More than 40 miles separate Christwood’s Atrium Gallery near Covington and the Ferrara Showman Gallery on New Orleans’ Julia Street.
But the two art venues aim to shorten that distance through "Be-Causeway: Bridging North- and South-Shore Arts," an exhibition that opens May 17 at the Atrium Gallery.
It will feature pieces from multiple artists represented by the Ferrara Showman Gallery, which has offered a forum for young and emerging contemporary artists worldwide since opening in 1998.
The exhibiting artists — they hail from New Orleans, New York, San Franciso, Dallas, and St. Louis — include Ann Marie Auricchio, Amanda Joy Brown, Tony Dagradi, Jenny Day, Margaret Evangeline, Brandon V. Lewis, Kristin Moore, Anastasia Pelias, Gina Phillips, Aimée Farnet Siegel and Paul Villinski.
“We are proud to collaborate with the Atrium Gallery and bring a diverse group of artists to the Northshore as we continue to expand our reach right here in our backyard …The gallery always strives to participate in exciting opportunities that can showcase the depth and creativity of our gallery artists,” gallery co-owner Jonathan Ferrara said in a statement.
“Be-Causeway” is the latest exhibition presented under the Atrium Art Alliance, a collaborative initiative to expand artistic engagement and visibility through the Atrium Gallery.
“This follows our mission of connecting artists, connecting artists with the community, and connecting different venues, essentially supporting the art community,” Ann Loomis, the Atrium Gallery’s curator. “We offer this fabulous space, and the idea is to broaden the exposure and the connection.”
The first partnership saw pieces from the Lacombe Art Guild’s members hanging on the gallery’s walls, after severe storm damage forced the closure of the artist group’s gallery.
Loomis then collaborated with SALADINO Gallery owner Danny Saladino to bring artwork by two of that Covington gallery’s acclaimed artists, Phyllis Beisert and Carol Hallock, to the Atrium Gallery. Upcoming shows will include the work of Covington artist Paulo Dufour, and later this year, pieces by a Baton Rouge artist.
Among the Art Alliance’s goals is supporting artists regionally, supporting and celebrating regional galleries, expanding venues for artists’ work, and strengthening the community through the arts.
The Atrium Gallery has the “size, scale, and a wonderful environment that offers this opportunity for artists,” Loomis said, noting how gallery visitors can come in and enjoy displayed artwork in a hospitable, comfortable setting.
“Our commitment is to artists who are just beginning, as well as those who are established and professional,” she added.