Losing Count

The pandemic has made an indelible imprint on each of our lives. For artists in our community, it has impacted their processes in countless ways — the genesis of our new show, REEMERGE. It also hasn’t helped when it comes to counting up our juried shows. We have been calling REEMERGE — and it’s on this poster — our 16th Annual Community Juried Show (read: summer juried show). But having missed both the 2020 AND 2021 editions, this is actually our 15th! Oh, well. How well we count happily in no way correlates with how well our jury performs their duties. The lineup of 42 artists and 71 works, which our jury panel chose through long deliberation, is simply spectacular. Plus, you can meet most of the creatives and all of their creations THIS THURSDAY, 7-10 PM, when we officially raise the curtain on a show that speaks to all of us. We look forward to seeing you at our OPENING RECEPTION!

Leaving Us Dangling

While our new show, REEMERGE, is up and underway, it’s only right that we bid a proper and fond farewell to JEAN PLOUGH, who truly broke new ground and broadened our horizons with her tour de force in MARY LIZ MEMORIAL MASTERS 17, a show we will be talking about for some time to come. This final painting is also one of the last of 28 sales — a record for a Mary Liz Fellow AND for an edition of MLMME — and is emblematic of the artist’s approach to graphic elements in her paintings. “Sometimes, when a painting seems unresolved,” Jean says, “a word or phrase comes to mind that completes it.” Here the figurative master takes her use of language to a literal level. We would expect nothing less, and we also hope that some of Jean’s canvases will remain available on our website moving forward.

JEAN PLOUGH
“Dangling Conversation”
acrylic on canvas
100.

Headed for the Finish

Today — for many, a bittersweet holiday already — conjured mixed emotions on our art scene, too, as we are in the last week of an inspiring renewal of our annual MARY LIZ MEMORIAL MASTERS EXHIBITION. The 17th such show, this year’s edition marks the first time we have a solo artist, JEAN PLOUGH, reach this pinnacle of OFF THE WALL achievement. And it’s more than fitting for our feminist gallery that a woman broke this new ground. What's more, Jean has garnered unprecedented bottom-line success. With three additional sales tonight, including this work, the painter stands at 28 sales, which is not only the most of any single Mary Liz Fellow, but also more than any other MLMME show, period. Pretty rarified air. It comes with the territory when we shine a spotlight on such a rare talent. If you haven't yet experienced Jean’s canvases in person, please make sure to come in this week.

JEAN PLOUGH
“Head”
acrylic on canvas
300.

Party Time

Join us over the next few hours as we celebrate — and begin to say farewell to — the paintings of JEAN PLOUGH, our 2022 Mary Liz Fellow and the first artist to lay claim to a solo outing in our most prestigious of all shows, the Mary Liz Memorial Masters Exhibition. Jean’s canvases have found a ready and willing audience, reminding us that OFF THE WALL has always been home to virtuoso painters. Add to this the artist’s versatility and range. Although we added the subtitle “Go Figure”to MLMME17, Jean is not one to be pigeon-holed by such descriptors. “Most things look like figures anyway,” she proposes. Come meet Jean and her remarkable work — and cool off with a refreshing drink. Hope to see you soon!

JEAN PLOUGH
“Triangle”
oil on linen
400.

New Art for May

Noble art is about to be o’erthrown...or rather rotated...as both the sold and unsold work of JEAN PLOUGH will be replaced with up to 19 new paintings. And, yes, among those on their way out will be fair Ophelia, a rose of May destined to come down on April 30! We made this unusual call — we haven't rotated artwork midway through a show since 2003 — due to the wildly enthusiastic response of our audiences. With an impressive 16 SALES to date, there are simply too few paintings still available for purchase to meet demand and take us to the conclusion of MARY LIZ MEMORIAL MASTERS EXHIBITION 17 on June 3. We’ll send out an email, too, but if you want first dibs on the new work, please plan to come in Saturday afternoon or sometime this weekend — or check out our website: offthewallgallery.org. Here you can buy Jean’s new pieces...pieces, like this one, which are coming down...and a few available online only.

JEAN PLOUGH
“Ophelia, Floating Girl”
acrylic on canvas
300.

Join Us Today

Today, Sunday, April 3, we officially raise the curtain on MARY LIZ MEMORIAL MASTERS EXHIBITION 17 with an OPENING RECEPTION from 3 to 6 PM. JEAN PLOUGH takes the stage as a painter of the highest order and the first-ever Mary Liz Fellow to be accorded a solo show on our most prestigious platform. The accolade is well-deserved. Rarely has an artist struck a more resonant chord in our community. After first seeing work she generously contributed to our SAVE DIRTY FRANK’S online auction in 2021, we quickly realized that Jean’s canvases—deftly combining abstract intensity, mastery of color and texture, and figurative and graphic elements—would electrify our space. So they have and will continue to do through June 3. Jump right in and ENJOY!

JEAN PLOUGH
"Reclining Figure"
acrylic on canvas
400.

See and Be Seen

We spoke the other day about being a feminist gallery. We are also a transgender gallery — speaking for our artists and our community. And we would not be responsible members of that community if we did not stop to acknowledge and celebrate today as the International TRANS DAY OF VISIBILITY. Fight hateful legislation and support new options like marking a nonbinary X on your passport, starting April 11. Hey, we love and thank Joe...but notably, this is the 14th such occasion, dating to 2009. Do your part to make sure it never ends. Thank you, Trans Student Educational Resources!

JEAN PLOUGH
"THERE IS NO WINDOW"
acrylic on canvas
200.

Making Herstory

Even though MARY LIZ MEMORIAL MASTERS EXHIBITION 17 won’t officially open until this coming SUNDAY, APRIL 3, with a 3-6 PM reception, it is more than fitting that it has begun during Women's Herstory Month. That’s because painter JEAN PLOUGH is breaking new ground, every bit as bold as her brushstrokes! She is the very first Mary Liz Fellow to be accorded a solo show on our most prestigious of all stages. Plus, she is only the fourth artist ever to enjoy the solo spotlight in our 43-year history. It says everything about OFF THE WALL and our founding director, Mary Liz, that three among this exceptional quartet are women: JEAN, ELIZABETH H. MACDONALD and ELLEN POWELL TIBERINO. (Bob Jackson is the renowned male counterpart.) After all, we were founded as a feminist gallery — from our very first December '78 outing, “Her Name Is Not Anonymous Anymore” — so we tend to celebrate and elevate Herstory every month of the year. Please do likewise when you visit and shop the MLMME17 website (offthewallgallery.org), and when you join us this Sunday afternoon!