Andrew Reach

I’m proud to be part of the upcoming exhibition CONVERGE. The brainchild of artist and Collection’s Registrar of the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve, Kelly Pontoni, the following are excerpts from the AAWR’s website:

CONVERGE features 71 regional artists of all ages, backgrounds, and identifications, creating a vibrant cross-section of the LGBTQ experience. Conceived by Kelly Pontoni, and co-curated by artists Sam Butler, Tony Williams, and Mark Yasenchack, with assistance by Mary Proctor, over 140 pieces were selected in a staggering array of media including painting, photography, textiles, glass, fashion, assemblage, and immersive installations which transport the viewers while transforming their perspective.

In addition to its support of local LGBTQ artists, CONVERGE also marks the first effort to extensively document their contributions to the important visual culture of Northeast Ohio.
Click here to read more about the exhibition on AAWR’s website.

click on images to enlarge

ASTERISCUS I will be on display at the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve’s Gallery

SHINING LIGHT will be on display at the LGBT Center of Cleveland

Artist Statement

The photograph in SHINING LIGHT in which I overlaid color, forms and texture, is of my husband Bruce Baumwoll .We will be celebrating 40 years together this December. It was taken by me in 1984 at the entrance to the Christopher Street subway station in Greenwich Village, New York. We were living in Greenwich Village and I was studying architecture at Pratt and taking photography as an elective. Shining Light is a visual love letter. The light above Bruce’s head softly illuminates him like a halo, a metaphorical angel, while my “whimsies” move towards him, attracted to his beautiful essence. SHINING LIGHT speaks to the simple universal notion of the deep love and commitment of two men spending a life together and the homage one man pays to the other he loves so deeply.

The work ASTERISCUS I embodies the things I strive to convey in my art. Starting with a geometric construct, in this work the form of the asterisk, I weave color and striped patterning to optically energize its geometric forms. Each asterisk is embellished with varying secondary forms that creates a playful dialog with its surroundings. Cut out on a cnc router, its composition is further geometrically energized. This energy is a proxy for my inability to move freely through the world without pain and represents a little piece of me that has been freed.

Special Events:

• Artist Archives Opening Reception | Thursday, August 26
  • Featured appearance by Veranda L’Ni Cleveland’s Tallest Drag Entertainer
  • Private VIP Reception | 5:30 – 6:30pm
  • Public Reception | 6:30 – 8:30pm
• LGBT Center Reception | Friday, September 17
  • Private Plexus LGBTQ Young Professional  Reception | 5:30 – 6:30pm
  • Public Reception | 6:30 – 8:30pm

This artist was awarded the Ohio Arts Council’s ADAP Grant (Artists With Disabilities Access Program) for Fiscal Year 2022. 

“ADAP (Artists With Disabilities Access Program) provides funding that gives individual artists with disabilities—and organizations that serve them—the resources they need to further their artistic development. ADAP awards help artists with disabilities advance their artistic practices, making Ohio a more accessible and inclusive place to build an artistic career.”

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