News Release! 4/16/20008: Self Portrait Show moves to Van Horn Mansion

Mark down Sunday, April 20th on your calendar for a trip to the Van Horn Mansion in Burt. The historical, rumored to be haunted, mansion is hosting an exhibition of local artists self-portraits with a reception from one to four in the afternoon.

Picture: Artist Don Little, Joanne Stanton, Trustee of the Newfane Historical society, Artists Carol Carreno and Joe Buczkowski in front of the Van Horn Mansion.

It started at a gathering of the Third Thursday Group at the Market Street Art Center in Lockport. Third Thursday is an association of artists who gather each month to network with other artists, discuss topics in the art world and generate ideas for projects and shows. The idea this time around was for a self-portrait show.

"When people hear the term "self portrait, it is the word ‘portrait' that tends to stick out," says Sally Bisher, Assistant Executive Director of the Art Center, "they tend to think of it as a formal picture, like the stiff painting of the company founder you see in businesses sometimes. But the word ‘self' is equally, if not more, important. ‘Self' embodies our concepts of who we are, not as others see us. People are often surprised to see the many ways, from the subtle to the profound, in which a self portrait can express anything and everything from humor to introspection."

The portraits certainly do reflect that range. There is Joseph Buczkowski's watercolor of himself reading a book entitled "Painting for Dummies," and Doug Michalski's painting depicting himself gazing into a mirror, with the image of Zorro grinning back at him. Then there's Carol Carreno's abstract rendering of herself and Jay Miller's work which he painted on a piece of scrap wood, a reflection of his job in a hardware store.

The show first opened at the Market Street Art Center back in June of 2007 and quickly proved to be one of the more popular shows. So popular that the idea soon emerged that it become a traveling show. The art center's Show Committee put out inquiries and found interest high. The number of paintings were too many for other local venues to accommodate all of them so the show was broken up with some paintings going to the Youngstown Free Library and some at the lobby of the Union Sun and Journal and other locations. Now the entire show is moving to the Van Horn Mansion in Burt.

"This is a chance for the public to see the complete show in one place again," says the Market Street Art Center's executive Director, Joe Buczkowski," and in a beautiful and fascinating venue in it's own right. The Van Horn Mansion is both a historical and cultural treasure. It is our hope that this show adds to that.

The Market Street Art Center is located at 247 Market Street in Lockport and is open daily from 10am to 5pm. There is no admission charge. For more information visit www.marketstreetartcenter.org. For more information on the Van Horn Mansion, located on Route 78 in Burt, call Joanne Stanton at (716) 438-2521.