"Troy Swangstu: A Bullish New Year" at the Berėskin Gallery & Art Academy, through February 24
Through Thursday, February 24
Berėskin Gallery & Art Academy, 2967 State Street, Bettendorf IA
Visually resplendent works by a Quad Cities native and current Kansas resident will decorate the walls of the Berėskin Gallery & Art Academy through February 24, with the Bettendorf venue celebrating the great outdoors and some of its great mammals in painter Troy Swangstu's new exhibition A Bullish New Year.
Born and raised in the Quad Cities, Swangstu graduated from Bettendorf High School and studied at the Kansas City Art Institute with a major in painting. He worked at various museums and galleries and exhibited locally in Kansas City as a student, and 10 years ago, the artist went rural, moving south of Kansas City to Paola, Kansas. Swangstu's work is described as transparent layers of spirited, reactive brushstrokes that dance among moments of academic forms and theories, leaving behind expressionist pages full of learning outcomes and opportunities.
Swangstu's free expression of brushstroke and color create a dynamic impact of the animals he portrays in A Bullish New Year. In Paola, the artist found a love for working with livestock in what's known as regenerative farming (grazing) practices, and Swangstu has been a vested partner in the raising of grass fed beef in the Kansas City area. He has consulted for over a decade with grazing clean beef and regenerative agriculture businesses, and he states that his day-to-day interaction with these robust creatures makes them a natural subject matter. Through his paintings, viewers can experience the power of the cattle in ways that reveal the passion and reverence of the artist. (For the first time, “Taco” also makes an appearance in Swangstu's creations, the three-year-old Australian Cow dog being the artist's work partner and muse.) Coming from a family of nationally known talents, Swangstu credits his Bettendorf teacher Nick Digioia with the development of his gifts, saying it was Digioia’s spark that motivated him to excel in artistic endeavors.
An Open House Reception for Troy Swangstu: A Bullish New Year will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 4, and the exhibit itself will be on display at the Bettendorf venue through February 24. Regular gallery hours 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.
