With Halloween around the corner, get into the spirit of the season with Grey Phoenix Art Studio’s newest exhibit.
The art gallery exhibit will feature the works of 13 different artists inspired by the theme “Beauty in Death.” The exhibit will remain open until Nov. 7, with an opening reception on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 7-9 p.m. The reception will also feature tarot card readings by Brittany Caldwell, one of the artists in the show.
While some artists’ interpretations took a more literal route, Terri Angarone, the owner of Grey Phoenix, said others took the inspiration in different directions.
“Some of them are literal. Others are, a lot of them are rebirth. I’m going to be in the show, and a lot of my stuff focuses on women’s suppression, so it’s a death to the silence that women have had to endure for so long,” Angarone told the Landmark.
All of the artists are from the local region, with several from Brookfield, Angarone said. They include Caldwell, Alexandra Brom, Dana Primrose Bloede, Delia Morriss, Shannon Roman Gosciejew, Jerry Loza, Sharon Kluge, Heidi Becker, Matthew Balcer, Matt Geer, Rebecca Marfise, Patricia Browne and Angarone.
“I know some of them, and then I put a call out online,” she said of her efforts to find artists for the show. “I didn’t want a ton of artists, so my usual came in, and then I have a few new. I have one guy who’s actually never shown his work before. He’s a printmaker just like I am, and I’m so stoked, because it’s such a niche art thing.”
She said she had one artist from Canada who was interested in participating, but she had to turn them down.
“They wanted to have a video, and it would have been cool, but I don’t have a projector, and I’d have to keep it dark, so I had to pass on that,” Angarone said.
She said the concept for the show got its start over the summer from Caldwell, a watercolor artist who also has offerings in the studio’s regular retail space.
“She popped it in my head: ‘Hey, would you be down for doing a gallery show based on tarot card readings?’ We kind of collaborated together with that. She’s going to be reading tarot cards at the show while showing some of her work,” Angarone said.
Angarone said her goal is to support and uplift local artistry.
“I feel like a lot of people who maybe own galleries and run different art fairs don’t really know what artists go through and also what it takes to sell your work. I really wanted to be a voice for that because I get it. That was my number one goal with the gallery,” she said. “Secondly is to let people be aware that we exist.”
Grey Phoenix opened its doors in February at 3730-32 Prairie Ave. in downtown Brookfield. In addition to gallery shows like Beauty in Death, the studio also hosts art classes for different age groups, open workshop hours for local artists, art for sale and a summer camp in the warmer months.
As for what she’s most looking forward to, Angarone named meeting and talking to the artists and community members.
“It’s fun seeing people’s reactions and hanging out,” she said. “We’re going to play some good music and just chill. It’ll be fun.”
