Art on the Walls

The New Deal Cafe provides a venue for local artists to exhibit and sell their work. We have two showrooms, and each month two new shows are launched. Join us the first Sunday of every month from 7pm to 9pm at our artists' reception to meet the creative talent behind the next exhibit. Refreshments are served.

If you're an artist, we'd love to talk to you about having a show at the cafe.

The cafe's monthly art exhibits are mounted by the New Deal Cafe Art Committee and sponsored by the Friends of New Deal Cafe Arts with support from Prince George's County. Your tax-deductible donation to FONDCA supports art at the cafe.

January - February 2012

Chrissy Wilkin's paintings are now on display in the back room, Angela Ozbun's jewelry is currently in the display case, and Denise Marie Brown's photography will be in the front room beginning next Tuesday, January 10th. All three artists' work will be on display until March 5th. A public reception will be held on Sunday, January 29th, from 7pm to 9pm. The New Deal Cafe art program is sponsored by Friends of the New deal Cafe Arts (FoNDCA).

Paintings by Chrissy Wilkins

Chrissy Wilkin’s art is the manifestation of people, places, memories and imagination on canvas. This local Greenbelt artist is using mixed media and a variety of painting techniques that are active and expressive. She creates intense and moving imagery about her experiences. Whether her experiences are based on her adventures, relationships or her own personal growth; she conveys it with both freedom and intensity. Her work has a voice, and while it does not shout, it does not allow itself to be ignored. - -Carroll County Times

Angela Ozbun

Art is the mixture of colors colliding into relevance. Each individual expresses themselves in a unique way enhancing personality and character. I enjoy studying the individual personalities and creating art that reveals just who the wearer truly is. I started my quest with cross stitching picturesque scenes. An important part of the pictures was the implementation of bead work. I began to see that the beads could, in an artistic fashion, lift the spirits of its wearer. A bright and sunny spirit can be advertised by bright and sunny colors strung together in a unique fashion. Similarly, a glamorous occasion can be punctuated by the presence of draping crystals. Over time, I have grown to love the joy experienced by the grateful owners of the art I have been blessed to create. I am honored that others would see and appreciate the love and passion placed in each creation.

Denise Marie Brown

Denise Marie is an oil-painter from Pennsylvannia. She grew up in Philadelphia. She began painting as a child, and in high school, received an award at a Bucks County Art Show for a graphics design in tissue paper. Denise went on to receive her BFA in Painting from Kutztown University. She has been painting for over 30 years. Her work in oils is representative/impressionistic in style, choosing florals, sunsets, sky-scapes, portraits, landscapes, waterscapes and a new series of Children at Play. Murals are a favorite as well. Most work begins with a Photograph. The front room exhibit at New Deal Cafe this January and February will showcase the beauty of Annacostia through her photography. Denise Marie Brown is president of HCAA, a Hyattsville Community Art group showing in Prince George's County. She is a member of MFA (Maryland Federation of Art), showing in Annapolis and Baltimore. Denise Marie is also a member of the Chestertown Art League. Her photographs and paintings are on exhibit at the Chestertown Art League on the Eastern Shore. She has also shown in Pennsylvania at Kutztown University. She has participated in over 50 art exhibits, festivals and craft shows. Denise has curated one Art show in Hyattsville for a 40th Anniversary celebration. She is now curating the art events at Prince George's Plaza Community Center as of January 9, 2010.

November - December 2011

Three local artists will be exhibiting in the New Deal Café from November 8th through January 2nd. Missy Dodd’s ornaments will be in the display case, Barbara Steven’s paintings will be in the back room, and Michael Smallwood’s photography will be exhibited in the front room. A public reception for these artists will be held on Sunday, November 20th from 7pm till 9pm. The New Deal Cafe art program is sponsored by Friends of New Deal Cafe Arts (FoNDCA).

Ornaments by Rebecca Missy Dodd

In the front room display case.

Missy Dodd, a long time resident of Greenbelt, MD, loves to dabble in many forms of art and needlework but specializes in hand decorated Christmas ornaments. Her tiny teapots won the Grand Prize in a Good Housekeeping Magazine Holiday Contest, and her decorated ornaments have been featured in Country Woman Magazine. Missy got her love and appreciation for all things art from her mother, who taught art and porcelain painting for many years.

Missy participates in juried art and craft fairs during the holiday season and has been a vendor at the Holiday Shoppers Fair at the Ocean City, MD Convention Center. Her teapot related ornaments have been offered for sale in tea shops in Cape May, and Mt. Holly, NJ, Occoquan VA, as well as in gift shops at historic mansions such as the Marrietta Mansion in Glenn Dale, and Montpelier in Laurel, MD.

Missy owns a Decorating Business providing interior painting and wallpapering services for nearly 3 decades. She has designed and painted custom murals in homes of several clients. Missy also enjoys working with her father in his upholstery business. She considers each of these business endeavors as another form of art extended. Missy is fortunate in being able to pursue her passion in so many different forms and is always eager to learn new techniques that expand her creativity in both her business life as well as in her art projects.

Photography by Michael Smallwood

In the front room.

Michael Smallwood has exhibited his artwork all over the East coast and in California. His artwork is included in collections owned by the Smithsonian Institution, as well as private and corporate collections in the United States and Europe. Michael received his BFA from the University of Maryland in 1976. His work is primarily photography since having a stroke in 2008 and finding it difficult to work in the painting and print mediums. Photography has always been an important aspect of his art in painting and printmaking. Most of his exhibitions have been shows of paintings until 2008, when he began showing photographs at numerous galleries. At this time, his work is focused on the photographic image, with black and white imagery as his preferred media.

Traveling the Light of Inner States into 2012 by Barbara Stevens

In the back room.

Barbara C, Stevens received her BFA painting at the University of Oklahoma, and a Masters from University of California, Berkeley. Barbara worked and painted in New York City, and then moved to Maryland where she began teaching Art in nearby colleges, including York, Penn. State, and Morgan State in Maryland. She then moved to New Mexico, where she continued to paint and exhibit her artwork. Barbara also taught at a community college in Espanola, NM. When she came back to Greenbelt, she acquired a studio and exhibited at galleries such as Montpelier. She taught art for some time at Prince George’s Community College, after which she retired, but has recently been teaching Art for all ages at Greenbelt Community Center - and is returning to her favorite place to exhibit, the New Deal Cafe.

September - October 2011

Textile Art by Rebecca Williams, paintings by Elizabeth Barber and Stick Art by Paul Downs will be on display from September 1 through November 7. There will be a public reception for the exhibits on Sunday, Oct 9, from 7pm to 9pm.

Textile Art by Rebecca Williams

In the front room display case.

Rebecca Williams will be exhibiting her artwork in the display case at the New Deal Cafe from now until November 7th. A public reception will be held on Sunday, October 9th from 7pm till 9pm. The New Deal Cafe art program is sponsored by Friends of New Deal Cafe Arts (FoNDCA).

Rebecca Williams grew up in Greenbelt and went on to study Textile Arts at the Maryland Institute of Art, earning a bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 1993. For the last ten years, she has held the position of Soft Goods Properties Artisan at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC. In this capacity, she is responsible for producing all things fabric related. This includes furniture upholstery, dying and painting of fabric props and creating decorative period bedding and drapery. On her own, she produces everything from quilts and clothing to beads and jewelry. In recent years, she has formed an interest in working with glass. It is her focus to create colorful compositions and work using combinations of hand dyed fabrics, glass beads and acquired materials.

Paintings by Elizabeth Barber

In the front room.

Local artist Elizabeth Barber will be exhibiting her oil paintings now through November 7th at the New Deal Cafe in Greenbelt. A public reception will be held in New Deal Cafe on October 9th from 7pm till 9pm. The New Deal Cafe arts program is sponsored by Friends of New Deal Cafe Arts (FoNDCA).

Elizabeth received her Bachelor of Art's degree at Occidental College in Los Angeles, California, her Master of Art's degree at Howard University, Washington D.C., and her Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Maryland. She won a Fulbright scholarship to study music in Germany and stayed in Europe for singing engagements in Heidelberg and Rome. She studied oil painting with Andy Reese of the Brooklyn Art Institute, with Tina Tomero of the North Light Art Studio, Cincinnati, Ohio, and with Danny Kennedy of Greenbelt, Maryland. She is currently organist and soloist for the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Clinton, Maryland, and teaches music and painting out of her home in Greenbelt. She taught music at the University of Papua New Guinea, and at her home studio in Annapolis and Hyattsville. She has exibited her paintings at the New Deal Cafe in Greenbelt, at the Marietta Mansion in Glendale, Md., and at the Universities at Shady Grove, Maryland. She is the mother of Dena Seidel, and grandmother to her three grandsons, Ezra, Jem and Micah. She is the widow of Major Charles Walter Barber. Her constant companion is Kokoro, a Japanese Sheba Inu. She was included in the 2006-7 publication of "Who's who in American Women." She enjoys being a member of the Greenbelt Community, and especially enjoys walking and painting the Greenbelt Lake.

The Coming of the White Buffalo: The Latest Stick Art Exhibit by Paul Downs

In the back room.

Friends of the New Deal Café (FONDCA) are proud to present locally known stick artist, Paul Downs. His newest show, The Coming of the White Buffalo opens on August 29th at the New Deal Café in Greenbelt, MD. His works will be on display until November 7th. Opening Reception will be held midway through on Sunday October 9th, 7-9pm at the New Deal Café, 113 Centerway, Roosevelt Center, Greenbelt, MD 20770.

Artist Paul Downs has created a style of art using sticks from the forest that is truly one of a kind. Instead of using charcoal or paint he renders his designs of animals, nature scenes and native Americans using the forest as his medium for his artistic creations. "My palette is the white oak, the wild black cherry, tulip poplar, sassafras, red twig dogwood, and maple sticks." ,says Downs.

For 26 years he has honed his skill down a trail no one has ventured to go. His artistic expressions range from the power of gallant Oak to a delicate cicada to a portrait of a living-with-the-land dream that is born inside the hope of a white buffalo. He brings the viewer into a world of color and design and seemingly gravity defying wall hung sculptures that will delight and amaze while at the same time bringing peace as one would gain from a stroll in the woods.

Downs, a native of Greenbelt Maryland grew up exploring, playing and falling in love with the woods – the Great North Woods, as he called them – of Greenbelt Maryland. This belt of green came under the threat of development in the late ‘80’s. Downs was a leader in the successful crusade to save these woods – now named the Greenbelt Forest Preserve. His art form developed alongside his conservation career. The woods and his art now enjoy a certain freedom which expresses itself in the very grain of his expressions. The Coming of the White Buffalo is a show that combines his environmental efforts with his artistic efforts.

Greenbelt 75th Anniversary Artist Studio Tour and Show

We are delighted to announce this exhibition opportunity as part of year-long series of events. Artists with Greenbelt studios are invited to participate in a public studio tour on April 15th and a group show at the New Deal Cafe through the months of March and April. More details and registration.

July - August 2011

Jewelry by Ellen Bretz, paintings by Liz Pusmucans-Rossetti and prints by Nancy Deplatchett will be on display from June 28th through August 29th. There will be a public reception for the exhibits on Sunday, July 10th, from 7pm to 9pm.

Fused Glass Jewelry by Ellen Bretz

In the front room display case.

My journey in glass began about fifteen years ago with a beginner stained glass class that my neighbor and I attended on a whim. Immediately I was hooked on glass and its unlimited possibilities, unlike other crafts I'd attempted. Many classes later after trying different techniques, fused glass and jewelry became my new passion. The resulting jewelry pieces are a combination of skills learned from a variety of previous crafts, and a commitment to learn more and fine tune my glass artistry.

Fused glass is an ancient craft that has moved into our present time with tools and techniques that thankfully don't require a lifetime to master. Glass with compatible coefficients is melted (fused) in a kiln at about 1500 degrees. After it's cooled I analyze the melted pieces to see if any or all have artistic possibilities. Sometimes multiple cuttings and firings are required before I’m satisfied with the results and decide to make it into jewelry.

The next challenge in making a beautiful creation is to let the natural colors and textures of the glass determine what wire to use and how to best highlight that beauty. Most of the wire used in my jewelry is gold-filled or sterling silver of different gauges. A few pieces use copper.

Lately I have become interested in wiring unusual fossils and the cut and polished rocks I inherited from my father who was a lapidarist. Two of my pieces include large beads made by a friend using a technique called "hot glass" – using a torch to melt and form glass. You'll also see small commercial glass or seed beads used as accents. Otherwise, all the glass shown is handmade by me.

Pieces may be purchased by contacting me at embmoves@yahoo.com. I hope you enjoy the exhibit and will consider looking at glass objects as art and perhaps make a decision to try your hand at it.

My Life's Abstract Canvas by Liz Pusmucans-Rossetti

In the front room.

My interest in art began as a child. I was introduced to Saturday art classes at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York and attended well into my teens. We had free reign in the halls of the gallery before it opened. We toured the gallery as a class and were exposed to the wonderful collection of well-known artists and sculptors.

I have pursued classes throughout my adult life. And as a recent newcomer to this area I have started taking classes through the Smithsonian associate program in various media, which has rejuvenated a new approach to my style.

It has only been in the last 10 years that I have seriously pursued my art. I presented my work in a 2005 gallery opening in Seneca Falls, NY and at last year’s summer Seneca Falls Art Show.

My collection of today depicts a portfolio which transcends the different periods within my life. Through a recent personal transition, my art gave me the stability to move forward. As the colors brightened, my world became a new place, a vision of colorful clarity.

Scapes by Nancy Deplatchett

In the back room.

Nancy Deplatchett current body of work is entitled "Scapes." It includes a series of monoprints depicting landscapes, seascapes, and skyscapes. Her work is inspired by her travels around the world and encounters with places of beauty.

Nancy has received two National Endowment for the Humanities summer grants, was named one of the Outstanding Women In The Arts by the Women's Commission of Maryland, and one of the Women of Achievement in Prince George's County History. Nancy taught elementary art in Puerto Rico and retired from the Prince George's County Public Schools in Maryland where she taught visual arts in middle and high school. She helped to open Thomas Pullen K-8 Creative and Performing Arts Magnet School where she served as Arts Coordinator for 13 years. During this time she was honored as one of the county's Outstanding Teachers and also received the Outstanding Educator Award from the County chamber of Commerce.

Nancy has presented at numerous conferences, held workshops for various school systems and served as keynote speaker at several events around the country. She has also presented several workshops for the Kennedy Center's Professional Development Opportunities For Teachers series.

She has acted as a consultant to various school systems including the American School In San Paulo, Brazil, Alexandra Public Schools in Virginia, and Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland. She also spoke to the arts community in Montevideo, Uruguay, as the guest speaker of the American Embassy.

Her graduate and undergraduate work was done at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Maryland. Throughout her career as a visual artist Nancy has pursued many styles and mediums.

May - June 2011

Work by local artists will be on display from May 2nd through June 27th. There will be a public reception for the exhibits on Sunday, May 22nd from 7pm to 9pm.

Gardens: Messages from Mother Earth

All ages were invited to become part of this exhibit at the New Deal Cafe in conjunction with the Green Man Festival, May 7-8. The eclectic mix of visual and garden art, poetry and instructions on how to convert sod into salad, bids the viewer take some time to smell the azaleas, enjoy the views, and experience the textures, forms and thoughts expressed about some of our most treasured spaces--gardens.

From the mountains of Vermont to the Sea--full of creatures, sprinkled with fairy houses, imagination, wild things, and green plants--the journey across this land speaks volumes about what matters and inspires action. Rekindling the idea of protecting our environment for future generations is necessary. The time spent to do this: worthwhile. The results speak for themselves.

March - April 2011

Ceramic work by Gina Mai Denn, paintings by Marian Williams and photography by Gary Jimerfield will be on display from March 1st through May 2nd. There will be a public reception for the exhibits on Sunday, March 13th, from 7pm to 9pm.

A Small Case of the Blues by Gina Mai Denn

Gina Mai Denn, an artist-in-residence at the Community Center, will display "A Small Case of the Blues (and Greens and other colors too)" of her favorite ceramic pieces. Showing a variety of styles and techniques she has worked in, there are both decorative works and functional items. Fancy vases, jars, bowls and whimsical vessels will fill the small display case in the front room of the cafe – a turquoise blue glaze on many of the pieces is a favorite of hers. She shares studio space with three other ceramic artists, collectively called Studio 302, where she works mainly on the potters wheel making functional pieces but she also does some hand built pieces and small sculptures.

Mai Denn has been teaching the potters wheel and other ceramic arts since 1996 at the Community Center, the University of Maryland Art and Learning Center and elsewhere. She graduated cum laud in 1991 from Alfred University with a BA in fine arts and ceramic art as her major.

Paintings by Marian Williams

Marian Williams is a children's book author and illustrator. Her exhibit of watercolors and acrylics is entitled Hometown Memories. "Bigdaddy: A Granddaughter's Love Story" was her first work. Her art and writing has been featured in Today's Minister's Wife Magazine. She was among artists in the 2010 "All Hung" exhibit at the Montpelier Arts Center. She categorizes her art as in the naïve style or animated realism and enjoys rural life subjects. Another medium that intrigues her is found object collage.

Williams' vocation is in special education and social work. She is a lifelong Prince Georgian and lives in Upper Marlboro with her husband and daughter, where she continues to hone her craft.

Examples: Selections from the Vault by Gary Jimerfield

Gary Jimerfield will exhibit some of his most recent creations in "Examples: Selections from the Vault." He works in still photography, video and computer art.

He was educated at Georgetown College, Towson State University and the Corcoran School of Art and Design and has done independent study at the Library of Congress. He began photography in the early 70s and has been working in video since the 80s. His specialties include nature and southwestern landscapes and he has branched out into studio work with miniatures and abstracts. Jimerfield is a member of Bright Side Pictures, a trio of artists working in digital video, photography, miniature set design, painting and computer abstracts.

January - February 2011

Seeing is Believing by John Guernsey and Walking Through Greenbelt by Nicholas Condon will be on display from January 4th through February 28th. There will be a public reception for the exhibits on Sunday, January 9th, from 7pm to 9pm.

Seeing is Believing by John Guernsey

Seeing is Believing will be John Guernsey's fourth show at the New Deal Cafe in the past eight years. He is primarily a printmaker, but also paints and does large, colorful, mixed media drawings. Born in 1945, he was drawn to both art and music as a teenager and has been doing both ever since. He plays and teaches jazz and blues piano for a living and is the house pianist at the New Deal Cafe, performing there every Friday and Saturday evenings from 6:30pm to 8pm. His imagery is personal, surreal and dream like. He has studied etching at the Corcoran and received and ongoing scholarship from the Bethesda Women's Club to study printmaking with Professor Joyce Jewell at Montgomery College.

Walking Through Greenbelt by Nicholas Condon

Greenbelt was, from its inception, an inherently pedestrian-oriented community, and the best way to experience it is still on foot. Since first moving to Greenbelt six years ago, Nicholas Condon has walked through the city, on errands and for pleasure, and has enjoyed observing its characteristic architecture and its integration with the natural and growing world. For the last year, he has turned his camera on these scenes, documenting their shapes and textures, light and shadows. This show is the culmination of that work.

Condon first learned photography from his father when he was a small child. His love affair with the art was rekindled by the digital revolution, and it now burns brighter than ever. This is the first time his work has been exhibited in public. In his day job, he is a research scientist, with a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry, who specializes in lasers and optics.

For more photos, please see his website: njcondon.zenfolio.com.

November 2010

Fire Inside Alive by Paul Downs and a mother-and-son exhibit by Carolyn and Mason Bourne will be on display from November 2th to January 3rd, and there will be a public reception for the exhibits on December 5th from 7pm to 9pm.

Fire Inside Alive by Paul Downs

Artist Paul Downs has created a style of art using sticks from the forest that is truly one of a kind. Instead of using charcoal or paint he renders his designs of animals, nature scenes and native Americans using the forest as his medium for his artistic creations. "My palette is the white oak, the wild black cherry, tulip poplar, sassafras, red twig dogwood, and maple sticks."

For 25 years he has honed his skill down a trail no one else has ventured. In Fire Inside Alive, his artistic expressions range from the power of wing stretched soaring owls to a delicate praying mantis to a portrait of the great chief Red Cloud to three-dimensional Mudwalkers. He brings the viewer into a world of color and design and seemingly gravity defying wall hung sculptures that will delight and amaze while at the same time bringing the peacefulness one would gain from a walk in the woods.

Artist Statement

Downs, a native of Greenbelt, Maryland grew up exploring, playing and falling in love with the woods – the Great North Woods, as he called them – of Greenbelt Maryland. This belt of green came under the threat of development in the late ‘80’s. Downs was a leader in the successful crusade to save these woods – now named the Greenbelt Forest Preserve. His art form developed alongside his conservation career. The woods and his art now enjoy a certain freedom which expresses itself in the very grain of his creations.

Paul has shown his work in galleries, cafes, and festivals throughout Maryland, Washington, DC, and West Virginia. Come see the land speak through the sticks.

Mason Bourne

Mason, of Lanham, is three years old. He is the youngest artist, as well as the first three-dimensional artist, to show his work at the cafe.

Artist Statement

I started drawing when I was 7 months old with a blue crayon, that my Grandpa gave me, and I haven't stopped! I go to art class in Greenbelt. I have an amazing art center at home. My Grandpa gets me lots of art stuff. I love to make masterpieces and give them to people to make them happy. I like to make masterpieces because I love it! I like finger paints. I like pinecones, glitter glue, wiggly eyes and brushes. I love blue and yellow and orange!

Carolyn Bourne

Carolyn started painting when she was three; her father taught her to watercolor. Her mother, also a painter, did lots of crafts with her. Carolyn got her first degree at James Madison University in Art Education and taught art classes for ten years at the Fairfax County Department of Parks and Recreation. She has a masters degree in reading from Bowie State. Someday she would love to write and illustrate childrens picture books and Emergent Little Readers.

Artist Statement

I love to escape into a canvas with a brush and lots of paint. It takes me to a place of peace and happiness.For this show I chose the theme of LOVE. I chose the red roses because my husband brings them to me from in front of his warehouse. They have thorns and are not from a florist but they are perfect! The butterflies are symbolic for freedom and to remember to listen to your inner voice. Butterflies make my happy. The ones used on my paintings were a gift to me from my girlfriend. She got them in Ocracoke, NC at the beach. The mother and child painting is symbolic for my love for my son, for he is the greatest gift on Earth. My little boy's 3-D Masterpieces are in this show, too, and it's so special to me to get to share this with him.

September 2010

Splendor of Natural Vistas by Rhia Khan and Misadventures of the Mind: One Year, 365 Paintings by Rich Potter will be on display from September 7th to October 31st, and there will be a public reception for the exhibits on September 26th from 7pm to 9pm.

Splendor of Natural Vistas by Rhia

The exhibit consists of some of Rhia's best photographic artistic pieces, including a dazzling collection of landscapes from New Mexico, Colorado, Maryland, and Washington, DC.

Rhia is the owner and manager of Digital Photos by Rhia™ and a professional photographer. She is also a member of Maryland State Arts Council. While she has photographed with 35mm film, Rhia primarily works with digital photography. Rhia has degrees in Business Administration from Prince George's Community College (A.S., 2004) and American InterContinental University (MBA, 2010) and has studied art, photography, and business at the University of Maryland (2004-6) and The Art Institute of Washington (2010). Rhia has been a photographer since 2004 and has photographed several bands and musicians as Director of Photography. As an amateur photographer she took stunning photos of landscapes and photographed weddings and events as gifts for her closest friends. With six years of photography experience behind her, including weddings, events, music, sports, nature, architecture, studio, and artistic, Rhia is pleased to offer her debut art exhibit at New Deal Cafe to show some of her best artistic pieces including a dazzling collection of landscapes. Rhia is also an artist and does charcoals, sketches, oil pastels, colored pencils, and has recently started venturing into painting.

Artist Statement

When I take photos, my aim is to take exemplary quality digital shots. In nature photos, I combine elements of lighting, stability, speed, and motion if necessary to take photos that are clearly impressive. Photos of natural elements found within nature, wildlife, moving water, the sun, sky, people present out for a stroll, and the landscape itself all add to the composition of the photo I try to capture. I am proud of my photographs and hope to leave a positive impression upon you.

Often, a challenge I find present during a photo shoot is that the sky is too blue, the water too green (or brown), the wildlife too distant, the trees too…

With digital editing I can fix these problems, however, I prefer to shoot on days where the sunny skies provide optimal shooting opportunities. I would rather capture an image that is breathtakingly beautiful while striking an impression on a viewer’s mind without necessarily having to spend hours editing it. My goal is to convey natural beauty…aaahh well naturally. I hope in your eyes that I meet that goal.

Find Rhia's work on her website at www.digitalphotosbyrhia.com.

Misadventures of the Mind: One Year, 365 Paintings by Rich Potter

Artist and Circus Veteran Rich Potter Paints the Year with a Comic Brush

When creating his art, Rich Potter paints from his experiences as a dreamer, tree-hugger, world traveler, and circus clown. His recent diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder was both the adversary, and the inspiration for him to sit down, once a day for a year, to create 365 different paintings. This exhibition contains only 43 paintings, or 12% of that body of work, as there are enough paintings to fill a wing of the National Gallery of Art. (Mr. Potter indicates he is open to invitations thereof.) Until such an invitation arrives, he is choosing instead to display his works at the New Deal Cafe.

When he left his job with the Big Apple Circus Clown Care hospital program to concentrate on this passion, it was uncertain that he would be able to continue this project through travels to various gigs. However, he carried his muse — and an easel — with him while teaching circus arts in New Hampshire, vacationing in Key West, and studying at a clown school in Spain. He managed to paint. Every night.

His current exhibition stems from the source as his clown work, but instead of rainbows and lollipops, he ventures into a more twisted, sometimes macabre Wonderland where the Grim Reaper romances you, tooth fairies stalk you with pliers, and the canvas itself wants to taste your flesh. Kids may enjoy the works, but this show is decidedly for adults who want to enjoy their inner child.

To list the inspiration for each piece could fill a book. His interests include the supernatural, paranormal, religious, and the lies our parents traditionally tell us as we grow up. We are all a Gestalt of our experiences and the unique wiring of our souls. This show is a year-long snapshot of what mine looks like.” Mr. Potter said.

This Maryland native draws his style and influence from a misspent youth devouring comic books, Warner Bros. Cartoons and Mad magazines. His heroes and influences include Gary Larson, Salvador Dali, Buster Keaton, Chuck Jones, and Charles Addams. Mr. Potter added to this creative recipe an art school education, an international tour with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and world travel as a variety entertainer, and still performs at his day job, doing shows at festivals, colleges and corporate events.

Read more about Mr. Potter's voyage of discovery at awfulcute.com.

July 2010

A reception will be held at the New Deal Cafe on Sunday, July 18 from 7-9pm for art exhibits by Denise Marie and Charles Reiher. Music will be provided by ASKVICKI! The exhibits will be on display from July 6th through September 6th.

Color and Contrast by Denise Marie

The exhibit features ten oil paintings of sunsets, reflections, and silhouettes from original photos taken by Denise. They are intense in color with a high contrast in black.

Now living in Bladensburg, Denise Marie, originally from Pennsylvania, is a graduate of Kutztown University with a BFA in Painting. She is a member of HCAA (Hyattsville Community Arts Alliance), MFA (Maryland Federation of Art) and CAL (Chestertown Arts League). Denise curates the art gallery at the Prince George's Plaza Community Center, (Parks and Planning) and has shown locally in Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel, Circle Gallery in Annapolis, Franklins and Design Studio Art Gallery in Hyattsville. She has also shown at the Chestertown Arts League in Chestertown, MD.

Color on the Move by Charles Reiher

Charles' exhibit, Color on the Move, contains abstract acrylic paintings on canvas ranging in size from 10X10" to 30 by 40".

"My paintings emphasize color and line more than shape and value. They are nonobjective in that I have no preconceived ideas of what the painting will be about. The painting process rather than the subject is what intrigues me. Only when a piece nears or reaches completion do I attempt to figure out the type of painting and what its title inherently needs to be.

These are not sedate works. In addition to their dramatic colors, the use of poured paint and lots of mostly curved lines, give motion and energy to the pieces. I frequently incorporate fabric scraps, gesso and sand to add some 3-dimensionality to the paintings. To me, they reflect the hectic, multi-tasking world of the 21st century; but they also seem to say that the result can be more calming and comfortable than stressing."

Charles has previously been in two group shows at the New Deal Cafe and his piece, Bottom Fish, won an award at the 2009 Greenbelt Labor Day Festival. He has participated in quarterly changing group shows at Franklin's Restaurant and Laurel Regional Hospital for the past four years. He has had solo shows at Maryland-National Capitol Park and Planning Commission, Slayton House, Quiet Waters, Mattawoman Creek Arts Center, and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. He has been selected for a solo exhibit at Harmony Hall Regional Center from August 23 to October 23. He maintains a studio at the Gateway Arts Center in Brentwood. His website is www.charlesreiher.com.

March 2010

The cafe will host a reception for its March shows on Sunday, March 21, from 7pm to 9pm. Music will be provided by Mateo Monk, who performs reggae and bluegrass on flute and guitar.

Chairs and Fruit by Allison Smith

Allison's folk art paintings are all acrylic 8x10s of either fruit or chairs. The price of the paintings range from $30 to $400.

Abstract Paintings 2010 by Karen Van Allen

Karen Van Allen has been a resident of College Park for nearly twenty-five years, and of the Washington area for forty years. Her paintings on display at the Cafe reflect her interest in abstraction, which evolved out of a month of classical drawing in Florence, Italy. The specificity of that training led to a desire to open up to color, shape, and fluidity. Recently, she began to notice the ubiquity of intersections in nature, and our physical environment, as well as the daily intersections with others. Therefore, five of the works in the show are the beginnings of the interest in capturing those intersections in paintings. The balance of the works are experiments in color and shape.

Karen Van Allen has had two shows of paintings at the Yellow Barn in Glen Echo, Maryland, and recently participated in a group show of abstract artists at the Yellow Barn. In addition, she has participated in the annual Labor Day Art Show at Glen Echo, as well as in the Labor Day Festival Art Show in Greenbelt. In the past few months, she participated in several art shows sponsored by the Design Studio in Hyattsville. Professionally, Karen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a private practice in psychotherapy in Washington, DC, and facilitates groups for women over fifty titled "Retirement" or "What Next" in Washington and in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

These works will remain on display at the New Deal Cafe through April.

January - February 2010

An Amsterdam Series

Recent Green Paintings by Barbara Stevens, on display January 5th through March 1st. Join us on Sunday, January 10th for the opening reception from 7pm to 9pm. For more information, call the cafe at 301-474-5642.

The Prince George's County Gazette profiled Stevens' work.

Artist's Statement

This new green-Amsterdam Series was inspired in many ways by Michael Pollan's book "Botany of Desire" (a program about that book was recently aired on PBS.) It was this book which set Ray and Barbara Stevens on an extended adventure in the Netherlands. In Jan. 2006 we cashed in savings,bought a canal boat and then spent April through October for the most part of 2006-2008 living on a canal in the north part of Amsterdam. This new set of Green paintings comes directly from that experience.

The Green Painting Series started when we came back to Maryland after 20 years in New Mexico and it included the merging of local - indigenous -designs like in the New Mexico desert Landscapes. In the Maryland series, the trees,etc. were merged with Colonial quilts designs.

In the Maryland Green Paintings, I first explored that universal phenomenon of being able to see changing faces and various creatures-as in the clouds- but in the trees, hedges. Actually all that is organic, it seems, can produce fractal-like gestalts. In this Series from Amsterdam I feel that there has been some progress toward making the pleasure of seeing this gestalt phenomenon more accessible.

Should you wish to contact Barbara about her work, she can be reached by email at stvns@greenbelt.com.

October 2009

Hyattsville Community Arts Alliance Group Show Artworks from members of the Hyattsville Community Arts Alliance are currently on display at the New Deal Cafe. The show will run through October 25. The current shows features photography, paintings, collage and stain glass, and the works embody a range of styles, from contemporary to realism. Work is displayed in both rooms of the Cafe. The show will be key part of the next Greenbelt Art Walk, on October 15, from 6 to 9 pm. Artists will be on hand to show additional work and answer questions. You may also visit the Alliance website to learn more about each artist.

July and August 2009

From July 14 through August 24, the cafe features art from two Greenbelters, Lori and John Martin.

Ms. Martin exhibits her work in the front room. Working out of the open studio at the Greenbelt Community Center, she explores primarily celestial themes, setting both heavenly bodies and spacecraft against a rich, inky backdrop.

In the cafe's back room, John displays a variety of paintings, featuring architectural and nautical motifs. Mr. Martin's other graphic works include photos of colorful fire hydrants, as well as some of Greenbelt's varied playground equipment.

Join us for the opening for this exhibit on August 23 from 7 to 9 pm. Music will be provided by harpist April Stace Vega. Ms. Vega plays classical, jazz, and original music, both as a solo artist and as a member of the group Harp 46. April and her band have been warmly received during past performances at the New Deal Cafe.

May and June 2009

Painting Robot

Though human creativity and artificial intelligence are related in a broad sense, there is currently little crossover between the two. Pindar's art deals with exploring each and trying to find the connections.

Pindar's primary tool in this endeavor is an artificially intelligent painting robot named Zanelle. This robot not only attempts to mimic human painting techniques by using a brush to apply paint to canvas, but it also attempts to interpret and compose artwork on its own. To achieve this it uses a number of artificial intelligence algorithms (neural-nets) including but not limited to k-means clustering, back propagation, and max-nets.

Their artwork together can be seen as a collaborative effort. In this collaboration, he supply's the inspiration for its paintings in the form of subject matter. The robot then takes my seed image, and using the algorithms that he has written for it, interprets the image and produces an original composition. With the original composition in memory, the robot then directs me to mix a paint palette for use in the painting. He sets the paint out, puts a brush in Zanelle’s robotic arm, and tells it to begin painting. 12-48 hours later a painting is complete. For more info check out Pindar's web site vanarman.com.

Greenbelt & Beyond

Ron Wilder has been honing his craft of photography for many years. Recently he decided to start presenting his work at arts and crafts fairs in the Maryland and Washington, DC area as well as submitting work to gallery shows. Ron has developed an affinity for nature photography and has focused on this aspect of his work in the last year. His "passion" for the medium actually grew out of moving to digital photography. He now works totally in the digital media. His subjects include landscapes, animals, flowers, sunsets, and various other topics. He recently started dabbling in infrared photography and this is proving to be a very exciting new aspect of photography for him. You can find Ron's work on his website at mcwilder.com.

March and April 2009

In the front room, teacher and local artist Tom Baker presents his show, “Project: Be Journey.” His presentation of collages is a collaborative endeavor of the whole community. Inspiration started with the idea of refrigerator magnets of letters and words, and people's creative urge to arrange them. Tom began collecting small pieces made by many different people that include a word surrounded by emotionally and intellectually significant images. He then arranges them in thoughtful ways, lending new meanings and ideas each time. This is a fascinating project that draws viewers to participate in the creation.

In the back room, quilter Cherlyn Monk presents an array of her beautiful art quilts. Starting with learning traditional quilting five years ago, Ms. Monk quickly moved into creating her own individual and expressive designs. Recurring themes in her work include women of color, symbols of life, Egypt, and the Caribbean. Her quilting has been shown in Texas and California. Ms. Monk quilts in her home in Bowie, where she has her own Longarm machine. She says the whole house is her studio! With deep emotion and vibrant color, these quilts will move and inspire you.

January and February 2009

In the cafe's front room, Bright Side Pictures, a collaboration of three artists, presents eye-popping, fine art photographs that will surprise and entertain you. Gary Jimerfield, Rob Grant and Scott Grant, all experienced artists in video and photography, use model set design, paint, and computer abstracts to create fun and intriguing pieces in their Greenbelt studio. Their work has been shown nationally, in galleries and museums from Florida to California. Several pieces are in the Smithsonian's permanent collection. Visitors will be rewarded along this creative journey with classic glamour, historic themes, and abstract art. For more information, visit brightsidepictures.com.

In the cafe's back room, Walker Babington displays a show entitled "Torch-raiture." He creates his striking work at his family's home in University Park. Using pyrography (many forms of wood-burning) and found objects like shutters and wooden panels, he lets the surfaces suggest and inspire the subject of the work. This technique results in larger than life, haunting portraits. Walker also finds inspiration in French Symbolism, especially the work of Redon and Moreau. For more information and commissions, send email to walkerbabington@gmail.com.

August 2008

Two for One

Barbara McGee and Nora Simon

"2 for 1", an exhibit of drawings by Barbara McGee and photographs by her daughter, Nora Simon, runs through August 31.

Barbara McGee exhibits pencil drawings of figures, the main subjects since she attended art school. She illustrated children's books and designed greeting cards for her own company for many years, and has now returned to her first love, drawing.

Nora Simon exhibits recent color photographs of flowers and landscapes. In contrast, she is also showing black and white photographs of scenes of Savannah at night. Nora is currently a student at the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, majoring in graphic design. Her interest in photography started two years ago with a beginners photography course, and she continues to explore photography in all its facets.

Watch a "Greenbelt in Focus" segment about Barbara and Nora (3.8 MB Quicktime movie).

June 2008

Dancing

Joseph Jackson

Joseph Jackson lives in Prince Georges County Maryland. He has been an artist, illustrator and photographing since 1979. He enrolled in Commercial Art during vocational high school. After graduating high school he moved from southwest Pennsylvania to Maryland and began his career. He attended the University of District of Columbia and received an associates degree in Graphic Design. As an art student he studied several styles African cloth painting, rubber stamp art, Indian paper sculpture and screen printing.

After Jackson completed the training he volunteered to teach at senior citizens homes and after school programs. As a member of the Greenbelt Photography Club he has shown with the group. The Greenbelt Photography Club has invited him to demonstrate matting and framing procedures and techniques. Jackson enjoys art and has taken many art classes at the Greenbelt Community Center. He has hung his work in the Greenbelt Community Center and the Greenbelt Arts Center.

Jackson's artwork has been viewed throughout the Washington metro area and many foreign countries. Over the years he has exhibits in solo shows at Prince Georges Public libraries, the District of Columbia public libraries, the Prince Georges Artist Association, and Maryland National Capitol Parks Planning Commission. He is currently in a group show at Landover Dental Offices.

Jackson believes fun is the driving force of his profession. He is always seeking new ideas and techniques to add impact and interest to his work. Though he has no favorite art medium, he enjoys finding new ways to create interesting works.

This June at the cafe, Joseph Jackson will be exhibiting his work titled "Dancing". The art exhibit focuses on the beauty that dancing brings into our lives. These works will show several dance styles in various art mediums/techniques (oils, watercolors, mixed media, computer graphics, rubber stamps, photography). The exhibit runs from May 26 to June 29th.

United States Parks

Sarah Walker

Even as a child, Sarah Walker's perfectionist streak could cause her trouble. Her drawings were often discarded in irritation, condemned to the trashcan for failing to live up to the visions in her head. Years later, when her artistic energies turned to photography, the chance to endlessly manipulate an image was a large part of the appeal. "Photography allows me to start with something, to capture a reflection of the existing world, and share it with others," says Walker, whose show of nature photography debuts in the month of June at the New Deal Cafe.

While her portrait and wedding photography has helped to hone her eye and sustain her professional growth as a photographer, capturing and interpreting the natural world is Walker's passion. Many of the images in the New Deal series were shot while Walker took a cross-country journey with a friend, touring several national parks. The natural beauty of the American landscape served as the perfect inspiration, but capturing the texture and feel of these distinct locales was no easy task. "It's a challenge to transform a three-dimensional world into a two dimensional piece of art," says Walker. "The art is in capturing not just the scene, but the moment, and how that moment feels."

Shooting in more than a dozen national parks, Walker has hoofed many miles and logged more than a few backaches to get the shots she now calls "her babies." While shooting photos of Australian flying foxes for the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Walker actually climbed into an enclosure with these giant bats, whose wingspan is up to 5 feet in length. Part of her passion for nature photography, Walker says, is the chance to feel closer to the natural world.

One of Walker's husband Mike Walker's favorite images was shot while she was crossing a mountain range in Yosemite National Park. The image of mountains, grassland and sky combined is expansive. Pausing in that moment to set up the shot, Walker says, was a feeling that's hard to describe. "I couldn't believe how lucky I was," she said. "It's hard to talk about something like that without talking about a Higher Spirit."

Walkers' photos of Yosemite, and other moments in U.S. parks, are on display throughout the month of June at the New Deal Cafe, while her more commercial work exists online at www.sarahlanephotography.com.

March 2008

Student Exhibit

Artwork by people taking art classes.

February 2008

Their Pretty Life

Marshetta Davis

"Their Pretty Life" will feature mostly acrylic artworks ranging from subtle to bright and bold. Marshetta is a representational artist whose artwork reflects simple human enjoyment and beauty.

Painting is my joy as well as my release of emotion from within me. I started at the age of nine years old doing water colors after receiving a water color set from "Santa". But I later discovered that watercolor was just a door for me to eventually open to the world of acrylic. As I continue my love affair with acrylic I find that painting has allowed me to experiment with texture and bold color that bursts out from my soul. My art is bold, beautiful and free. My art represents love, life and me.

Marshetta was born in North Carolina and raised in Montgomery County, MD by loving parents who recognized her early love and talent for the fine arts. At the age of nine she received her first nice water color set for Christmas that added life and color to the sketches she had mostly been doing previously. This was just the tip of the iceberg because Marshetta later on discovered the wonderful world of acrylics and that was it. The love affair began. Marshetta is known for painting bright uplifting scenes of couples celebrating. Marshetta Davis is a self taught abstract representational artist who loves to depict happiness and beauty in her paintings.

Also at the cafe this month, art by Thomas Wicizer.

November 2007

Artista Emergente

Rafael Corzo

Corzo's exhibit, featuring between ten and fifteen mixed media pieces, will be displayed in the front room throughout next month with an open reception in early November.

This is not Corzo's first exhibit. Aside from participating in four student exhibits at Prince George’s Community College where he is a fine arts major, Corzo had a solo exhibit displayed at The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and was their Cover Artist of the Month for October. His New Deal show will feature a variety of pictures using oil, acrylic, watercolor and graphite, as well as two sculptures, which will only be visible to the public during his reception.

A Laurel resident, Corzo is a native of Mexico City, having moved to the United States almost five years ago. He supports himself through the profits of his art sales, having sold artwork in New York, California, Mexico, and Iceland. Corzo experiments with a range of techniques in his art, including a three-dimensional series he is preparing for an upcoming show in Baltimore. He is ambidextrous, writing with both hands and can write backwards and forwards; he even signs his pieces backwards. Though his works feature a variety of subjects, his seven year old daughter is his favorite subject, he says, and unlike the rest of his pieces, pictures featuring her are not for sale.

Corzo's exhibit will be hung in the front room of the New Deal Cafe on Friday, October 26th. A reception will be held there on Sunday, November 5th from 7 to 9pm. All are welcome to attend and refreshments will be provided.

October 2007

Mysteries and Meditations

Ted Kliman

Kliman's "Mysteries and Meditations", a large body of works consisting of large black and white oil paintings, newer smaller Paintings on Paper, and Conte crayon/Charcoal Drawings, have most recently been seen at Harmony Hall Regional Center and the U.S. District Courthouse in Greenbelt. Many of the large works, representing 12 years of Kliman's dedication to this series, have been exhibited across the U.S. in various venues.

Kliman has often been asked, "What is your inspiration?" He replies, "I didn't set out to make these paintings, but as happens so often in art, things occur accidentally." As he began this series, Kliman said, "I realized that I was embarking on a difficult artistic path: the fusion of realism and conceptualism." Although the images were conceived in a sense of suffering, of affliction, provoked by the inconceivable horror of the Holocaust, Kliman says, "...grief and suffering are universal. I feel these paintings are symbolic and identifiable for people of all religions and cultures." Ori Soltes, professor of Art and Religion at Georgetown University has said that these paintings, "convey the emotional content of memory...they take on the contours of figures...which are eerily absent...these are texts without words, caught between the realms of the natural and the preternatural."

Contact Ted to purchase a painting or drawing:

http://www.tedkliman.com/
tedkliman@mindspring.com
(301) 345-3945

September 2007

A Little Ways Down the Path...

Paul Downs

Yes, that's right, just past the garden, and down the path some. There you might find a branch in the path. Not just any branch. This one has a certain color, maybe a hint of silver or red. And, over there, some clay and a few small pebbles. Keep going and you'll see more of the gifts the forest path offers. As you leave the forest and enter the fields you may find grasses of various hues. Look out there and you just might see someone else – someone looking closely at roadside bushes, seemingly searching for a gem where others may pass by without a second glance. That would be local artist Paul Downs engaging with his medium.

Paul Downs' latest show at the New Deal Cafe displays his exquisite ability to bring nature to you. His work, in the medium of found natural materials, brings the viewer refreshing and enticing images of a life lived without the trappings of modern times. Down this path you may see a canoe paddling by, a serpent slithering through, a falcon in a steep dive, or, you may hear the lone whistle of a train passing in the night, the crackle of a storytime campfire, someone splashing into the water, maybe the voice of the "King" or ... the silence in the spaces between.

So, please, come a "little ways down the path" to the New Deal Cafe this month from August 26 to September 26. And make a point of coming by on Sunday, September 3rd, 2007 from 7-9pm for an artist reception to meet Paul Downs at the New Deal Cafe.

Photographs

Linda Siadys

Linda Siadys is a professional photographer based in Greenbelt, Maryland and her body of work focuses on Nature, Contemporary Art, and Photojournalism, especially Sports. Her show at the New Deal Cafe A la Carte exhibit showcases a sampling of all her work.

In 2001 Linda picked up a camera, and with no formal education in photography or art, but a desire to be a good photographer, decided with a free spirit to photograph whatever she wanted. This approach has led to a solid portfolio in three different styles. More importantly she discovered for the first time a realization of a connection to her calling and purpose in life.

Although a lot of her images are straight-forward, typical shots, many are more abstract and artistic. A common thread through all of her work is a particular focus on the symbolism or archetype nested an image. She has always been fascinated with symbolism, because she feels it invites and engages not just the mind, but the unconscious and senses to experience what lies beyond the visual. Her Contemporary art has been embraced by the Metropolitan Arts community and DC Art Bank has purchased her work and one of her pieces is showcased at the Department of Forestry in DC.

Linda is a participating artist in the annual Two Rivers Gala, an event that raises funds and awareness for Two Rivers School. This year she had a solo nature show at the Hollingsworth Gallery at Patuxent Wildlife Refuge and was part of an impressive group show at the US District Courthouse in Greenbelt. Currently Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission is showcasing her boxing photography in a solo show at 6600 Kenilworth Avenue in Riverdale Maryland. To view more of her work, please visit her website at http://www.lindasiadys.com or her collections at her online gallery: http://photodawg1.smugmug.com/.

August 2007

Oils

Elizabeth Barber

Oil paintings of flowers, and views of Greenbelt Lake and Scotland, the latter dating from her trip there last summer researching her ancestors.

Elizabeth studied music in Europe on a Fulbright Scholarship and has a doctorate in vocal music from the University of Maryland. She has taught at the University of Papua and New Guinea. In Greenbelt, she likes to paint local scenery, and she is an active singer with her church. She has just had a book published in England in which she matched Biblical passages and other sacred writings with the melodies of great musical masters.

The reception for the August show on Sunday, August 5, will be very special. Elizabeth will have her works on exhibit, but the reception will also reflect her musical talents and enthusiasm for world music! Not only is she planning to sing, but her sister will play the flute and a new neighbor of Elizabeth's, Yuli Wang, will play traditional Chinese music on the Chinese zither. Please join us from 7pm to 9pm!

Artwork

Eva Kritt

July 2007

Expressions of One in Tissue Paper Collage

Jan Garland

This self-taught artist works in tissue paper collage to create painting-like results. Included in show are several pieces done with only recycled tissue paper from shoe boxes, stores, and gift bags—helping to reduce our landfill if only by a slight bit! Until July 29th.

See something you like? You can reach Jan at 301-351-8022 or janlaughs@att.net to purchase a piece!

Expressions in Stained Glass

Richard McMullin

Richard teaches stained glass and mosaic classes at the Greenbelt Community Center.