Who doesn’t love having the chance to look at beautiful works of art while enjoying free refreshments? From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sept. 23, residents of Erie and surrounding towns did just that at Gallery Night.
Multiple times a year, independent art galleries throughout Erie participate in this event. Fifteen venues, including the Erie Art Museum, took part in Gallery Night on Sept. 23.
These events are free to the public, and allow locals to engage in and discover the art scene that occurs all over Erie. It is a great way to promote local artists because of the large audience that attends Gallery Nights.
Each gallery is different and has its own unique exhibitions on display. For example, Glass Growers Gallery, located on East Fifth Street, showcased paintings by Joyce Perowicz, while the Presque Isle Artist Association presented the “27th Annual Show” where guests were able to vote on their favorite piece of art.
Local college students agree that it is nice to see galleries off campus.
“I came here to get away from school,” said Rosalina Luciano. “For me, Gallery Night is very refreshing and inspiring.”
Some galleries were able to hold artist meet-and-greets. At the Erie Art Museum, Dietrich Wegner gave a talk about his solo exhibit, “I Think I Found It Upside Down.” It will be in the main gallery until Nov. 20.
Wegner’s artwork has been displayed throughout Europe and North America, and he currently teaches at Edinboro University.
Out of his more recent works, “Egg Stack” is his favorite that he created. Among the works in the rest of his exhibit, he would have to choose “Playhouse.”
“A lot of my success came from the mushroom cloud,” Wegner said.
His mushroom cloud can resemble anything. Adding the ladder of a treehouse to the cloud allows it to have two contradictory meanings rolled into one creation.
The mushroom cloud was a favorite for the patrons as well.
“The best part was the mushroom cloud that was part of the featured piece,” said Nick Blish. “Interesting take on something so simple.”
Overall Gallery Night offers a great mix of paintings, photography and sculpture. No matter which gallery you attend, you will find something you enjoy.
“Gallery Night is very unique, a good thing that brings the community together,” said Megan Stubbs, junior forensic anthropology major.
Attending all 15 galleries in the three-hour time span can be difficult. Luckily, the Erie Art Museum website offers a short description of each place to let visitors know what will be going on, so patrons can attend their favorite ones. The next Gallery Night will be on Dec. 2.