries and the clubhouse. Through its public programs, its art instruction classes for members and its active exhibition schedule, the Providence Art Club continues a tradition of sponsoring and supporting the visual arts in Providence and throughout Rhode Island.

 

 

All exhibitions are free and open to the publiC

“I don’t understand why you really need a pitcher anyway. I mean, if they’re just catching balls behind the plate, can’t the Umpire do it?”

Yes, I said it. When the words left my mouth I prayed for one of two miracles: 1) that my company would lift their hands and cry “Hallelujah! Someone said it!” agreeing whole-heartedly with my wise observation or 2) they would burst into laughter, passing my reflection off as side-splitting joke. Alas, there were no miracles to be had that day. Instead, my company shook their heads and disregarded my comment as yet another example of my utter ignorance of America’s Favorite Pastime.

Time has passed, I have let my disapproval of the catcher position go (friends and family, however, still keep the quote on hand to garner a chuckle during moments of awkward silence during dinner parties) and so it is with great excitement that I can say, the PawSox are Coming! While the team has been warming up for weeks with pre-season games in Fort Myers, FL, on April 3rd they make they’re big RI debut at the opening celebration of the 2008 Season. Dig up your PawSox gear, order your season tickets and get psyched for RI’s favorite baseball team making their way back home in 2 short weeks.

 

Over the past several months I have fallen desperately in love with a young stay-at-home mom turned widowed drug-dealer, a novelist whose future lays perilously in the hands of an all-too-close for comfort 16 year old, and America’s favorite serial killer. Weeds, Californication and Dexter...Here’s to you!

Showtime is taking television by storm with these three sultry series. A word of caution: a) kids- don’t watch any of these. trust me, and b) If you don’t have Showtime and plan on “buying just one” episode from iTunes, get a night job or ask your boss for a raise because I assure you that you will purchase the entire season before recognizing the expense (and the fact that you have watched 7 straight hours of tv on your lap top and woops, forgot to go to sleep).

Still not convinced?
Underpaid and overworked, what would anyone turn to? Emmy-award winning Mary Louise Parker has created a new genre- Gangsta-MILF. As Weed’s main character Nancy Botwin, Parker’s perils parallel Indiana Jones in California’s suburban sprawl.

Californication star David Duchuvney is hot, humorous, hell-raising...heavenly. A total scalawag, just the way we love them.

And then Dexter...you’ve never had a thought as dastardly or dark as our dear friend, the Miami Bloodspatter Investigator/ mass-murderer psychopath, Dexter.

This is jaw-dropping entertainment making you value Netflix and OnDemand more than just about anything. Step aside Sex and the City, Sopranos and Grey’s Anatomy, Showtime is your new best friend.

Last week one of America's classic heros retired. Brett Farve, one of the last true american "regular guy" heros. Sure there are still plenty of great guys out there, alot of people doing great things, but we are losing the great everyday, mows his own lawn, look at the normal guy, heros.

Harrison Ford, is another classic everyday guy. I'm talking about the way we relate to these people. We feel they are out there for all the right reasons. Just this past weekend I was watching "Air Force One." Harrison Ford is the president who pretends to escape in the emergency pod when Air Force One is hijacked by Gary Oldman. He gets in an akward fight with one of the bad guys and you're pullin for him. I mean clearly you are pulling for him, but this isn't James Bond here, its just your average everyday Harrison Ford, jerkin around like a spaz.

That was Brett Farve too. Scrambling outside the pocket, stumbling in the snow completing a last minute shovel past for a first down, escaping diving lineman to make the game winning TD, and of course throwing off his back foot directly to the other team for 6 the other way. But we remeber him for all the good things, for the genuine excitment he brought to the game, and for the way we can relate to him. He doesn't site in front of the cameras with $500 sunglasses and tell us how good he is. Brett Farve, Harrison Ford, revel in their modesty and that is why we will miss them.

Everyday Jones, yep - we love you.

Wow your spouse, woo your date, or one up your dinner guests...It started with a recipe from Ellie Kreiger (here I go again), a Nutritionist and Food Network chef dedicated to creating fast, simple and healthy recipes. Her recipe, “Roasted Salmon with Shallot Grapefruit Sauce” sure made my mouth water, but after being poisoned the night before by “rotten skewered salmon” served at a fundraiser, my step-father did not share my enthusiasm. I offered to substitute Tilapia, my favorite fish (probably has to do with the fact that it doesn’t, in fact, taste like fish). He gulped a fearful gulp, yet nodded giving me the go ahead.

So here it is, “Naples Tilapia with Roasted Fennel” made by me with Ms. Kreiger sitting on my shoulder.

1 head fennel, sliced
2 tilapia filets
salt, pepper, and flour, for seasoning
2 ruby red grapefruits, one juiced and the other cut into segments
extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
fresh grated ginger
honey or agave
pinch cayenne pepper
lemon juice
basil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Chop off the end and green section (save some of these green fronds for garnish) of the fennel, place on its side and slice into thin pieces. Place fennel in baking dish, coat with a small amount of olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for about 45 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned and soft.

Season both sides of the tilapia with salt and pepper and dredge in flour (place about 1/2 cup flour on a plate and coat both sides of fish with the flour). Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced shallots and sautée until translucent and slightly browned (about 3 minutes). Add about 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (more if desired), 1-2 teaspoons honey or agave, a pinch of cayenne pepper and the grapefruit juice. Cook until sauce has reduced and becomes thick.
While sauce is cooking down, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a second large skillet over medium heat. Add tilapia and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through and golden brown. Add tilapia to the grapefruit sauce, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and the grapefruit wedges and let fish soak up the grapefruit-goodness. Before serving, throw in a handful of chopped basil.

When the fish is ready, serve over a bed of cooked jasmine rice or quinoa (cooked in vegetable or chicken broth with a small pat of butter and about 2 teaspoons of olive oil), the roasted fennel and top with a garnish of chopped fennel fronds.

The day after I served this citrus treat, I came across the article “On Balance” while flipping through the pages of this month’s issue of Cooking Light. “Bring out the best in your cooking by harmonizing sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory,” it read. And there you have it, my friends. A perfectly balanced recipe- sweet, sour, bitter and savory- approved by nutritionist Ellie Kreiger and a picky-eater-salmon-hater step-father, who smiled, and had thirds.

Blogs. First of all, I don’t like whoever named them...I mean, blog, really? It sounds like ‘blah’, which is ironic if you use it in a sentence like, “I’m so excited to read so and so’s new Blah!” My mom says its sounds like ‘butt’...I don’t necessarily agree with this one, but she followed it up by saying, “like cigarette butts. I mean, who wants to smoke a butt?” (I’ll leave this one alone).

It’s been a long, rocky road for me and the blog. It wasn’t until this summer I even got past the idea of a blog as being anything but an online, dish-your-heart-out journal, a little like smog. But, as we all do at some point, I am finally opening up to this new (well, kind of) technology that has taken the internet by storm.

So then it happened, my first blog (let’s not get ahead ourselves, I’m still reading them, writing my own is a far off reality). It’s only natural to be drawn to a blog that aligns with your interests. For me, my first, it was 101Cookbooks - “exploring cookbooks, one recipe at a time.” I fell for it. I fell hard. And so begins my infatuation with this cooking blog, dedicated to healthy recipes using fresh, organic and local ingredients with the most beautiful food photography I have ever seen. I started out by searching for recipes, then checked daily for new recipes, now I a full-blown member and receive weekly e-mail with new recipes, recommended cook books and stories from Heidi, the blog’s writer.

From there I formed a new-found appreciation for the blog- The Budget Fashionista , PetSugar (on any in the TeamSugar family), PugSpot (I know...just go with it), The Shortest Blog in the World (another personal favorite), my best friend’s personal blog, My Cuppa Tea and my sister's My Anthropology . I’m still no blog-a-nista, (come on I’m allowed to make up a ridiculous word, I mean, blog?!, seriously), but to all you non-bloggers, the least I can do is share with you a few of my favorites, just to get you started. Turns out reading commentary, watching videos, and staying ahead of your favorite things online, its not that bad! Blog away!

 

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