OCEAN CITY — In-person First Friday art openings return to the Ocean City Center for the Arts on 94th St. bayside on April 2 from 5-7 p.m. The event will maintain CDC guidelines and require masks and social distancing.
The Thaler Gallery hosts “Points of Juxtaposition” featuring the work of six African-American artists from the Eastern Shore who find inspiration from life in America and from an older African consciousness. The title comes from the work that, like the points of a compass, covers their many visual points of view and reflects a culmination of more than 190 years of experiences and perspectives.
Tony Burton is of Felton, Del., is a cartoonist at heart and draws his life observations in a comedic way. A graduate of Delaware State University and Delaware College of Art and Design, he taught for 40 years in Bridgeville, Del. and also teaches Tai Chi. Burton does art to relax his inner Chi and achieve a painterly style he has developed over the years.
Alexander Gamble was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., received his BA in art from Delaware State University, and is now part of Studio IXOII in Wilmington, Del. His digital and print media art is a combination of circumstance and the recall of events past, and he dedicates his work to God.
Kenneth Jones of Salisbury is a graphite artist and photographer. As a young boy, Jones struggled with oral communication and expression. His pencil work involved the creation of sociopolitical subjects and commentary. As a photographer, he captures the subtle world around him, focusing on discarded and forgotten things that have stood the test of time.
Michael J. Morris of Salisbury is a retired art educator of 40 years and a painter, graphic artist, printmaker, and photographer. He works under the name Mijomor and uses his four disciplines to create mixed media art with an illustrative style. Mijomor is an artist with a painterly voice that speaks with the softness of a brush stroke, but with the power of a cutting edge.
Ernest Satchell of Princess Anne was born and raised in Northampton County, Va. and received his degree from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he worked for Boeing Aircraft before pursuing Masters Degrees in art education, ceramics, and fine art. Satchell began teaching at UMES in 1971 and retired after 39 years in 2010. He is known for throwing very large pots, raku vessels, and sculptures.
Carl Williams of Wilmington, Del. works with collage, lines and shapes, acrylics, inks and natural materials to evoke self-reflection by the viewer. His work is graphic and design-oriented, influenced by the graphics work he produced for Dupont Corp. His characters have appeal to viewers because they seem like someone they know.
The Corporate Partner Juried Group Show, an annual exhibition to honor the corporate partners of the Art League of Ocean City, will be on display in The Galleria. The Art League receives support from more than 50 local businesses that have signed up to be corporate partners.
“Our corporate partnerships are vital to keeping the Ocean City Center for the Arts up and running, and this is our way, once a year, to thank them for their support,” Rina Thaler, executive director, said.
The Spotlight Gallery hosts UMES associate professors Elvin Hernandez and Brad Hudson and celebrates Manga and Anime styles of animation originating in Japan characterized by stark, colorful graphics depicting fantastic or futuristic themes.
Hernandez of Salisbury, who is originally from Puerto Rico, earned his MFA in Sequential Arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and his EdD in Higher Education from Argosy University. He is a long-time educator and practicing freelance artist in the field of comics and commercial art, working for Toys R Us, DC Entertainment, Marvel, FX, and Cartoon Network.
Hudson of Mardela Springs has been an artist/instructor at UMES for 20 years and publishes his own comics under the moniker of Coldstream Studios, developing characters such as Rocket Girl and Dark Crusader. He produces work for, among others, Topps Trading Cards, including StarWars, The Walking Dead, Mars Attacks, and more.
The annual student portion of the Manga/Anime show moves online this year at www.ArtLeagueofOceanCity.org. The Art League developed this show to promote creativity among students outside formal art programs and to increase community awareness of this art form. Students in middle, high school, and higher education in Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset, and Sussex counties submitted entries judged by Hudson. Art League President John Sisson sponsored cash prizes to the winners.
Mosaic artist Carol Rydel of Selbyville, Del. occupies Studio E in April. Symbolism plays a big part in her artwork, and she titled her exhibit “Fin Yang” as a play on words based on the yin yang symbol. Rydel mixes textures, materials, and finishes in her mosaic pieces to create a visual story.
Mary Ainsworth of Ocean Pines is the artisan for April. The jeweler recently relocated to the Eastern Shore from Denver, Co., and her jewelry creations are inspired by her love of the sea and its natural beauty.
All shows will be on display at the Arts Center until May 3.