Wine, Women and All That Jazz exhibit reception set Oct. 2
To celebrate this year’s Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival, the Peninsula Gallery in Lewes is hosting an exhibition of artworks depicting nightlife and famous musicians.
Wine, Women and All That Jazz features works from Mike Fields, Al Moretti, An Nguyen, and Kyle Whary, all new exhibitors to Peninsula.
An opening reception will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 2. Due to the rise in the Delta variant of COVID-19, masks will be required while patrons are inside the gallery. Reservations are not required.
As the title of the show suggests, the works in this fun, vibrant exhibition encompass the energy of late-night jazz clubs and speakeasies. Mixing historical faces and iconic images with abstract painting, these colorful, innovative works bring the American jazz scene to Lewes, inviting viewers to intimate performances with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and Joni Mitchell while enjoying a rich glass of red on the side.
Mike Fields is a self-taught portrait artist of 14 years who currently resides in the East Valley of Phoenix, Ariz. His work evokes memories of times past, as his black-and-white canvases are re-created from photographs of musicians and celebrities. His portraits have garnered attention nationally and internationally in exhibitions and as charitable donations. Fields’ first international exhibition was in Europe at the 2016 North Sea Jazz Festival’s 40th Edition in Rotterdam, Netherlands, where he was the featured artist out of the five artists chosen worldwide.
Influenced by trumpeter and jazz master Miles Davis, and avant-garde composer and multimedia conceptual artist John Cage, Al Moretti is a formally trained musician and self-taught visual artist. His large-scale portraits are instantly recognizable for their pop art and graphic style, and he allows music to stimulate and dictate his creative process. His work has been shown at a number of Pennsylvania exhibitions and events including West Chester University, the Art Trust in West Chester, Uptown Music Theatre, and historic Kennett’s pop-up art show, to name a few. He also participates in the Chester County Studio Tour, and other outdoor music and art festivals.
An Nguyen uses vibrant colors and intricate composition to illustrate the rhythms and joys of modern life. Inspired by her travels and love of music, her geometric paintings capture the vibrant environments of musical nightlife, playfully bringing elements of jazz and urban architecture to life. As an Asian Canadian, she uses her art to reflect on her immigrant identity and rediscovers the world through her children’s eyes. Her paintings have been featured in local galleries, restaurants and public venues throughout Ottawa, Ontario, as well as on album covers for Canadian and international musicians.
With cocktails and beverages of all sorts as his muse, Kyle Whary takes the ordinary and visualizes something extraordinary. His detailed drink portraits create drama and romance, leaving a lingering mystery around the context of each glass. Whary’s passion for art extends beyond the canvas and into the classroom, where he has been an elementary art teacher in the Octorara School District for over 15 years.
Wine, Women and All That Jazz will be on display through Saturday, Oct. 30. To view and purchase works from the show online, go to peninsula-gallery.com.
The gallery is located in the Shops at the Beacon, 520 East Savannah Road, Lewes.
