501 N Market St / Frederick MD

TAG/The Artists Gallery will have two solo exhibitions in May.
 

PHYLLIS JACOBS will show a range of work in “My Favorite Things.”  A member of the gallery since 1992, Jacobs has been thinking about what it means to be an artist.

“We are your eyes and ears,” she says.  “We are the human extensions of your sensory apparatus.  We take the raw, unformed information that ears, eyes, fingertips, noses, skins, and tongues receive and form it into patterns of shape and sound so that you can absorb and use it. 

“We are not a luxury.  Some of our abilities are highly specialized and some may seem at first obscure.  Others of us have a more popular, more practical appeal. But we are all artists— and without us, civilization could not exist.”

Creative endeavors of all kinds are serious work, she says. “It’s bringing something never seen, never tasted, never heard nor seen before into the world— making something from nothing.”  Jacobs sees her current show as “a voyage of discovery.” 

CATHY WILKIN will exhibit a series of mixed media pieces called “Byzantium.”  She works with acrylic paints, inks, papers, and glazes to create scenes bursting with color and pattern.

“As I see it, one of the great joys of art is contemplation— to look with continued attention,” Wilkin says.  “Art engages the viewer to slow down and look.  And I want to give my viewers lots and lots to look at.”

The art of viewing becomes an adventure. “Look deeper,” Wilkin suggests. “Go down the rabbit hole. Become a visual junkie. Give yourself permission to jump off the edge of reason to pursue new visual adventures.

“When I paint, I like to surprise and entertain myself. The adventure for me is skewing the safe to look for that nugget of uniqueness. My quixotic perspective can certainly jam me up sometimes, but it is always a rush of adrenaline.”

Jacobs and Wilkins will give a TAG Talk on Sunday, May 22 at 2:30 pm. Come meet the artists and hear them talk about their work.

In addition to the solo exhibitions, TAG will also have a new show of work by the other members of the gallery.  These shows all run from May 6 through 29, with a reception from 5 to 9 pm during First Saturday on May 7.