Higgins Welcomes Trio of Artists
by Karl Heine
Between September 5th and October 7th, the Higgins Art Gallery boasts the collections of not one, not two, but three great artists. The work of Sky Power, Iren Handschuh, and Valerie Falk is currently on display. The gallery will have two receptions, one on Tuesday September 24th from 10:30–12:30 PM, and the other on Thursday, September 26th from 4–6 PM. The gallery is open from 12:30 PM to 5 PM Mondays–Thursdays or by appointment.
Photos by: Bruce McDaniel and Joe Thorpe
“The show is really about resilience,” said Nathalie Ferrier, Higgins Art Gallery Director. “[A]lso how we continue through life despite difficulties and problems.”
The show offers a variety of visual and emotional pieces, ranging from stick sculptures, to papier-mâché, to traditional poignantly moving paintings. The variety of this exhibit is unparalleled by previous ones, elevating this show to an absolute must for Cape Cod Community College (4Cs) students. The current gallery offers an intrigue for everyone, no matter your preference or experience with art.
Sky Power has the lion’s share of pieces on display at the gallery. A 4Cs alum, her paintings range from $2,500, up to a whopping $20,000 for a triptych of paintings representing the effects of racism and other manifestation of prejudice in American society.
“This triptych is an attempt to bring awareness to the inhumanity that continues as a result of racism, sexism, or misplaced ideologies,” reads Power’s gallery label. “Each panel depicts the only view of the world a slave would have from the ship’s hull: sunset or dawn, midnight, and midday seen through the grate on deck.”
“The Bardo of Dream (pictured below) characterizes the boundary between two states, marking the end of one and the beginning of another,” says Power’s gallery label.
Photo: The Bardo of Dream, by Sky Power. Photos by: Bruce McDaniel and Joe Thorpe
Valerie Falk has studied sculpture at the Art Students League of New York, as well as at Columbia University. Falk holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Art History from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is also a member of the Truro Group, a group of local artists from the. Falk has been featured in galleries in the Outer cape, as well as galleries in New York City. Most of her art in the exhibit is for sale, ranging from $275 to $2,000.
Iren Handschuh, a Paris-born artist, started her career as a carpenter, switching to sculpting in the 1980s. On her websites biography, Handschuh says,
“I was born to cut —whether it be wood, construction materials, or glass. I devote much effort to, and derive great pleasure in, the pursuit of fine craftsmanship,” says Handschuh’s bio on her webpage. Her work is not currently priced.
The exhibit offers an experience for everyone, presenting diversity in triplicate. From sculptures of dragons, to abstract paintings, to geometrically unique stick and glass sculptures. 4Cs is honored to host the art of artists Sky Power, Iren Handschuh, and Valerie Falk for the month of September, spilling over into October.
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