Ocean Galleries Announces 2017 Summer Art Exhibitions

Stone Harbor, NJ, May 04, 2017 --(PR.com)-- Ocean Galleries is thrilled to host six extraordinary art exhibitions for the 2017 summer season, featuring the artwork of and appearances by Josef Kote, Peter Max, Aldo Luongo, Romero Britto, and Hessam Abrishami, as well as a special Dr. Seuss Father’s Day weekend exhibition, “If I Ran the Zoo.” Each exhibition offers an opportunity to view and acquire artwork, and to meet the artists and curator (Dr. Seuss exhibit) in intimate gallery receptions.

The exhibitions will be open to the public throughout the respective weekends at the Stone Harbor location of Ocean Galleries (9618 Third Avenue/609-368-7777).

Ocean Galleries is delighted to welcome Josef Kote to Stone Harbor for the first time over Memorial Day weekend. Meet Josef Kote at receptions from 7:00 PM until 10:00 PM Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28, 2017. A New York-based artist, Kote is best known for his distinctive style and technique. His paintings are symphonies of light and color that are lyrically stunning and romantic, edgy and current. Kote achieves this delicate balance of seemingly contradictory qualities through his complete mastery of technique and through years of experimenting to find his own unique style. With the lightness of a true master’s hand, he combines classic academic and abstract elements, fusing these, literally letting them run into each other with dripping colors and light, by using his signature drip effect along the bottom. Kote’s trademarks are his bold brushwork, and sweeping strokes of vibrant colors applied - more often than not - with a pallet knife, while other areas of the canvas are left monochromatic and devoid of detail, creating a negative space that lets the eye drift to infinity. The results are paintings that tremble in stillness with energy and light. ​The exhibit opens Friday May 26 and runs through Monday, May 29.

A compelling selection of limited edition artwork from The Art of Dr. Seuss Collection will be on display Father’s Day weekend, featuring his little-known “Collection of Unorthodox Taxidermy.” Noted Dr. Seuss expert, Jeff Schuffman, will share insight on the exhibition during receptions 7:00 PM until 10:00 PM Saturday, June 17 and 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM on Sunday, June 18, 2017. Eighty years have passed since Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, produced what he called his “Collection of Unorthodox Taxidermy,” an amazing menagerie of Seussian animals often constructed from real animal beaks, antlers, horns, lions’ teeth, rabbit ears, and turtle shells. Celebrating the release of Dr. Seuss’s “Powerless Puffer” - the final Marine Muggs cast-resin sculpture in the “Collection of Unorthodox Taxidermy” - a traveling exhibition is being launched to feature all 17 of these incomparable artworks. This new exhibition, “If I Ran the Zoo,” marks the first time all 17 sculptures have been presented together in an exhibition dedicated to Dr. Seuss’s sculptural heritage. The exhibition highlights Dr. Seuss’s little-known sculptural legacy and spotlights the fascinating correlations between his two-dimensional artworks and three-dimensional sculptures. The exhibition will also feature rarely seen estate authorized limited editions from the Secret and Archive Art Collections. All sculptures and artwork will be available for acquisition. The exhibit opens Friday, June 16 and runs through Monday, June 19.

The iconic Peter Max, “America's Painter Laureate,” returns to Ocean Galleries over the Fourth of July weekend with a collection of his recent works and most-revered imagery spanning five decades. “Peter Max – Summer of Love 50th Anniversary” opens Friday, June 30 and runs through Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Meet Peter Max at receptions 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2. This year’s exhibition marks the 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love and will include many of Max's vibrant, cosmic images that captured the spirit of the 60s youth movement and were cited by art critics as “the visual counterpart to the music of the Beatles.” A pop culture icon, Peter’s transcendent imagery, bold colors, and uplifting themes have touched almost every aspect of American culture and inspired generations. Throughout his incredible artistic career, Peter Max has been the official artist for many national and international events, has painted presidents, world leaders and rock stars, and has created artwork on everything from a Boeing 777 to a 600-foot Woodstock stage. Peter has been the official artist of the GRAMMYs six times, and his recent works feature celebrity portraits of legendary musicians Tom Petty, Lionel Ritchie, Bono, and Bruce Springsteen, each of whom have been honored as The GRAMMYs MusiCares person of the year. In addition to a collection of his famous cosmic images in celebration of the Summer of Love, this year’s exhibition will include numerous paintings created specifically for the Stone Harbor exhibit.

Meet Aldo Luongo at Ocean Galleries 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM Saturday, July 22 and 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM Sunday, July 23, 2017. Born in Argentina of Italian heritage, Aldo Luongo graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires. In the 70s, he had his first major success with multiple reproductions of his black and white drawings. Released to great critical acclaim and garnering huge commercial success, the art put him on the map as a major international artist. Luongo has continued his reign at the top of the contemporary art world for almost four decades. From his acrylics to his fine art prints, all of Aldo Luongo’s exquisite art embodies the same sense of fluidity and intensity, the result of a true artist engaged in the passionate process of creation. His bold, impressionistic style has often been referred to as “Romance on Canvas.” Central to all of Luongo's paintings is the balance between memory and hope, sorrow and humor, freedom and control. Aldo Luongo's artwork captures more than just the viewers gaze…it echoes the experiences of life lived to the fullest. “Aldo Luongo – Reflections of Summer” is open Friday, July 21 through Wednesday, July 26..

With an iconic style that the New York Times described, “exudes warmth, optimism and love,” Romero Britto is an international artist that uses vibrant, bold and colorful patterns to reflect his optimistic view of the world around him. Meet the artist 7:00 PM until 10:00 PM on Saturday, August 5 and 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM on Sunday, August 6, 2017. His playful themes and hard‐edged compositions, combined with his unique talent, unshakable resolve, and belief in his art, have granted him worldwide recognition, with galleries and museum exhibitions in over 100 countries and counting. The artist’s pop sensibility has leant itself to collaborations with global brands such as Audi, Bentley, Coca‐Cola, Walt Disney, Evian, Hublot, and Mattel, to name a few. Britto’s work evokes happiness and hope using a visual language all its own and is, simply, relatable to all. “Romero Britto’s Brilliant World of Color” takes place Friday, August 4 through Wednesday, August 9.

Meet Hessam Abrishami 7:00 to 10:00 PM on Saturday, September 2 and 1:00 PM to 1:00 PM on Sunday, September 3. For years, Hessam has provided the world with images that capture an essence of love. Hessam’s dynamic compositions, powerful expressions, and vibrant colors have captivated viewers around the world with their amazing depth and unique intrigue. Hessam has exhibited the ability to fascinate and disarm an audience with his artistic works. His paintings are greatly influenced by his dramatic life experiences and the warm acceptance he has received from the world at large. Hessam has exhibited his art in Europe, Asia, and North America. His art has also been colorfully illustrated in various Ivy League University textbooks nationwide. The French press has described Hessam’s artwork, "A statement in the fluidity of human figures...with tension between each figure, a kinship that provokes the viewer to seek reasons for such a relationship.” The exhibit, “Hessam Abrishami – Colors of Romance,” runs Friday, September 1 through Wednesday, September 6.

In addition to an extraordinary collection of artwork and custom-framing, Ocean Galleries also offers a variety of hand-made crafts from local, regional, and national artists in America, such as glass, pottery, jewelry, and furniture. All summer exhibitions take place at the Stone Harbor location of Ocean Galleries (9618 Third Avenue), which is open from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM daily through June 15, and then 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily through Labor Day weekend. The Avalon, NJ location of Ocean Galleries (2199 Ocean Drive) is open 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM Monday through Saturday. For more information or directions, call 609-368-7777 or visit www.oceangalleries.com