dana oldfather
Frame Works A self-taught painter whose work has been featured in POV Evolving Gallery in Los Angeles and the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Oldfather won the Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award in 2013. A solo exhibition of her Soft Armor series runs Oct. 2-Nov. 1 at Bonfoey Gallery. Baby Bumps Oldfather recently became a mother, which inspired Soft Armor. Her fluid paintings start with thin layers of paint overlain with strokes of color from brushes 1/16 to 8 inches wide. "Babies are so fragile and soft. It's amazing how we survive the world," Oldfather says. "It's as if the soft, delicate, the squishy is trying to protect itself with these strokes." Space Traveler Oldfather's initial works veered more toward realism but experimenting with pressure strokes and paint layers led to her evolving style. "I wanted to excavate through the paint and create abstractions in 3-D and even 4-D," says Oldfather. Mixed Media Soft Armor features two distinct formats: layers of spray paint on grayish natural linen and white-primed Masonite boards washed with acrylic-based paints. "The paintings on the linen are done in atmospheric grays and blues," says Oldfather, "while the paintings on the Masonite boards are done in glazes, drips, ink washes and pours." // Roxanna Coldiron
Henry Adams: A Curatorial Review
Sept. 18-Nov. 6, ArtNeo, artneo.org
ArtNeo mixes it up by exhibiting a curator. As a way to honor the curatorial and art historical work of Henry Adams, the exhibit includes examples of Adams' work, such as his written publications and exhibition catalogs. The texts are also accompanied by pieces he's studied such as watercolors by Paul Travis.
Hedge Represents
Sept. 18-Nov. 20, Hedge Gallery, hedgeartgallery.com
The 7-year-old 78th Street Studios gallery transitions from a traditional exhibition space to one that represents a select group of artists. See the works of 12 local artists, including performance painter Meghann Snow, a classically trained dancer who paints with her feet while dancing. "Those end up being her paintbrushes," says gallery director Hilary Gent.
The People's Museum of Revisionist Natural History
Nov. 20-Jan. 15, Spaces, spacesgallery.org
By turning the gallery into a pseudo natural history museum complete with audio tours and dioramas, Spaces highlights female contributions in a male-dominated history. The exhibit, featuring 11 artists, includes a feminist planetarium and a stop-motion film of forgotten female astronomers. // Brielle Gregory