The public is invited to a reception at Art/Place Gallery for “Splash and Passion”, the artwork of new members, Anthony Santomauro and Darlene Keeffe,  on June 24 from 2 to 5 pm. The artists will talk about their work at 3:30 pm. The show runs from June 11 to July 15.

Art/Place is an artist-run gallery. It has been in existence for more than 35 years and features a new show by one or two members every month and several group shows a year. 

As always, the reception includes refreshments and a chance to meet and talk to the artists exhibiting.

DARLENE KEEFFE

Darlene has a Masters of Fine Art from The Academy of Art University in San Francisco and now teaches Visual Arts at the high school level. Besides painting, she makes pottery, sculpture, and crafts.

In addition to a solo show at the Augusta Curtis Cultural Center, she has had several group exhibits at area venues. She is a member of several area art groups. She is motivated by nature and its colors, textures and patterns, as well as by people. She says, "My work is a representation of my life; it is a visual account of my soul living...”I paint to investigate and explore, to communicate my experiences and to record these encounters... It is my intention to evoke refection of life and beauty in its finest sense, to draw attention to the refinement of one's spirit, to enliven one's soul”. 

Her work in this show expresses her obsession with the process of fluid painting and the way the colors interact with each other.

ANTHONY SANTOMAURO 

The Fairfield resident works in pastel, charcoal, and acrylic. He has received many prizes for his artwork at many national and Connecticut art venues, including the Salmagundi Club in New York, where he exhibits annually in juried shows.

Anthony studied drawing at Silvermine Guildand was awarded the Faculty 1st Prize in drawing at the Annual Juried Student Exhibition of Silvermine School of Arts in 1998, 2000 and 2001. He is a member of the Easton Arts Council, Fairfield County Arts Association, Westport Arts Center, Westport Artist Collective and Art/Place Gallery. 

He creates realistic, detailed pastel works and highly technical drawings of humans and animals. He aims to merge feelings with visual reality and explore the variety and intensity of the human emotional experience.  Whether it is beauty, rage, melancholy, malevolence or goodness, he wants observers to be emerged into the world, power and emotion of each of his creations. 

Darlene Keefe:

FINDING HARMONY

REFINEMENT

RIPPLES

TURBULENCE 

Anthony Santomauro:

ON THE STEPS OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

JORGE

WAITING FOR A FLIGHT