“Golden Light: Summer of New Beginnings,” through August 26

Through Thursday, August 26

Opening Reception: Friday, August 6, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy, 2967 State Street, Bettendorf IA

The longer summer days and the color of light in the evening has not gone unnoticed by the artists at the Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy, and through August 26, works by some of the Bettendorf venue's 45 artisans will be on display in the exhibition Golden Light: Summer of New Beginnings, personal expressions of hope and light inspired by the summer rays and the hope of better days for our community and world.

Discussing one of the works by one of Golden Light's artists, Larry Jon Davis' Lilies and Lotus at Lock 13, said gallery owner Pat Beréskin, "changed the course of my day. I had a day where I was trying to do too much – a bit stressed you could say. I opened my e-mail to a note from Larry telling me what he was working on. The image stopped me dead in my tracks and gave me such a sense of peace and calm. I took a deep breath and let the image wash over me. It was a total restart to my day. Art does that. It has the ability to take us away to a different place – a different mood."

Debora Stewart recently exhibited at Zhou B gallery Chicago in the International Association of Pastel Society Master Circle exhibition. Typically, Stewart works in abstraction and pastel, and her latest work Red Blooms received high acclaim in its recent debut. Stewart is a seasoned artist, teacher, and has presented workshops all over the world, with one of her seminars being presented at the Beréskin Gallery this coming spring.

Hans Olson is from Fairfield, Iowa, and lives up to his reputation of capturing the true nature of the Midwest in oil. His latest work in the gallery typifies the rolling hills and ever changing texture and light within a landscape. Rose Moore, a local favorite, finds a full range of color and light in her most recent work The Maples, a piece that provides a stunning breadth of range within the four edges of the canvas.

Brad Bisbey, meanwhile, has 20 new works based on his New Orleans figure-painting group. During the pandemic, several art groups took to meeting online as a way to continue working in safety. This also provided a new opportunity to paint models who streamed video from their own homes. "For me," said Bisbey, "this created deeper connections with the models. These paintings are the result of our separation due to the pandemic that ironically allowed an intimate look at people in a genuine setting. These are telling snapshots into other's lives."

For years, Bisbey has painted in acrylic because of an allergy to traditional oil paint and thinners. Switching to water-based oil after a 25-year hiatus, however, has allowed him to add another element to these masterful works. As Beréskin said, "This series shows a breakthrough in his paintings. There is a different emotion and range of color that Brad's brush expresses. This is a new depth that I have not seen from his work before."

Additional artisans whose works are featured in Golden Light: Summer of New Beginnings include venue favorites Pat Halverson, Dean Kuegler, Steve Sinner, Troy Swangstu, and Pat Beréskin herself, and an opening reception for the exhibit will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on August 6. The exhibition itself will be on display through August 26, with regular gallery hours Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The venue is also open by appointment, and more information is available by calling (563)508-4630 and visiting BereskinArtGallery.com.