The Peru Gazette

PLATTSBURGH, NY – The Strand Center for the Arts is excited to host “Oil and Water,” a photographic exhibition featuring work by painters, Dennon Walantus and Matt McGarr, in the Main Gallery. This upcoming exhibit will open in The Strand Center Main Gallery on Friday, September 3, 2021. A free reception will be held from 5:00-8:00 pm that night.

The exhibition, Oil and Water, features the painted works of Dennon Walantus and Matt McGarr, two artists who paint in oils and acrylics respectively. Although their mediums may not mix, their paintings of local landscapes and architecture complement and contrast. Their work brings a new lens to local places that may often get overlooked, but they see places worthy of attention. Color and light are strong elements in both of their work, so these places often are just the vehicle to host these elements for their paintings.

Dennon Walantus graduated from Beekmantown in 2014. After high school graduation, he attended Clinton Community College for 2 years to explore opportunities. It is here where he was introduced to painting and from where he chose to concentrate on painting and a career in Fine Art. This led him to SUNY Plattsburgh into the BFA program, where he graduated in May of 2019.

Concerning his work, Walantus states: “I primarily paint with oils out in the landscape then refer to this work back in the studio. In my Plein air painting, I am pursuing a personal connection to the landscape by working from direct observation. Painting on a small scale requires every brushstroke to be relevant when seeing the work as a whole image. This immediate way of working directly reflects the intimate connection when experiencing the landscape. When choosing my subject to paint I look for a particular space that can act as a vehicle for capturing the light and mood of the environment. These smaller works sometimes offer themselves as the source material to create a larger work, expanding in the physicality of the mark and immersion of the viewer into the landscape.”

Matt McGarr came upon painting from a different direction. After receiving a Computer Science degree, he enrolled in an art class to fill time and decided to change course. He’s enjoyed every day he’s been pursuing art and hasn’t looked back. Being born and raised in Plattsburgh, New York, McGarr always found plenty of inspiration in the area’s lush green environment as well as the varied, aging architecture so typical of New England. 

McGarr says this about his work: “Being Impressionist by nature, I most enjoy capturing the essence of a view before me. Whether using wet or dry media, visual energy is always of top priority. Although I work primarily in acrylic paints, as their incredibly fast drying time allows me to work quickly, I also enjoy using a diverse mix of media together and separately. The juxtaposition between media, as well as that between natural and architectural elements, gives my work a layered interest that grabs and holds the viewer’s interest.”

This unique exhibit will be on view in The Strand Center Main Gallery at 23 Brinkerhoff Street in Plattsburgh from September 3 to September 24, 2021. The exhibition opening is Friday, September 3 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. This event is free to the public. Regular gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm. For more information on these exhibits, upcoming events, concerts, or classes happening at The Strand Center for the Arts, please call 518-563-1604 or visit strandcenter.org.