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Arts & Entertainment

Artist Reception "Local Works" Katie Bassett and Thomas Nackid


LOCAL WORKS
The Upstairs Gallery at Molten Java

Featured Artists- Katie Bassett and Thomas Nackid
January 14th - February 18th

Public Artists Reception January 27th, 2012, 6- 8 PM

The Housatonic Valley Cultural Alliance presents Local Works, an art exhibit at The Upstairs Gallery of the new Molten Java on 213 Greenwood Ave, Bethel. Bethel artists, Katie Bassett and Thomas Nackid will be featured for the inaugural exhibit from January 14 through February 18. A public artist's reception will be held on January 27 from 6:00 to 8:00PM., sponsored by the Housatonic Valley Cultural Alliance (HVCA). The exhibit can be viewed during Molten Java's normal business hours.
Molten Java donated The Upstairs Gallery space (located across from recently opened Byrd's Books Store) where HVCA will coordinate art exhibits throughout the year. The project provides an opportunity for artists to show their work and to celebrate the arts within the community. "We're honored to partner with Molten Java this way," says Lisa Scails, Executive Director of the Housatonic Valley Cultural Alliance, "We want to be a resource to area businesses to help make connections to the arts community."
Thomas Nackid's work includes a lot of his most recent published works including two wraparound book covers from Mundania Press's award winning Bad-Ass Faeries anthology series. Some other covers include Darkquest Books Dragon's Lure and Eternal Flame-for which he did both the illustration and the typography. Fifth Generation Covenant is a non science fiction cover. There is also a sampling of interior art illustrating short stories from Space and Time magazine. Tom's illustration work is done completely digitally using a combination of photography, some 3D modeling and plain old digital painting. When he was younger he built a lot of plastic model kits. One of the things Tom had the most fun with was combining parts from different kits to create something completely new. It's called "kitbashing" among model builders. Tom's illustration could be called "imagebashing." It is more than simply "photomanipilation"-a motorcycle fuel tank might become the basis of a futuristic ray gun.
Katie Bassett's work is a collection of mixed media paintings and sculpture that are an intense experiment into what non-traditional materials are capable of being manipulated into. Her primary interest is sculpture which she creates out of various recycled materials using many techniques including painting and sewing. The paintings - like her sculptures - push the limits of what the materials will allow using bleach, dyes, acrylics; later tearing the canvas and sewing it back together. All of Katie's work expresses the need to rebuild what has been destroyed by breaking preconceived rules of art, expression and materials. Typically all of her pieces are reflections of herself and her own inner turmoil. Essentially all of the pieces are unquestionably non-traditional self portraits; intensely personal and express an undying need to repair.

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