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The Greatest Gifts

Reception - Saturday, October 10 from 6-9 p.m.

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For the month of October, the ARTery Gallery features two of its most prolific long-time painters, Marie Liu and Liza Smith-Simpson. Together their presentation runs the gamut from historical preservation to imaginative abstractions as these talented artists bring forth their new work in a colorful display of artistic mastery.

Marie Liu has been a member of the ARTery Gallery since 2009. As the current director, she enjoys sharing her vision of the region and reciting its stories to gallery visitors through her paintings.  This has been one of her greatest gifts. 

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Determined to hold on to examples of positivity during challenging times, Marie Liu continues to create paintings that celebrate inspirational figures who came before us, to tell stories that teach us, and to reveal the natural world that heals us – especially examples from our tri-state region. In her recent series of paintings, which she calls ‘The Greatest Gifts’, Liu honors what has proven to be her north star – the beauty of the Delaware River valley, with its unique history and figures of integrity. Each of her paintings possess a story which adds richness to that enduring legacy. 

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Whether she is depicting Mother Earth protecting her creatures within her cloak of foliage; a rendition of the indigenous Turtle Island creation myth; or a humorous image of a black bear in a champagne glass bubble-bath reminiscent of the iconic Pocono honeymoon advertisements of yesteryear – Liu strives to evoke happiness and gratitude in her paintings—for herself, while creating them, and ultimately for the viewer.  

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Liza Smith-Simpson describes her painting process as similar to that of a musician who plays by ear. She creates art through her senses, allowing what she sees to flow from her eyes to her hands and ultimately onto the painting surface. For Liza, art is a form of play, evolving intuitively as she works. She takes her own photographs as references and often begins composing a landscape while she is still behind the camera, considering the eventual painting as she frames the photograph. Her subjects are inspired by observing people and nature, which she considers true gifts of the Creator. While painting Moods of Autumn outdoors, for example, nature offered an unexpected gift—the sudden appearance of a beautiful Great Blue Heron. Whether traveling to a new place or exploring her local surroundings, Smith-Simpson continually finds herself drawn to the natural world. Her connection to nature is reflected in the words of Wassily Kandinsky: “If the artist has outer and inner eyes for nature, nature rewards him by giving him inspiration.”

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The play of light and the remarkable colors it creates are central to Smith-Simpson’s work, influencing both her abstract paintings and her landscapes. For her, the act of creating can become transcendent, as it did with her abstract painting Ascending Order. This work, which originated as a lucid dream, explores the movement of the soul through space and time, similar to Georgia O’Keeffe’s observation, “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way—things I had no words for.” 

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Smith-Simpson’s art education began in childhood, when she sold her first oil painting while still in grade school. Her artistic development continued through art classes at Upsala College, followed by years of painting and recognition through various awards. Most recently, she received a People’s Choice Award from the Art in Sussex County committee and visitors attending the New Jersey State Fair. Liza describes the recognition as an extraordinary honor and expresses her gratitude to the many people whose votes and appreciation made the award possible.

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You can meet Marie Liu and Liza Smith-Simpson at their opening reception on Saturday, October 10th from 6-9 PM, which includes refreshments. The ARTery welcomes the public to this free cultural event.

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The ARTery Gallery, located in the historic Forest Hal building at 210 Broad St. Milford PA, is a cooperatively owned and operated fine art gallery, serving the regional artists and art lovers since 1996.  The gallery features a wide array of artistic talent ranging from traditional oil, watercolor, and photography to sculpture, jewelry, textiles, pottery, and collage.

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The month-long exhibit will be on display from Thursday, October 8th through Monday, November 9th. For more information, call (570) 409-1234.