The Quinlan Visual Arts Center will host two solo exhibitions and one group exhibition beginning April 20 during its 2023 Spring Exhibition.
The Spring Exhibition opens April 20 at 5:30 PM with an awards reception at the Quinlan Visual Arts Center at 514 Green Street Northeast in Gainesville. The event is open to the public and free of cost. The exhibition will close on June 10.
Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can view and purchase the art on exhibit.
The two solo exhibitors are Gainesville artist Leigh-Anne O’Brien and Atlanta artist Lisa Matrundola. The Southeastern Pastel Society will take over the Mansfield Gallery with the All About Pastel Members Juried Exhibition.
Leigh-Anne O’Brien is a Gainesville High School graduate. She received her BFA in Sculpture from the University of Georgia. After graduation, O’Brien moved to Colorado where she met her husband, a native Londoner. After marrying him, they decided to move to London where two of their three children were born. Four years later, the family moved back to the United States and settled in Gainesville. During an opportunity to study abroad in Italy, she discovered her love for sculpture. Today, she focuses on 2-D, as it’s more conducive to working/painting at home with children. O’Brian is drawn to organic forms and is using watercolors, ink, and acrylics to interpret designs and patterns.
Lisa Matrundola has an MFA in Painting from Savannah College of Art & Design and a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Georgia. Having shown in galleries across the southeastern United States in solo and group exhibitions, Matrundola has collected several accolades along the way. Her work presented at the Quinlan draws from ancient and ever-evolving stories as well as current events. Her works live in a mythical reality that celebrates feminine awareness and connectivity.
The Southeastern Pastel Society (SPS) is a community of artists who share a mission to promote the beauty of the pastel medium, provide education, offer exhibition opportunities for its members, and elevate the pastel medium (brilliant colors and velvety texture) in the eyes of the art community. Connie Lynn Reilly, President and Signature Member of Excellence of the Southeastern Pastel Society, founded the Society in 1987. 103 works by 69 artists, residing in the Southeast, will be part of this group exhibition.
Awards for SEPS artists will be handed out during the Opening Reception.
