Gallery • 10 Photos

Maria Tand

Room C211 was busy after school on Wednesday January 30 where the Gallery of the Boroughs held their reception for their miniature gallery "Captivating Colors." It showcased the unique talents of local artists Lisa Hayden and David Gaviani. The showcase was made possible through the efforts of students who take The Business of Gallery Management class, an elective offered by art teacher Danielle DeCiero, and the Gallery Club.

Showcasing local artists Lisa Hayden and Danny Gaviani, members of the Business of Gallery Management Club senior Travis Lawless and junior Alex Cheney displayed thirteen pieces of artwork along the walls of the Gallery of the Boroughs exhibit in C211 on Wednesday January 30.

Lawless and Cheney wanted to display artists with unique styles in their art galleries.

“We basically looked for artists that caught our eyes,” Cheney said.

Lawless and Cheney discovered Hayden at last year’s Apple Fest. She presented colorful paintings at the gallery, each piece with motif colors and patterns.

Hayden’s painting “Ocean Discovery” depicts the bubbly waves of ocean tides. For this piece, she used encaustic paints which are applied onto wooden panel as a solid, then melted to achieve blending effects which still have texture.

“Encaustic paint is made from beeswax, damar resin and pigment,” Hayden said. “It comes in a solid block and you bring it to melting temperature to get it onto the wood panel.”

Lawless and Cheney discovered Gaviani and his art on Instagram.

Gaviani’s paintings contain a bright variety of colors in his detailed depictions of  characters and settings. In one of his pieces, “Vita,” he depicts settings from famous areas such as the New York Skyline and El Castillo, a temple in Mexico.

“[Vita] was a fun experiment I did with Sharpies on a marker board,” Gaviani said. “I loved the bright colors the Sharpies gave me, so I wanted to create a piece with a multi-colored subject.”

Lawless aspires to be a professional artist after high school and was inspired by by Gaviani and Hayden’s work.

“I looked at Lisa [Hayden] and Daniel [Gaviani]’s art and desperately wanted to try and do stuff similar to it,” Lawless said.

Lawless believes that art is beneficial to everyone.

“I think going to galleries is helpful for staying in touch with the artistic side everyone has,” Lawless said.

Cheney and Lawless have had art class together and collaborated to found the Business of Art Gallery Management Club.

Art teacher Danielle DeCiero taught their class and later became the advisor to the club. When she was in high school, she took a gallery class.

“Gallery class was one of [DeCiero’s] favorites, and I really wanted to help her out by at least [establishing] the club,” Lawless said.

After college, Cheney wants to become an art director and host more galleries.

Right now, the club mainly consist of Lawless and Cheney, but they are hoping to expand and be able to showcase more local talent.