Art show at WREN Gallery opens Aug. 3rd
Artists Valerie Vermeulen and Orion Kugel share art and poetry
On Friday, August 3, from 5 – 7 pm the Gallery at WREN presents
the opening reception of MINDFIELDS. The art show features the dreamy abstract landscape paintings of Valerie Vermeulen. The wry and ironic cut paper collages of Orion Kugel also join in the August presentation.
Both artists provide distinct approaches to working with mystery and meaning. Where Vermeulen’s large-scale works are spare, minimal, and evocative, Kugel’s compact and dense collages are like jewels of juxtaposition. They often have paragraph-long titles that read like surrealist poems. Similarly, several of Vermeulen’s poems accompany the artwork they have influenced.
The exhibit is part of the First Friday events in Bethlehem, which include exhibits at 42 Maple Contemporary Art Center, The Maia Papaya, and Rek•lis Brewery. MINDFIELDS is generously sponsored by Union Bank. The bank is a long-time supporter of WREN and WREN artists. The Littleton Food Coop is also supporting the gallery’s evening.
Orion Kugel
The first artist, Orion Kugel, is a collage artist from Conway, New Hampshire. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire where he majored in English, he began creating collages by making album art for his band. In 2015 he collaborated with the contemporary art group, the Femme Fatales of the North. Kugel was a member of WRENʼs first LEAP cohort in 2017, which fueled his passion for sharing his art. That same year, his work won first place at Art in the Park in North Conway. Also, Orion was chosen to be represented by Eaton Fine Arts, an art dealer in Austin, Texas.
Kugel’s art is in many private collections and can be found at WREN, Be Well Studios gallery in North Conway, and Revolution Records in Conway. Orion is currently working on a collection of short stories and poems to accompany his artwork.
Valerie Vermeulen
The second artist is Valerie Vermeulen. Valerie grew up in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. She resides there now with her husband and two children. She studied Literature and Creative Writing at the University of New Hampshire. Her Junior year, Vermeulen received the Faculty Poetry Prize, awarded by the Pulitzer Prize poet Charles Simic. After graduation, she decided to pursue Visual Arts and has been painting diligently ever since. Recently she has also turned to photography, with a focus on landscapes. Valerie’s paintings have been both locally, and nationally. She has sold them both through public means and private commissions. In addition, Vermeulen is currently pursuing a career in freelance photography.
About Wren
The Women’s Rural Entrepreneurial Network is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization. It provides and supports strategies for entrepreneurial development, access to markets. It also helps with Main Street revitalization and rural economic development. WREN inspires possibilities, creates opportunities, and builds connection through community. In addition, the network brings rural people together to realize better lives and livelihoods. They provides resources, education, and opportunity fo those that need it. For further information, call (603) 869-9736, email at wrencentral@gmail.com, or reach us on the web at www.wrenworks.org
The images, and content contained within this article appear courtesy of the above mentioned organization. The content appears in part, or in whole, as a submission from the public relations department of the organization. For information on how you may be able to submit to our website for community events or press release news posts such as these, please visit our community bulletin board and public relations sections on our policy page.