Nancy, George and Bess – A Tough Girl’s Art Show in Deep Ellum

Dallas, Texas – Nancy, George and Bess is an exhibit that features local women artists working in all media and in all stages of their career. Named after the three lead female figures in Carolyn Keene’s Nancy Drew series, Nancy, George and Bess encapsulates Dallas’ own female talent in a cool Deep Ellum property, located at 2824 Main in Deep Ellum as a part of the Deep Ellum Arts Festival. From artists to have never had a show to artists who are collected widely, Nancy, George and Bess allows all stages and ages to emerge and share the same gallery space. Artists include: Zanne Hochberg, Angela Faz, Erica Felicella, Andrea Roberts, Jayme Nourallah, Ryann Rathbone, Kate Nelson, Kim Cadmus Owens, Alison Welsh and Cathey Miller.

Nancy, George and Bess is curated and produced by Sarah Jane Semrad and Erica Felicella. The event is presented by Deep Ellum Foundation and Deep Ellum Association. A free artists reception will be held on Thursday, April 3 from 7PM-9PM and will feature the sounds of Orbital Beebop. The exhibit will also be open during Deep Ellum Arts Festival hours which are Friday, April 4 from 5PM-10PM; Saturday, April 5 from 11AM-10PM; and Sunday, April 6 from 11AM – 5PM. A special BYOB party will be held on Saturday, April 5 from 10PM-1:30AM and feature all girl band Lovie and local girl rocker Heather Knox. Cover for the party is $5.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Andrea Roberts discovered her interest in photography at a very young age. She formally studied photography in high school and then at East Texas State University. Professionally, Andrea works in the graphic design and interactive development industry, but continues photography in her spare time. Lately she has been experimenting with composites as well as traditional 120 film. Though Andrea takes life seriously, she finds joy in the interesting ironies and absurdities it throws her way, especially when she can observe them through her lens.

Ryann Rathbone a self-taught free-lance artist who lives in Lakewood. She moved to Dallas in 2001 and before Dallas she lived all over the world: Louisiana, Norway, Indonesia, Connecticut, California. She has experienced many different cultures and has always drawn and painted theraputically and occasionally on commission. Her first public showing was last December at Art Conspiracy III, and her work was well received. This success led to her participation and showing of six pieces in the Kettle Art Gallery Holiday show (December 2007). Her series right now focus on the spiritual and mystical symbolism of birds and life.

Alison Welsh’s hand-inked portraits are delicate pieces that range from famous characters to personal moments. Her works have been displayed in several galleries and shows over the past year. This will be her eleventh art show.

Cathey Miller is a 1985 graduate of Art Center College of Design (CA). After 2 years freelancing in NYC , Cathey moved to Dallas and opened up her own studio, catering to interior designers, commercial photographers, and art directors for print and film/t.v. Aside from her commercial painting, Cathey paints very personal paintings that reflect her love of science fiction, gas masks, first person shooter games, alpha females, and portraiture. Currently, Cathey is working on a new series of paintings using live models and a space ship set she painted in her studio. These new works will be unveiled at Cathey’s solo show at the Kettle Art Gallery on Saturday, June 14th 2008.

Jayme Nourallah has loved the creative arts since she was a child. In college, she majored in fine arts until she discovered she had a knack for photography. Nourallah bought her first “real” camera and it changed her life and her major. After graduating, she spent many years dreaming of a future as a professional photographer while she held many other positions in the creative world including graphic artist, fine artist and web designer. In her twenties, she began to travel and opportunities for photography grew. But it wasn’t until she had my first child that Nourallah discovered my true passion: children’s portraiture. Nourallah find photographing children to be the most rewarding thing she have ever done. With her distinctive shooting style she steers away from poses and props allowing the child to dictate each shot. In every session Nourallah tries to capture the true personality of each child in a candid, natural way.

Kim Cadmus Owens (Dallas, TX) holds an MFA from Towson University in Baltimore and a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Born and raised in Texas, Owens now lives and works in Dallas after having lived in New York, Baltimore, and San Francisco. She teaches painting and drawing at the undergraduate and graduate levels at the University of Dallas in Irving where she is the head of the painting area. She has shown her work at the University of Texas at Dallas; Arthouse, Austin, Texas; The Studio, Armonk, New York; the Islip Art Museum, East Islip, New York; Maryland Art Place, Baltimore, Maryland; the Corcoran Museum of Art, Washington, D.C..

Kate Nelson’s work deals with chaotic memories of time using such materials as polyurethane foam and plastic predominately, although cast objects, oil paint, spray paint, sculpted objects, found objects, transparencies and pencil with watercolor are also used. Nelson is a graduate from UTD with a BA in studio art.

Zanne Hochberg began a career as a serious painter in the 1950’s and was most influenced by the contemporary abstract expressionist painters of that period: Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, Robert Motherwell, and Helen Frankenthaler. She also greatly admired the works of Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Modigliani, Gauguin, Cezanne, and Picasso. A pioneer in her own right, Hochberg was a brilliant counterpoint to the Southwest regional art then predominant. A native of Rochester New York, Hochberg graduated from the University of Florida and went on to become one of the first women to graduate SMU with an MFA. Throughout the course of her career, Hochberg became one of Dallas’ most respected and prolific artists. Her contribution to Texas art and Dallas in particular are immeasurable, with works in many distinguished collections including the Dallas Museum of Art. Upon her death in 2001, there were still unfinished paintings in her studio, a testament to the lifelong work Zanne Hochberg birthed. Aside from becoming a masterful painter, she was a powerful and passionate mother and wife. Her husband Larry still practices health care law in Dallas and her three children live in Texas: Claudia, Pamela, and Jonathan; Claudia is a mother and the owner of the One-on-One Pilates Studio; Pamela is a mother and childhood learning disability specialist, and Jonathan is a father and the Associate Director and Professor of the Global Leadership Executive MBA program at UTD. She has four grandchildren: Carly, Bennett, Brett and Gabriel.

Erica Felicella is a self-taught Dallas artist that works and resides in Oak Cliff. She came into this world a Yankee and in the early 90’s transplanted from New Hampshire to San Antonio. While in San Antonio she was given her first SLR camera and her eyes where opened to the creative world. It has been a driving force ever since. Erica moved to Dallas in 2000 and began her career in the photography and fine-art world shortly after. She started by freelance curating and working in the field of commercial photography. She currently is the owner of Cella Arts and Erica Felicella Photography located in Oak Cliff’s Bishop Arts District.

Sarah Jane Semrad has owned and operated several entrepreneurial art ventures since 2003 in Dallas including IR Gallery and Pigeon-Stone Project. Currently she is board president for The Art Conspiracy and executive director of La Reunion TX, a non-profit artist residency. Nancy, George and Bess is an independently produced art show that further realizes Semrad’s vision of making the art scene in Dallas interesting and accessible.

ABOUT DEEP ELLUM

The visual arts scene is back with a progressive new spirit. Artists have always played a role in the development of Deep Ellum and today, approximately 17 galleries and 70 artists call Deep Ellum home. They are joined by nearly 500 businesses that include restaurants, professional firms and other cultural organizations. There is power in numbers, especially in art.” Nancy, George, and Bess is sponsored by the Deep Ellum Association and the Deep Ellum Foundation who both embrace the future and the new changing face of Deep Ellum