Watercolor - Bright and Bold
by Richard Helland
On Display: Feb 26 - Mar 27

Artist's Reception
Fri, Mar 12, 7 pm

Artist Demonstration
Sun, Mar 7, 2 pm
 

Watercolor - Bright and Bold
by Richard Helland

For artist Richard Helland, the process of creating art is as transforming as the final product. By using transparent watercolor, the artist allows the paint to move and flow on its own, creating natural visual effects. His paintings portray scenes from Italy, France, Mexico, and closer to home - Door County, Wisconsin.

Before pursuing painting, Helland was a successful graphic designer and art director, winning awards internationally for his designs. Attending the University of Iowa, he majored in art and continued his studies at the American Academy of Art in Chicago where he studied with nationally renowned watercolorist, Irving Shapiro. He continues to participate in watercolor workshops studying with major artists. Richard has exhibited in over twenty juried gallery exhibitions, one man shows, and juried art shows. He currently teaches adult watercolor classes at Positive Strokes Art School in Palatine, Illinois.

Expressions Through Art
by Joe Rosenbloom and Thomas Balsamo
On Display: Apr 2 - May 1

Artists Reception
Fri, Apr 9, 7 pm

 
Paintings by Joe Rosenbloom.

 
Photographs by Thomas Balsamo. 

This exhibition is organized by “La Citadelle Art” and presents a collection of paintings made by Joe Rosenbloom and a collection of photographs by Thomas Balsamo used in the book “Souls: Beneath and Beyond Autism” by Sharon Rosenbloom. Balsamo was intrigued by what he saw in his subjects’ eyes. He hoped to illustrate, via his images, what words alone might not convey – the idea that the eyes are truly the windows to the soul. Joey Rosenbloom, who is autistic and is one of the subjects Balsamo photographed, could only look out the windows of his soul. However, with the assistance of an art teacher and friend, Vesna Boscovic, Rosenbloom learned a medium in which he could communicate. She opened for him the language of art in which he is able to expresses his thoughts and feelings.

Joe Rosenbloom, 23, is a young man who was born with autism.  Five years ago, he started to paint with Vesna Boscovic, president of La Citadelle NFP, where his painting style continued to evolve to reveal a wealth of imagery and emotions. Later, he worked with artist Bobi Vidovic who showed him more contemporary painting technique.  His paintings capture the strength of his feelings hidden under the cover of autism, and help to reveal the true nature of this commonly misunderstood disorder. He has a number of exhibitions during the national month of Autism to help educate people about this disease. 

Thomas Balsamo developed his love of photography at the early age of ten when he received his first camera.  His talent and ability to capture people’s feelings and personalities blossomed into a professional photography career in 1978. His work has been featured on CNN, CBS, WGN and WLS television and has been published in Professional Photographer among other publications.  He received The Autism Society of America’s “Literary Work of the Year” for 2003 for his photography and co-creation of Souls: Beneath and Beyond Autism.