“I work improvisationally with only a cursory sense of where the painting or drawing will ultimately end up. Most of the paintings take many months to complete and undergo considerable changes during that time,” said Cebulash, who began teaching at Wright State in 1996. The professor of art and art history became chair of the department in 2009.
Nine of his works are oil on canvas paintings; 19 will be ink on paper drawings. With this body of work, he is “exploring the fundamental nature of painting itself.”
The paintings are large-scale and range from 36” x 55” to 72” x 66”. He typically paints with a palette knife, which explains the bold strokes. He also uses a cold wax medium to add texture to his paintings. Some of the drawings have cut paper elements; he also uses Wite-Out and tape. The drawings range in size from 17” x 22” to 52” x 47”.
“I wouldn’t say there is any specific inspiration for this work,” said Cebulash, who teaches painting, drawing, art theory, and art criticism. “I have been working abstractly for some time now, and this is simply a continuation of that process.”
This is his first solo show at DVAC. He has many enthusiastic collectors, and there is a one-hour Collector’s Preview at 5 p.m. before the Opening Reception on May 5. There will also be a Gallery Talk from 6 to 8 p.m. on May 18. Artists may bring in one work for a Cebulash-led Open Critique at 1:30 p.m. on May 20; free for members, $5 for non-members.
Cebulash received his bachelor of fine arts from Boston University and his masters of fine arts from The American University in Washington D.C. He has exhibited widely throughout the United States, most recently at The 32nd Annual Bradley Invitational, The Bowery Gallery in N.Y.C., and the Swope Museum of American Art in Terre Haute, IN. He has been an active member of the painting collective Midwest Paint Group since 2007.
Cebulash was also named as a 2017 recipient of an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award amounting to $5,000 in early April. OAC received a total of 465 applications; only 77 were approved.
“Individual Excellence Awards are peer recognition of creative artists for the exceptional merit of a body of their work that advances or exemplifies the discipline and the larger artistic community,” as explained on the OAC website. “These awards support artists’ growth and development, and recognize their work in Ohio and beyond.”
WANT TO GO?
What: "Glen Cebulash: New Work"
Where: Dayton Visual Arts Center, 118 N. Jefferson St., Dayton
When: May 5 - June 17. Collector's Preview: 5 to 6 p.m. May 5
Opening Reception: 6 to 8 p.m. May 5
More Info: 937-224-3822 | daytonvisualarts.org
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