“lacey”, new paintings by mariaurora will be on exhibit at Pi Gallery November 7-29, 2008.  There will be an opening reception for the artist First Friday, November 7, 6-9pm.

“lacey” is a series of acrylic paintings on paper representative of finely patterned and textured fabrics.  Working on paper allows first layers of acrylic to be applied thinly, similar to watercolor.  The paper paintings are then adhered to canvas covered support.

Maria Creyts, who signs her work mariaurora, earned her MFA in painting and printmaking at Yale University School of Art and her BFA in painting and ceramics at Kansas City Art Institute.  Her work has been shown in numerous galleries including Sideshow Gallery in Williamsburg/Brooklyn; the New York Public Library; Brixton Art Gallery, London; the New Arts Program, Philadelphia Sketch club, Plastic Club and Reading Public Museum in Pennsylvania.  Her work was included in a three person exhibit at Seton Gallery, University of New Haven in 2007 and in a solo show at Thornhill Gallery, Avila University, Kansas City in 2008.

Ms. Creyts’ paintings and prints are in national and international collections including Albright College, Reading, PA; The Banana Factory, Bethlehem, PA; Fundacion Valparaiso, Mojacar, Spain; McKinsey and Company, Chicago, IL and Penn State University , Berks Campus, Reading, PA.

Musing on things lacey

“Lace is my word for beauty… love… and hope. I speak the word lace and everything else is clear… I was claimed long ago as a child by lace. My mother wore a lace collar, which allowed her head to emerge like a swan from the water.”

Sheila Fugard

In her short story, Lace, Sheila Fugard fixes lace as a guiding ideal in the life of a widow remembering how she lost her five year old boy one winter on the barren South African Karoo.

The author moved with her family from England to South Africa as a child in 1940. Later she and her husband, playwright Athol Fugard, worked in experimental theatre with amateur black actors -- a pursuit for which Athol was forced either to leave South Africa on an exit visa or give up his passport (he chose the latter). While prevented from attending the New York showing of Athol's popular play, Boesman and Lina, the couple was enabled to travel again after a petition signed by 4000 resulted in the return of Athol's passport.

-- Maria Creyts, MFA