Discovering novel ways to manipulate her medium, painter Barbara Straussberg plays with the act of applying paint and collage elements to create “Barbara Straussberg: New Works.” This collection of her mixed-media acrylic paintings on wood and paper will be on display at the Studio Montclair Virginia S. Block Gallery throughout June, 2010.

Color becomes personal expression, vibrant turquoise balances blues and greens and is interrupted by an unexpected red or orange or purple. Rubbings, drip lines, a scratch, a shift in surface texture: all reflect her passion for experimentation within the application or reduction of the paint, which “can be as simple as my fingers and paper rags, [and] which bring me in direct contact with my medium. I am ultimately concerned with my relationship to the painted surface.”

Straussberg achieved a Distinction in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania, where she received her B.A. She later studied painting at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Her work has appeared in numerous solo and group shows in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey and is included in corporate and private collections.

An opening reception will be held on Friday, June 4, from 6 to 8pm. The exhibition and reception are free to the public. The Virginia S. Block Gallery is located at The Clark House, 108 Orange Road, Montclair, NJ. Hours are by appointment. For additional information, please contact Studio Montclair at studiomontclair@aol.com, visit our website www.studiomontclair.org, or call (973) 744-1818.

Studio Montclair Inc. is an association of professional visual artists and supporters of the visual arts dedicated to establishing Montclair (NJ) as a center for the arts. It is a nonprofit corporation supported by its membership. The purpose of Studio Montclair Inc. is to promote culture and education in the Visual Arts through exhibitions, lectures, art demonstrations, scholarships, and other educational programs; and to encourage new emerging artists through all appropriate means. Membership consists of professional visual artists and individuals interested in the visual arts.