New Edgewood exhibit commemorates 35th anniversary of Open Figure Drawing

The current exhibition at the Edgewood Gallery is expansive and wide-open. It celebrates the 35th anniversary of the Open Figure Drawing group, displays resin-and-metal sculptures by Arlene Abend and presents Susan Machamer’s metalsmith jewelry.

First, the show features 38 works by OFD participants. This is a group that met pretty much every Wednesday evening at the Westcott Community Center for 32 years. The sessions were open to the public, afforded an opportunity to draw a live model, often nude and sometimes in costume, and welcomed artists with a range of abilities.

“We never had prerequisites,” said Iver Johnson, a long-time OFD participant. “We don’t ask people to submit a portfolio before they can join us.”

In addition, Open Figure Drawing operates on a drop-in basis, without a strict attendance policy. Some of the artists come three or four times a month while others show up every once and while.

And the group follows a few core principles while also adjusting to change. This spring, OFD made plans to leave the WCC because of the center’s need for more space on the second floor.

Ultimately, they secured a new location on the fourth floor of the Delevan Center, 509 W. Fayette St. As of the second week of June, the drawing sessions are held there from 7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays and from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sundays.

So, the Edgewood exhibit commemorates the OFD’s founding in 1989, the move to a new locale and the creativity of the many artists involved with OFD. Indeed, the exhibition showcases drastically different artworks.

For example, David Hicock’s pastel, “Jay,” depicts a figure whose skin is decorated with multiple colors, ridges and veins. The work is reminiscent of the cover for “The Illustrated Man,” a science fiction classic by Ray Bradbury.

Lucie Wellner, meanwhile, worked with pen, ink and gouache on a piece featuring three rows of tin figures, 15 in all. It’s a distinctive artwork.

Those pieces are joined by Caroline Wazer’s charcoal-and-graphite drawing portraying a scene within a scene. In her work, an artist draws while a model strikes a pose.

And Dan Shanahan did “The Woman Who Expected Rain.” The subject does indeed hold an umbrella in her lap, but that’s just one facet of the artwork. Its appeal is predicated on Shanahan’s ability to create an expressive, captivating portrait.

The show certainly presents other interesting work: Donna Demonte’s pastel which depicts a nude figure and integrates lush colors; John Fitzsimmons’s “Circumstances” with two views of an elderly man; an artwork by Esperanza Tielbaard showing a figure in white lying down in the midst of bright colors. The latter piece was done in watercolor and mixed media.

This isn’t the first time OFD has staged an exhibit of participants’ work; Johnson estimates that over 40 of these shows have been held over the years.

Organizing the group exhibitions is just one example of OFD’s programming. The non-profit organization, which pays models but has no staff, has applied for and received numerous grants, done drawing sessions at the Everson Museum, the Onondaga Historical Association, and other sites, and commissioned a documentary film, “This Film Contains Nudity.”

The Edgewood exhibit also presents a selection of Abend’s figurative sculptures. “The Conductor,” done in bronze on wood, depicts a maestro leading an orchestra. A second work portrays trees in a desert setting as well as two tiny figures. There Abend worked with bronze and steel.

“The Fallen” juxtaposes tiny humans with a solid metal structure. There’s a sense of alienation, of existing in a hostile situation.

Another of her works, done in resin, positions an elongated figure inside a casing. The figure is gaunt, alone, vulnerable.

Lastly, the show presents Machamer’s jewelry. She makes earrings, rings, bracelets and other pieces, working with silver, gold and cultured pearls.

The exhibit is on display through August 9 at Edgewood, 216 Tecumseh Rd. The venue is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  It’s open to the public and there’s no admission charge.

For more information, call 315-445-8111 or access edgewoodartandframe.com.