218 Church Street. Phoenixville, PA19460
Vanessa Werring
(215) 410-9003
Release Date: April 19, 2024
PRESS RELEASE
Werring Contemporary to Open on May 3rd
A New Phoenixville Gallery will feature innovative and relevant Contemporary Art
A public opening for Werring Contemporary, and for its inaugural exhibition Memos from the Ephemeral: Current Works by Brian David Dennis, will be held on Friday, May 3rd from 5 to 8PM at 218 Church Street, Phoenixville.
Founded by Vanessa Werring, a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and Temple University, the gallery will feature a roster of artists chosen for their ability to blend skill, innovation, and intellect. An independent curator and art consultant who has previously worked for galleries in Pennsylvania and New York, Werring carries an idealistic vision for her space:
"My vision for Werring Contemporary is to create an inclusive space that encourages public engagement with artwork that challenges conventional boundaries in both subject matter and technique. My goal is to introduce collections that offer viewers new perspectives on contemporary culture and approaches to art making."
About the Gallery and Phoenixville
Located 40 minutes from downtown Philadelphia at the intersection of the Schuylkill River and French Creek, Phoenixville—named after the Phoenix Iron Works, which closed in 1987—is an up and coming town that blends historic charm with contemporary amenities. Bridge Street, the town’s main artery , offers a mix of wine-tasting rooms, craft breweries, restaurants and locally owned shops. Cultural attractions include the Colonial Theatre and the Art Gallery at Franklin Commons.
Werring Contemporary will occupy the ground floor of a 120-year-old three story brick and stucco colonial across the street from Visual Edge and Sanctuary Aesthetics and around the corner from CaféComLeite.
The Artists of Werring Contemporary
Keith Breitfeller
Keith’s Breitfeller’s lyrical minimalist abstractions have been influenced by Impressionist and Pointillist art. The artist manipulates figure/ground relationships to diffuse any hints of subject matter, allowing viewers to enter the artwork and experience it on their won terms. Open and luminous, Breitfeller’s paintings offer a sense of peace and contemplation.
DianeCollins
Diane Collins inspires reverence for the natural world in her ceramic, bronze and mixed media constructions. After one decade of focus on assemblage and another concentrating solely on iconic bronze animal heads and vessels, Diane now marries both practices with a return to her classical foundation. Collins incorporates unexpected materials that help elevate the figure from a mere description to a broader statement.
BrianDavidDennis
Brian David Dennis is a multimedia visual artist. His body of work, often constructed from found and scavenged materials, ranges from large installations to small collages. From immersive to intimate, he extrudes the extraordinary from the common. Dennis’ imagination manifests wondrous realms from our everyday world.
MaureenDrdak
Drdak’s work references universal paradigms of mythic archetypes: both ancient and contemporary forces converge in her work. Travels in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, India, Nepal and the Himalayas have infused her work. Drdak’s 2011-12 FulbrightScholar work, The Prakriti Project,pioneereda remarkable synthesis of repoussémetalwork and contemporary painting.
Sheila Grabarsky
Sheila Grabarsky is an abstract painter who lives and works in the low country of South Carolina and is known for her expressive gestural abstract paintings. Grabarsky achieves a medley of sumptuous, tactile surfaces by applying layers upon layers of fresh paint and dried acrylics from her palette. She also applies papers, plastic resin pellets, gels, wax and even jewelry hardware to her paintings to add reflection, depth and texture.
Morgan Hobbs
Morgan Hobbs is a painter and sculpture from Kansas City, Missouri who studied historical and prehistoric archaeology in conjunction with her fine arts training. Now living in Philadelphia, Hobbs creates engaging and symbolically rich works that radiate a deeper understanding of the many visions and images she has encountered during her life and studies.
JessicaMatier
JessicaMatieris a Missouri-based artist who studied at the Parsons School of Design. In 2016 she departed from watercolor and collage practices to pursue a mixed-media approach to abstract painting. Matier’s work straddles abstract expressionism and surrealism and derives from her subconscious responses to her current environment.
GageOpdenbrouw
Gage Opdenbrouw lives in the forested mountains of Northern California among some of the tallest and quietest trees on earth. His gently brushed, semi-abstract landscapes evoke the sublime atmosphere and rugged beauty of California’s spectacular coastline. Opdenbrouw also paints flowers, interior scenes and transpositions of iconic paintings.
Gallery Services
Vanessa Werring is a knowledgeable art consultant who will be personally advising clients seeking artwork for their homes or offices. Additionally, Werring Contemporary will host satellite exhibitions in public spaces such as high-end hotel and condo building lobbies, fine dining restaurants, and commercial spaces.
Gallery Hours
Thursday through Sunday 12 pm - 6 pm
Monday through Wednesday by appointment
For Additional Information
Please direct all requests for additional information and/or press images directly to:
Vanessa Werring
(215) 410-9003