Cultural correspondent Bess Hochstein reports: Sunshine heralded the first day of August, illuminating two new exhibitions at Pittsfield galleries. Leslie Ferrin opened two shows of ornately decorated porcelain sculpture. In Human Made Wild,Jason Walker explores the intersection of nature and culture in work that wavers between whimsical and disturbing. Chris Antemann’s Battle of the Britches subverts 17th century Staffordshire porcelain tradition, placing highly detailed male and female figurines (many of which are anatomically correct) in provocatively playful and sexually suggestive poses. The posse from Mission was among the crowd who arrived for a first peek at the work and a sampling of hors d'oeuvres from Jae’s Spice. A more kid-centric crowd flocked to Storefront Artist Project, where graphic-novel and comic-book artist Scott Hanna, who is married to Pittsfield-born fashion designer Pamela Ptak, happily illustrated his craft and signed his work for fanboys (and girls) of all ages. Storefront has planned a month of family-friendly lectures, demos, workshops, and discussions with Hanna, Joe Staton, Timothy Callahan, and other superheroes of the comics realm.
Ceramic artist Jason Walker and one of his elaborately decorated pieces; Chris Antemann with her work and her mother, Anna.
Martha North and Sienna Patti; artists Michael Rousseau and Michael Boroniec
Mission owner Jim Benson with Thomas Winstanley and Jazu Stine.
Giula Giovanelli, a product manager with Canson, and her daughter AnnaMaria Biagi; artists Eric Drury and Lisa Desrosiers.
Fashion designer and Pittsfield native Pamela Ptak, who's married to cartoonist Scott Hanna, with her niece, violinist Charlotte Hays.
Writer and educator Alex Simmons with Jennifer Brennan, sister-in-law of Scott Hanna, and Nicky Brown, who is writing a biography of her grandfather, DC Comics founder Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson. Schoolteacher Judy Callahan, whose husband is a comic book reviewer, with Storefront board member Lawrence Klein.
Harrison & Maximillian Keator with Wolverine and Scott Hanna.
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
