“Philip Laber: Dialogues Within" at the Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy -- through April 27.
Exhibit: Through Wednesday, April 27
Public Reception: Friday, March 4, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy, 2967 State Street, Bettendorf IA
Vibrantly colorful works by a Long Grove native and the retired chair of the art department of Northwest Missouri State University will be showcased at the Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy through April 27, with the Bettendorf venue housing 17 ravishing acrylic paintings of varying sizes in the exhibition Philip Laber: Dialogues Within.
A past president of the MidAmerica College Art Association, Laber is an an experimental printmaker, painter, and photographer who has displayed his art all over the country and abroad, including in Israel. Six years ago, Laber retired from teaching photography, printmaking, and drawing to become a full-time artist, and he has exhibited in such disparate locales as Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia. Holding both a 1976 Master of Arts a 1978 Master of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa, Laber has taught and conducted research in Italy, Spain, France, Turkey, and other countries abroad, while his professional accomplishments include a nomination for the National Endowment of the Arts Advisory Panel and a Dean;s Research Assistance Award from the College of Arts & Sciences.
At his Web site PhilipLaber.com, the artist states, "In the summer of 2016, I retired from teaching photography, printmaking, and drawing in higher education to become a full-time artist. My creative interests remain experimental printmaking and photography and more recently, exploring relief and 3D works in those mediums. Drawing has always influenced the work, and will continue to do so. I have a specific interest in the figurative subjects that support the specific narratives in each work." Regarding his latest exhibition Dialogues Within, Laber said that its title derived from “not only the dialogues within and between the subjects in the paintings, but also within cultural and historical contexts, within visual forms, within my personal connections, and within those of the viewer, including the interpretations they bring to this work."
A public reception for Philip Laber: Dialogues Within will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 4, and the exhibit itself will be on display at the Bettendorf venue through April 27. Regular gallery hours are Tuesdays through Fridays 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., admission is free, and more information is available by calling (563)508-4630 and visiting BereskinArtGallery.com.
