A highly skilled and diverse group of artists will be featured in a new exhibition, opening with a reception from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at First Coast Cultural Center, 6000B Sawgrass Village Circle, Ponte Vedra.
“We are honored to present this exhibition that brings together artists from different backgrounds, creating a colorful mosaic of experiences,” said Silvia Romero, FCCC’s senior director of operations. The reception is free and open to the public, and the exhibition will run until April 16, during normal gallery hours.
“Scratching the Elements,” a collection of powerful paintings by Debbie Pounders, will be on display upstairs in the Zena Groover Gallery. Meanwhile, the first-floor galleries will highlight creations by Eva Konya, Chana Kurinsky and Jacque Huber, showcasing everything from one-of-a-kind, handmade quilts to minimalist figurative paintings and colorful pieces with a Pop Art flair.
Whether focusing on ballet dancers, portraits or equestrian subjects, Pounders’ work transcends mere representation. Each piece begins with her unique process of mentally capturing the subject through her photography and painting in her mind before she even approaches the canvas.
The Tennessee native enjoys painting on a variety of materials, such as linen, silk and wood, and she uses light and drama to bring her subjects to life in remarkable detail.
Meanwhile, Konya is a prizewinning Hungarian painter who is inspired by David Hockney, a key figure in the 1960s Pop Art movement. Her abstract and figurative paintings are bright, soothing, ethereal works of art. Konya is particularly interested in the depiction of swimming pools and water filled with infinite joy and happiness. She says painting means courage to connect with the unknown.
Kurinsky, on the other hand, is a figurative painter drawn to moments of humor and emotional truth at every stage of life. She intentionally uses minimal settings so that the figure can speak for itself through gesture, posture and emotional presence. Kurinsky works in mixed media and loves blending realism with bold colors, creating images that feel direct, expressive and quietly confident.
Before taking up the craft of designing and sewing quilts, 89-year-old Huber had a life as diverse as the patches of his 550 quilts and his fabric art. With a background in mechanical engineering, he has had careers that spanned everything from the U.S. Navy to CEO of Southwestern Ohio Steel. Huber’s quilting ranges from traditional designs to abstract, and the Ponte Vedra resident donates most of his quilts to charity.
Go to firstcoastculturalcenter.org for more information on this exhibition, programs and events for adults and children, and the upcoming Spring Artisan Festival.
