The William Way Center has selected two paintings by Bucks County artist Gene Underwood for its 20th Annual Juried Exhibition. Artists from the Philadelphia metro area submitted work, and 47 artists were chosen to exhibit one or two works. Juror Stamatina Gregory chose “Neither Straight nor True” and “Bubble Double” from the five works that Underwood submitted. They are examples of his ongoing series that surprisingly includes bubble wrap as a subject. “I am hellbent on innovating the still life tradition so it reflects our LED-lighted 21st century. When I carefully render commonplace items—bubble wrap, Post-its, paper coffee cups, or Ziplock bags—in traditional oil paint, there’s irony. Look deeper and you may find beauty there and a bit of ecological anxiety,” Underwood says. Recently, Underwood’s innovative paintings were chosen for Ellarslie Open 46 in Trenton and the 96th Phillips’ Mill Juried Art Show.
The exhibition opens with a reception on Wednesday, November 5, from 6 to 8pm, at 1315 Spruce Street. It continues until December 16, and is free to the public.
Juror Stamatina Gregory, Head Curator and Director of Exhibitions and Collections at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, has also taught at the University of Pennsylvania and other prominent colleges. Since opening in 1976, the William Way LGBTQ Community Center has been committed to highlighting the work of LGBTQIA+ artists from the Philadelphia region, providing a vital platform for their creative expression. Each year, it produces at least six major exhibitions, including the Annual Juried Art Exhibition.
