The new Elisa Contemporary Art exhibit, Female Abstractionists, opens February 19 at the Elisa Contemporary Art Gallery in Riverdale NY. It will run through May 6, 2020. Our new exhibit, Female Abstractionists, celebrates three women whose dynamic artistic paintings are all abstracted. It will feature the work of Vermont artist, Rose Umerlik, and California artists, Kimber Berry and Stephanie Cate.

The Abstract art style, while often inspired by real places, memories, and life experiences, is created with abstractelements of form, color, line, tone, and texture. The viewer will often feel a connection to the work…sometimes without knowing why. It is often the hidden inspiration or message of the artwork that creates that bond. The paintings of Rose Umerlik are emotional abstractions -- inspired by her stories of family, relationships and filled with forces of emotion including hope, fear, loss, pain, and love. According to Umerlik, “From the beginning of each piece, I lay down shapes, lines and bodies of color. As I manipulate these elements, I intuitively recognize how the correlation of these elements mirrors my interpersonal relationships. At different times these lines and forms vary in the way they relate to one another. Sometimes they hold each other, or gesture lovingly; other times they oppose each other or interact aggressively; sometimes their relationship is uncomfortable or uncertain; other times they strive for isolation… My aim is not only to explore the intricacies of my personal story, but also to connect with the viewer, to echo the universal emotional forces that resonate with each of us, and that are present in the collective human mind and heart.” The exhibit will feature two California artists both inspired by our natural world.

The exhibit will include two series by Stephanie Cate, both inspired by planets in Outer Space. The Saturn Series explores the sixth planet from the Sun, one whose rings are made from chunks of ice and rock. There is potential that some of Saturn’s 82 moons may support life.

The Europa Series by Stephanie Cate, was conceived by a fascination with Europa, the sixth largest moon of Jupiter. Its surface is smooth and bright, consisting of water and ice criss-crossed with long, linear fractures. These textures and movement are boldly captured within Cate’s brushstrokes. Like Earth, Europa is thought to have an iron core, a rocky mantle and an ocean of salty water beneath its icy crust. Unlike Earth, however, Europa’s ocean lies below a shell of ice estimated to be 10 to 15 miles thick. This surface makes the moon one of the most reflective in the solar system. It is thought that Europa's surface contains salts and sulfur compounds which may hold clues to the moon's potential as a habitable world. Hints of color within Cate’s artwork often express that potential for life. Kimber Berry is known for explosively colorful, visually dense, multidimensional canvases and installations.

Through her latest series of paintings, "Plastic Gardens", she creates a dialogue of the human condition and raises important social questions as to how we live with nature. The exhibit will feature two paintings from this series.