New exhibit opening at Evolve, Saturday 5-8 p.m.

Evolve Urban Arts Project presents Into the Quietude: Lisa Rosenstein and James Halloran November 13, 2010 - January 8, 2011

Opening Reception: Saturday, Nov. 13, 5-8pm
Quietude: The state of being quiet; tranquility; calmness; stillness

Just in time for the busy holiday season, The Evolve Urban Arts Project is proud to announce our upcoming exhibition Into the Quietude featuring painter James Halloran and mixed-media artist Lisa Rosenstein. While utilizing differing mediums and approaches to the application on paint on canvas, both artists strive to create works that elicitquiet contemplation from the viewer.

Rosenstein works in a world of void of colors. In her work she, "yearns for the Beginning; the place where all is calmness and nothing matters but to breathe." White pigments on white canvas strip the work of superfluous elements that distract us from journeying inward to a sense of stillness. Her spare color palette and use of simple found materials as stand-ins for traditional narrative elements force the viewer to focus on the shadows, light, texture and depth within each piece.

Similarly, Halloran's landscapes, or "private meditations", are stripped of minute details, forcing the viewer to focus on just the essential elements of nature. These landscapes, rendered almost abstractly, turn urban landmarks into anonymous "planes of light and value". Far from the serene, Halloran's quiet works evoke a hint of anxiety. Human beings are noticeably absent from the works, creating a silence that Halloran describes as deafening. Featured in this exhibition will be both preparatory charcoal drawings and finished works, giving the viewer a glimpse into his artistic process. Halloran, a 2010 finalist for the Bethesda Painting Awards, received a BFA from the University of Buffalo in 2005.

Into the Quietude runs through January 8th, 2011. The Project space is located in the Pierce School Lofts at 1375 Maryland Avenue, NE, in the H Street Arts and Entertainment District. Hours for the Project are:

Mondays through Thursdays: 1-5pm
Fridays: 1-7pm
Saturdays: 11am -2pm