Peninsula Gallery to begin new season March 8 with Our Animal Kingdom

Peninsula Gallery will begin its exhibition season from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 8, with a group show, Our Animal Kingdom, the first of 10 monthly exhibitions extending to December. BJ Clark, gallery owner, said, “We are starting this year’s exhibitions with a wonderfully eclectic and fun show highlighting how artists envision our animal friends. Time to shake off the winter grey and enjoy our two- and four-legged friends, both domestic and wild, funky to formal.”

The show will feature five artists, three of whom are new to Peninsula Gallery.

Lewes artist Arlene Matzkin began her career as an architect in Philadelphia, Pa., and when coming to Lewes, took up painting. Her images of farm animals and pets are presented in colorful, high-contrast flat planes that capture the essence of her subjects with a contemporary modern flair.

Larry Ringgold, a recently retired carpentry/woodworking teacher from Chesapeake Beach, Md., is a sculptor who uses found driftwood to create large, three-dimensional, realistic sculptures of animals and birds. His work has received multiple awards including selection as a top 10 finalist in the Eco Art Challenge for art created from repurposed materials. This year, he was the featured artist at the 2014 Ocean City Nautical and Wildlife Show.

Brenda Kidera, a native of Maryland, is a graduate of Towson University with a career in graphic design and illustration. She is a signature artist member of the Washington Society of Landscape Painters, Baltimore Watercolor Society, Potomac Valley Watercolorists, and a member of the Society of Animal Artists, Oil Painters of America, and the Mid-Atlantic Plein-Air Painters Association.

The two artists in the show who have shown frequently at Peninsula Gallery include local artist Karin Snoots and Meg Walsh of Alexandria, Va.

Snoots has a lifelong love of animals and is well known for her detailed miniatures. She is the recipient of two separate fellowship grants from the Delaware Division of the Arts. In 2008, she received and Emerging Professional Fellowship and most recently, in 2013 a Fellowship in the Professional Artist category. She maintains signature status in both the Artists for Conservation and the American Society of Marine Artists. She is also a member of the Ocean Artists Society.

Walsh is a well-known and award-winning plein air painter. She has received several recent awards including Honorable Mention for her work in the  Plein Air Richmond June 2013, Richmond, Va., and Emancipation and Freedom, a juried exhibit in June 2011, Art League Gallery, Alexandria, Va. For this exhibition, Walsh will present a series of paintings of farm animals.

Gallery exhibitions for the remainder of the year include a still life show in April featuring five regional artists. In May, a group of several artists painting to the theme of Reflected Light will be presented. In June, well known artists Laura Hickman and Steve Rogers will present a special two-person show of large paintings. Both Rogers and Hickman are among the most highly regarded artists of the region and known for capturing the essence of southeastern Delaware in large, artistically rendered, realistic landscapes.

In July, a multi-artist theme show will present images of the ocean and beaches. The remainder of the shows, August through November, will feature a series of special one- and two-artist shows. The August show will feature local artists Julie Molyneux and Denise Dumont, while September will present work by Mary Pritchard and Steve Rogers. In October, English impressionist Roger Dellar will return for a one-man show of new work presenting cityscapes from around the world.

In November, local artist Nick Serratore will be featured in a one-man show of new work in pastel. Finally, in December, the gallery will present is annual holiday Small Jewels show.

The Peninsula Gallery, at 520 E Savannah Road, is currently in its 18th year and presents the work of more than 20 local, regional and international artists. It also provides fine art framing and restoration services. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday. The gallery is closed on Monday. Phone 302-645-0551 or go to www.peninsula-gallery.com.