HomeNewsCommunity News'Colorful Canvases' tell a story of hope
'Colorful Canvases' tell a story of hope
May 15, 2019 jhorton Community News 0
STEPHENVILLE (May 3, 2019) – "Colorful Canvases" by artist Ryan Dalgliesh is the latest Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council (CTFAC) exhibit and spins a story about life, told through a collection of brightly colored canvases. The exhibit is on display at the River North Gallery, located at 204 River North Blvd in Stephenville, and is open to the public.
"Colorful Canvases" features three separate collections, each offering a unique perspective on life and experiences. One wall of the exhibit features select pieces from a much larger collection, chronicling a journey through depression. CTFAC Executive Director Whitney Lee said the pieces immediately stood out to her.
"Each individual piece is incredibly well-done," Lee said. "But they take on so much more meaning once you hear the story behind those six or seven canvases."
Each canvas is a portrait of a ballet dancer. Dalgliesh said he reached out to several dancers, seeking permission to create a work based on a photograph of the dancers in motion. He said six responded granting him the permission. The result is a stunning 25-piece exhibit journaling the human struggle with depression. The beginning pieces are heavy and dark with the dancer blending into the background. As the pieces evolve, they become brighter, more defined, with the dancer's face and form visible by the last piece.
"I think what struck me is that, even if you've never had a personal struggle with depression, you can really gain an appreciation of what it must feel like to have that battle," Lee said. "Struggling through this darkness that just surrounds you and finally breaking free on the other side. This is what art does. It gives life to experiences and emotions when we have no other way of conveying what we're feeling."
Dalgliesh, a San Angelo resident and career artist, has worked to hone his craft over the years and has focused on using art to "tell creative and personal stories." And while this current exhibit does employ his trademark brightly colored canvases, he said his newest pieces are going to focus on featuring historical people and moments in black and white.
"I just love Ryan's work. He's exhibited with us in the past and he just does amazing things," Lee said. "I can't wait for people to see the exhibit that's here and I'm excited to see his new creations and hope we have a chance to exhibit some of those I the future.
A reception is scheduled on site Saturday, May 18 from 1-3pm, and gives patrons an opportunity to learn more about this fascinating artist. The exhibit will be on display at the River North Gallery until June 30. The exhibit is sponsored in part by The Home Place at Ace. More information on Dalgliesh and his work is available at RTDalglieshFineArt.com.
Contact the CTFAC at 254-965-6190 for more information.
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