6th ANNIVERSARY ART SHOW
The Galleries at First Pres
December 10, 2022, Vero Beach – The Galleries at First Pres will offer an opening reception of the Sixth Anniversary Art Show on Sunday, January 15, 2023, from 2:00 to 4:00pm. The show will feature the works of local artists Jean Breeding, Cathleen Hahn, and George Kofas. The galleries are located throughout the campus of First Presbyterian Church at 520 Royal Palm Boulevard in Vero Beach. Admission is free, light refreshments will be provided.
Jean Breeding’s journey as an artist began in photography, weddings, and glamour. Her home in the mountains and love of nature prompted her to pursue wildflower preservation. She photographed many wildflowers, several on the endangered species list, and was chosen to judge photography contests. Studying with several art teachers, she developed skills to apply nature and people on canvas. Her experiences developed into a business, “Tranquil Nature.” Many of her nature prints are displayed in businesses and institutions throughout Kentucky and Florida.
When invited to display her art, Breeding immediately thought “WOMEN of VALOR” as a title of her show. It encompasses the women she has known, past and present. Outstanding women of different ethnic backgrounds, careers, and possessing qualities of perseverance and determination. All paintings are real people whose life stories exhibit strength, courage, and a strong desire not only to survive, but thrive. Their struggles include a rainbow of sicknesses, abuse, rejection, and loss of children.
Cathleen Hahn was raised in Roselle, NJ and began winning art competitions at an early age. She attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, yet completed her formal education in MA where she graduated cum laude with a degree in psychology. These divergent interests led to the creation of an advertising and graphic design business which she maintained for 10 years. Upon returning to her native NJ, she focused her efforts in working with nonprofits and soon became the director of a local women’s crisis center. In 1992, after the fall of communism, she left for Kiev, Ukraine and established Gloria Ministries Crisis Center for Women named after her Ukranian mother. Five years later and back in the United States Cathleen became certified to teach fine art. Finally, in 2012 after leaving teaching, she earnestly began to develop the gift within her and she began to paint professionally. Currently, Cathleen lives and paints out of her studio on Hutchinson Island.
The work of George Kofas is about Spiritual issues: The Temporal and the Eternal. There are two major ideologies in the art world today. One of these ideologies concerns itself only with the Physical world. Much of Post-Modernist art, in conjunction with the Art-for-Art’s Sake philosophy abides in this tradition. Such art exists within limited perimeters and has no greater purpose. However, another ideology concerns itself with Spiritual issues and the relationship which exists between the Physical and the Spiritual. The work of Caspar David Friedrich, Wassily Kandinsky and Mark Rothko would be such an example. The work of George Kofas attempts to explore issues regarding the interrelationship existing between the Physical and the Spiritual realms and attempts to present various components of the Spiritual.
The Galleries at First Pres feature a wide variety of works by local artists, on rotation throughout the year. The Galleries are located throughout the campus of First Presbyterian Church, 520 Royal Palm Boulevard, Vero Beach; they are open for viewing from 12pm to 3pm Monday through Thursday, and on Sunday mornings between church services. Admission is free and open to the community.
For more information, please contact Ginger Lagemann, Music and Arts Administrator, at (772) 562-9088 or ginger@firstpresvero.org.
