January 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Delavan Art Gallery

Contact: Courtney Rile, Gallery Coordinator / (315) 425-7500 /
crile@delavancenter.com

Exhibition: “The Human Condition"
Featuring photography and wood cut prints of West Africa by James
Albertson, drawings on issues of forced emigration by Joan Carlon,
oil paintings by William Finch, drawings on canvas and linen of West
African women by Viginia Hovendon and watercolor portraits by Stephen
Ryan.

Dates: January 25 – February 24, 2007

Location: Delavan Art Gallery, 501 W. Fayette Street, Syracuse, NY 13204

Hours: Thursdays and Fridays 12-6 p.m., Saturdays 10-4 p.m., and also
by appointment (NOTE: These hours are new since September 2006.)

Artists in Attendance: Saturdays from noon – 3 p.m.
January 27: William Finch
February 3: James Albertson and Virginia Hovendon
February 10: James Albertson
February 17: Stephen Ryan
February 24: Joan Carlon

Syracuse (January 2007)

Delavan Art Gallery presents the exhibit "The Human Condition"
featuring photography and wood cut prints of West Africa by James
Albertson, drawings on issues of forced emigration by Joan Carlon,
oil paintings by William Finch, drawings on canvas and linen of West
African women by Viginia Hovendon and watercolor portraits by Stephen
Ryan. The exhibit opens on Thursday, January 25 and continues
through Saturday, February 24, 2007.

James Albertson spent seven years volunteering and working on issues
of sustainable development in West Africa through the United States
Peace Corps and The Carter Center, Inc. His work is a compilation of
photographs of nomadic people from Mali, West Africa. These
portraits depict the often harsh reality of their daily lives. Also
included in this exhibition are wood cut prints inspired by the
series of photographs. Albertson is currently a graduate student in
the Creative Arts Therapy Program at Nazareth College in Rochester,
NY. He has a studio art background with an emphasis on illustration
and graphic design.

Joan Carlon's desire to create drawings based on stories of forced
emigration was first motivated by the power of the stories
themselves. Impacted by personal experiences, Joan Carlon explains
in her artist statement, "It seemed natural for me to become
interested in history and in the stories of civilians whose lives are
irrevocably changed by war; the Vietnamese, Cubans, Bosnians and now
Africans from Sudan, Somalia and Liberia. It is the stories of these
people that I have collected and that have inspired this group of
drawings." The stories come from a collection of tales from
newspapers and personal narratives told directly to Carlon. The
drawings themselves balance the raw subject matter with Carlon's
interest in space, rhythm and strong contrast. As she writes, "The
drawings string silhouetted black images, areas of grey wash and
graphite pencil across the picture plane and empty spaces."

William Finch paints primarily from a warm, vibrant color palette of
oil paints. The subject matter of his work is inspired by what the
artist describes as "coming from his own Christian world view." In
his artist statement, he writes, "It is with that foundation- whether
painting rich and textured floral scenes, capturing snapshots of
life, showcasing man's present plight for completion and meaning, or
making commentary on the persecuted church... his work reflects the
redemptive and points to a final culmination where the undesirable
and broken can be made whole." Finch is currently a Design Director
at Chase Design in Skaneateles and has previously been employed as an
art director in several Central New York advertising agencies. He
has been involved in the arts since attending Syracuse University's
School of Visual and Performing Arts.

Virginia Hovendon's large charcoal drawings on canvas and linen of
West African women are directly inspired by the photographs of James
Albertson, who is also exhibiting during January and February at
Delavan Art Gallery. Virginia Hovendon explains her fascination with
this imagery this way: "I have always loved portraits, faces and
especially faces with hands are extremely compelling to me. If you
look at these women, with all their lines and wrinkles, some from the
sun and some from time, possible worry, I often wonder if their lives
are really so different from our own. There are common threads in
the human condition that tie us all together." Hovendon attended
Wells College for her undergraduate work in Drawing and Painting and
received a Master's degree in Education from Syracuse University.
She currently lives in Copenhagen, NY where she teaches art at
Copenhagen Central School and serves as Director of the Scholastic
Art Awards.

Stephen Ryan enjoys the challenge of impressionistic, wet-to-wet
watercolors. "I've always painted people, because," he explains,
" what makes us interesting is how different we all are. There is so
much more we can read into a person and situation than into a
landscape. However, the best part is hearing what people take away,
as an impression, when they view my art. It's as different as the
subjects I paint." Stephen Ryan has won many awards for his
watercolors and runs his own graphic design studio in Skaneateles,
NY. Ryan is also an Adjunct Professor of Art at SUNY Onondaga
Community College, teaching Computer Graphics and Advanced Graphic
Design.

Delavan Art Gallery is a 3,800 square foot showcase and sales venue
for fine art created by area artists. Located in a convenient,
downtown location at 501 West Fayette Street, Syracuse, the gallery
is free and open to the public. Off-street parking is available and
the gallery is handicapped accessible. Delavan Art Gallery opens
“ The Human Condition” from 5 - 8 p.m. on Thursday, January 25, and
is open through February 24 on Thursday and Friday afternoons from
12-6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. and at other times by
appointment.