Thoughtful questions abound during a three-night-only exhibition featuring incredible oils by a Toronto-based painter. It’s centered on themes of farming and labor — but will you discover an opportunity for personal growth?

#Hashtag Gallery in Toronto, Canada, will be presenting several breathtaking oils by local painter Steve Chmilar this week. On view only from June 23 through June 25, “The Wrong Century” is a brilliant journey into Chmilar’s childhood as a staunch farmhand and seeks to encourage a number of thoughtful questions.

As the gallery writes, “Is this the wrong time period to produce this kind of art? Does labour in itself make an object more valuable? What knowledge should we keep from the past while moving into the Future? Each stunningly ambitious painting begins with dozens of sketches, followed by the careful construction of small-scale scenes made from wood, paper, clay and miscellaneous detritus. Chmilar then photographs the tiny set, like a high-budget film studio in miniature, to use as a reference for the painting, before redrawing the composition from scratch onto a wood panel and painting over it.

“Chmilar’s paintings are the result of an earnest practice and unbound invention. His work is inspired by the brushwork and detail of 18th-Century European paintings and brings characters to life who are locked in a unique bizarre struggle. Sometimes absurd and intentionally out of fashion, he uses earth-tone pigments to bring new light to the antiquated look of tattered edges and unflattering forms. The human figure acts as a vehicle to portray self-imposed hardship, human folly, self-awareness and personal growth.”

To learn more, visit Steve Chmilar or #Hashtag Gallery.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

A major art gallery has itself a new owner, who has pledged to follow the established traditions of the space’s two former owners. Details here!

South Street Art Gallery in Easton, Maryland, is now the property of artist and collector Alan Brock. An avid collector since 1986, Brock has amassed a robust collection of well over 200 original paintings by living artists whose work he admires. Fine Art Connoisseur profiled Brock in its February 2017 issue, highlighting his importance as a nationally recognized art collector.

Via the gallery’s press release: “Brock’s plan is to exhibit selected pieces from his personal collection while continuing to showcase the work of artists from the mid-Atlantic region. Eminent artists who continue to be represented by the gallery include Sue deLearie Adair, Jill Basham, Tim Bell, Lani Browning, Ed Cooper, Lisa Egeli, Hai-Ou Hou, Debra Howard, Sara Poly, and Nancy Tankersley. Recently he has added painter Christopher Best and will be introducing new and emerging artists from time to time. He also has bronze, steel, and wood works by sculptors Will Hemsley, Cheryl Langlais, Ted Morlock, Paul Rhymer, Mark Schwenk, David Stevens and Eric Tardiff.

“Still a working architect, Brock spends his three days a week at the gallery since January this year learning the business and making plans to offer interesting shows. In July he is offering all juried Plein Air Easton artists (plus some invited others) the opportunity to compete in a People’s Choice Exhibit at the gallery. The public will be offered the chance to vote for their favorite artist and the winner will be announced during the Plein Air Easton event, Saturday July 22, at a festive reception at the gallery. Brock states that he observed the public has limited opportunity to show appreciation for a favorite painting or artist during the festival other than by purchase, and he thought this opportunity would be a fun addition to the event.

“In August, South Street Art Gallery will premiere the first in an ongoing series of shows called ‘Introducing!’ These shows will feature new and emerging talent from the Mid-Atlantic region. In September, Stevensville artist Hai-Ou Hou will be featured in a show titled ‘Seeing the West through Eastern Eyes.’ Hou, who paints often in the Southwest, will exhibit plein air and studio paintings from her travels to the Grand Canyon, Sedona and Zion National Park.

“In October, an artist from Texas, whom Alan met at a show at a gallery in Annapolis that featured works from a plein air trip to Cuba, will be featured. Bruce Bingham will be exhibiting new figurative works ‘with an edge’ as she explores our changing perceptions of the human figure.”

To learn more, visit South Street Art Gallery.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

Freeman’s in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has sadly announced the passing of the auction house’s chairman, Samuel “Beau” M. Freeman II.

Via Freeman’s: “It is with great sadness that Freeman’s announces the passing of our Chairman, friend, and fearless leader Samuel ‘Beau’ M. Freeman II (1936-2017).

“Representing the sixth generation of the Freeman’s family, Beau has been a staple at Freeman’s since 1958; throughout his career, he was involved in all aspects of the business — from sweeping floors, to appraising Philadelphia clocks and furniture, to carrying his family’s company into the 21st century.

“Perhaps most comfortable behind the auctioneer’s podium with gavel in hand, Beau called an auction at Freeman’s as recently as this past Monday. Donning his trademark bow tie, he was a dynamic figurehead for the company and a true Chestnut Hill gentleman with a steadfast passion for the auction business. Known for his gracious humility, courtesy, effusive charm, and dry wit, Beau was loved by his employees, friends, and family alike. His office was a place where people often stopped for advice, friendly conversation, or simply to hear a lively anecdote from Freeman’s past.

“A native of Philadelphia, Beau attended Germantown Friends School and graduated from Wesleyan University in 1958. Beau enjoyed spending his free time with his beloved wife, Peggy, his four children, and eight grandchildren. He will be deeply missed and ever remembered by those who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him.”

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

A stunning marble sculpture of an enthroned Zeus circa 100 BCE is — after 25 years — heading to a new home after this world-renowned institution reached an agreement with Italian officials.

The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California, has amicably decided to return a first-century BCE sculpture of Zeus to Italy. Acquired in 1992, the marble sculpture is about 29 inches tall and displays the Greek Olympian deity Zeus enthroned. The god, wearing a toga, is depicted bearded and with arm raised on the encrusted statue, which likely spent hundreds of years beneath the surface of the sea before discovery.

Recently, Italian officials contacted the museum with new information about the sculpture, including a recently discovered fragment of the statue. “The Getty values greatly its relationships with Italian colleagues in museums and other cultural sectors,” said museum director Timothy Potts. “The decision to return this object continues our practice of working with the Ministry [of Cultural Heritage] to resolve issues of provenance and ownership of works in our collection in a way that responds to new information as it emerges, and respects the good faith and cultural missions of both parties.”

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

After a long delay, IX Gallery has finally opened its doors with a spectacular display of more than 100 works of art representing 50 talented artists. It’s a space dedicated to imaginative realism; find out here who’s featured and where.

On view from June 15 through August 14, the IX Gallery Inaugural Show is now open — and it’s all online. IX Gallery is the first virtual art gallery dedicated to contemporary imaginative realism, and its first exhibition features over 100 works representing 50 incredible artists. The gallery writes, “Structured like a brick-and-mortar gallery, IX Gallery will feature an ongoing series of group and solo exhibitions. Following our Inaugural Show, we will present solo shows with David Palumbo and Richard Bober before the annual IX show takes over through the end of the year with our IX 10 Encore exhibition.”

Artists represented in the current show include Linda Adair, Samuel Araya, Julie Bell, Shaun Berke, Brom, Armand Cabrera, Jeremy Caniglia, Dan Chudzinski, Kinuko Y. Craft, Felipe Echevarria, Bob Eggleton, Craig Elliott, Jody Fallon, Scott Fischer, Teresa N. Fischer, Marc Fishman, Annie Stegg Gerard, Justin Gerard, Donato Giancola, Lars Grant-West, Rebecca Guay, John Harris, Michael C. Hayes, James Herrmann, Richard Hescox, Stephen Hickman, Greg and Tim Hildebrandt, Luke Hillestad, Patrick Jones, Rich Klink, J. Anthony Kosar, Vanessa Lemen, Don Maitz, Gina Matarazzo, Matt Mrowka, Aaron Nagel, Tran Nguyen, Ryan Pancoast, Lucio Parrillo, Colin & Kristine Poole, Mark Poole, Rob Rey, Forest Rogers, Larry Schwinger, Dave Seeley, Hajime Sorayama, Matthew Stewart, Bryan Mark Taylor, Vince Villafranca, and Chet Zar.

To learn more, visit IX Gallery.

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That question is being answered this summer with an unprecedented exhibition of the most important masterpieces by this celebrated Victorian painter. Who was he?

His name was George Frederic Watts (1817-1904), and Watts Gallery Trust recently mounted a fantastic exhibition that celebrates his life and career, 200 years after his birth. Titled “England’s Michelangelo,” the exhibition brings together the artist’s most important paintings from both public and private collections. “For the first time since their restoration in 2011,” the gallery writes, “the historic galleries at Watts Gallery, designed by Watts himself, will be used for a temporary exhibition.

“Watts became a cultural icon who championed a new role for art as a means of symbolically expressing the process of humanity, and as a tool to assist in philanthropic projects. His imagery was carried all over the world through reproduction, making him the most internationally recognized British artist of the age. In 1884, Watts became the first living artist to have a solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.”

The exhibition’s title comes from the artist’s contemporaries, who saw in Watts’ work great ambition, generosity, and range. Dr. Nicholas Tromans, Brice Curator of Watts Gallery — Artists’ Village, says, “Watts was the most admired British artist of the late 19th century, and ‘England’s Michelangelo’ will show why. We have set out to bring absolutely the very finest works by the artist to Compton to create a Watts exhibition like nothing seen before. The exhibition will emphasize the great originality and power of Watts as a painter, the glamour of his portraiture, and the magnificence of his Symbolist works which so impressed all of Europe.”

The exhibition opened on June 20 and will continue through November 26. Watts Galleries is in Guildford, United Kingdom. To learn more, visit Watts Galleries.

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Themes of youth, beauty, strength, and the aging of the body are all explored during a solo exhibition of paintings by Sherri Wolfgang. Wolfgang showcases two complete series of figurative works, steeped in tradition and technical expertise.

The Housatonic Museum of Art in Bridgeport, Connecticut, is overjoyed to be exhibiting works by accomplished artist Sherri Wolfgang this summer. Opened on June 15 and continuing through July 31, “SOLO” presents two uniquely different series of paintings that are sure to intrigue the viewer.

One, titled “NICK.E.LO.DE.ON,” explores dance and the figure in motion while “Twisted” probes women and plastic surgery. The show will also offer viewers a glimpse into Wolfgang’s upcoming series “American Pathos,” which explores the effects of the Great Recession and disintegration of the American Dream among millennials.

To learn more, visit the Housatonic Museum of Art.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

Lyons Wier Gallery in New York City is currently showcasing a dynamic range of landscapes that explore — among other themes — visual dynamics.

Several works by painter Peter Roux feature during “Suspension and Segment,” a solo exhibition at New York City’s Lyons Wier Gallery. Most of the paintings display large cloud and smoke formations, employed by the artist to pull viewers into illusory space and “then setting them into dialogue with elements of gestural marks and flat space,” as the gallery reports. “Sharp fields of blacked-out blocking, pushing into areas of deeper representational space further define what is available to the viewer and how it is all ultimately judged by the eye. In these offsets, Roux finds tensions and relationships that reflect on how contemporary spatial language and image can be understood.”

To learn more, visit Lyons Wier Gallery.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.