Painter Lizz Ford – Bold & Impactful

Painter Lizz Ford exhibit this summer at the RBG and “Music& Art” reception

As vivid and bold as summer colors in the beautiful Allegheny-Clarion River Valley, Lizz Ford’s exhibit of dynamic, colorful, and large acrylic paintings will be in full bloom at the Red Brick Gallery and Gift Shop in Foxburg beginning Memorial Day weekend.

Bull in a China Shop

Lizz Ford is a freelance artist and graphic designer with a “healthy obsession” for creating large acrylic paintings that invoke contemplation. Choosing organic subject matter with a surrealist perspective, she experiments with idioms and moral dichotomy wrapped in flowers and leaves. Wanting them to be seen as clearly as possible, she chooses large scale canvases in order to create a cacophony of visually bold images with a crisp style.

Meet the Artist and enjoy an afternoon down by the river on Sunday, May 28 from 2:30 PM to 5 PM for the exhibit opening and “Music & Art” wine and cheese reception featuring music by singer/guitarist Jeff Powell of Lawyers, Guns and Money with his long-time singing partner, sister Jennifer Powell Lowrey.  Catering will be by Zack’s Farm to Table of New Bethlehem.

Liz Ford’s show will be exhibited in The Upstairs Gallery at the Red Brick Gallery from Friday, May 26 to Sunday, July 2 during weekend hours:  Fridays 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Saturdays 11:00 AM –7:00 PM, and Sundays 12:00 noon – 5:00 PM.

The “Music & Art” opening features vocalists Jennifer Powell Lowrey and singer/guitarist Jeff Powell.  Jeff has been singing professionally since the age of 16, after joining a band in 1985. He has co-written and recorded three studio albums with two different groups – the first, Clarion based rock band, Ask A Stranger, which released “Stranger Things Have Happened” in 1991.

Jeff has recently been performing with Western PA rock band, Lawyers, Guns and Money, and an acoustic trio called In Harmony – both of which play quite frequently throughout western PA and eastern Ohio.

In 1995 Jeff formed the family acoustic trio, The 3 of Us, which was comprised of his sister Jennifer Lowrey and their cousin Jerry Baum. They went on to record well received albums including “Allegheny Hideaway and Sketches”.  The RBG appearance brings Jeff back together with his sister, Jennifer Powell-Lowrey for this performance. For twenty-five years, Jennifer Lowrey has taught music in the Allegheny-Clarion Valley Schools and directed musicals there and at the Barrow Civic Theatre in Franklin.

Other Red Brick Gallery 2023 exhibits in the Second Floor Gallery are painter Jannick Wilberg and photographer Dennis Keyes from July 7 to August 13; painter Andor Paposi-Jobb from August 18 to September 24; Painters Geoffrey Dunn and Jason Floyd Lewis from September 29 to November 5; and the RBG Holiday Show from November 10 to December 17.

Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Art’s Red Brick Gallery and Gift Shop is the region’s must-see destination for the exhibition and sale of contemporary art, craft and design in Western Pennsylvania.  Current members of the Red Brick Gallery Artist Cooperative are Cheri-Lee Anderton-Yarnell, Taylor Banner, Jeffrey Calta, Mark DeWalt, Donna Edmonds,  Angela Taylor Hardwick, Kathy Hogg, Andy Johnson, John M. Karian, Dennis Keyes, Jason Floyd Lewis, Karen Mortland, Nissa Rappoport, Linda Thompson, and Cathy and Jack Trzeciak.

ARRIVE EARLY & EXPLORE FOXBURG!

Plan to Make a Day of it in beautiful Foxburg!  

While in Foxburg, enjoy a walk along the Allegheny River trail or rent bicycles or enjoy a pontoon ride with Foxburg Tours in the morning or early afternoon!  Have lunch at the Allegheny Grille with seating overlooking the Allegheny River, or for more casual fare, at Foxburg Pizza with salads, sandwiches and pizza.  Save time to enjoy wine tasting at Foxburg Wine Cellars and savor a gourmet coffee and hand made chocolate at Divani Chocolatier and Barrista.  Or spend the night in Foxburg in the lovely, newly renovated  Foxburg Inn or up the river at Emlenton’s bed and breakfast, the Barnard House.

The 2023 season Red Brick Gallery Hours are Fridays 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Saturdays 11:00 AM –7:00 PM, and Sundays 12:00 noon – 5:00 PM. 

About The Artist

Lizz Ford

Lizz Ford is a freelance artist and graphic designer with a healthy obsession for large acrylic paintings. Wanting them to be seen as clearly as possible, she chooses large scale canvases to create a cacophony of visually bold and impactful imagery.  Dynamic and colorful, Ford’s “Doom and Bloom” is a favorite in a series that was awarded “Best in Show” in the Butler Art Center 2021 exhibition – and her “Bull in a China Shop” which is epic, dominating a room, was best in show in 2022.

Choosing organic subject matter with a surrealist perspective, her body of work is both contemplative and crisp.  Lizz enjoys flirting with subtle challenges of perspective embedded within obvious beauty.  The result is work experimenting with idioms and moral dichotomy wrapped in flowers and leaves.

As a designer, Lizz works on her own line of digital metallic prints and various commissions ranging from book covers to product packaging.  As a lover of color palettes, she has experimented with pigments and making her own custom paint. Empty walls don’t stand a chance. She is currently designing labels for Butler’s newest coffee company Butler Coffee Lab, and book covers for Bookish Box. As a teaser, check out her paintings on https://lizzford.myportfolio.com

A graduate of Allegheny-Clarion Valley in 2008, Ford credits her education to a rich childhood artistic environment. While surrounded by artistic people, as a painter she is self-taught. Believing it is her job to paint and the viewer’s job to behold, she doesn’t want to stand in the way of the viewer’s interpretation, offering immersive subjective experiences.

 

Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Art’s Red Brick Gallery and Gift Shop is the region’s must-see destination for the exhibition and sale of contemporary art, craft and design in Western Pennsylvania.  Current members of the Red Brick Gallery Artist Cooperative are Cheri-Lee Anderton-Yarnell, Taylor Banner, Jeffrey Calta, Mark DeWalt, Angela Taylor Hardwick, Kathy Hogg, Andy Johnson, John M. Karian, Dennis Keyes, Jason Floyd Lewis, Karen Mortland, Nissa Rappoport, Linda Thompson, and Cathy and Jack Trzeciak.

The 2023 season Red Brick Gallery and Gift Shop hours are Fridays 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Saturdays 11:00 AM –7:00 PM, and Sundays 12:00 noon – 5:00 PM.