The Dempsey Family Gallery located on the first floor will display “Signature Strokes” featuring artwork by Javier Chavira, Margie Glass Sula, Linda L. Haynes, Alice McMahon, Colin Sherrell, John Gutierrez, Jeff Stevenson, and Cesar Conde.

Curators Janice Meister and Carol Weber write, “The signature stroke of an artist starts with the touch of drawing media to a surface and continues until the lift at the end of a mark. Each stroke, followed by another and yet another has led to these varied works of art. In the past, there was a straightforward division between drawing and other art forms. As you look, the more you can see how difficult it is to describe exactly what drawing is. In this exhibit we included drawing that encompasses all aspects of art ranging from ostensibly simple gesture, contour drawing, journal sketches, to elaborate works of detail, and even drawing that becomes three dimensional. At present drawing has many voices and is on par with all mediums of art.

Darius Hurley’s “Portraits and Punchers” will be on the second floor of Water Street Studios in the Chicago Capital Gallery. Hurley’s exhibition features new painted works, a short retrospective of earlier paintings and some surprises. The show promises to be an exhilarating evening of colorful and exciting bare-knuckle art. Darius Hurley is a British artist and performer living in Batavia, IL. His paintings have been shown in galleries in Chicago and New York.

Opening reception will be held Friday, April 10, 2020 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Meet the exhibiting artists and our Resident Artist community during this monthly event. In addition, a cash bar will be available featuring beer from Solemn Oath Brewery and wine selections from The Wine Exchange in St. Charles.

This event is free and open to all ages. We encourage all visitors to make a $5 donation at the door to support arts programming at Water Street Studios. A special thank you to our event sponsors: Chicago Capital LLC, Batavia Enterprises Inc., First National Bank, and K.Hollis Jewelers.

Both gallery exhibits will continue to be on display until Saturday, May 2, 2020 at 5pm. Artwork on display in galleries and studios are available for purchase at the front desk unless marked otherwise.

The exhibits in both galleries can be visited during regular public gallery hours: Thursday-Sunday from 12:00-5:00 pm at 160 S. Water Street in Batavia, Illinois.

About Water Street Studios
Water Street Studios is a 501(c)3 for-purpose art center located in downtown Batavia, Illinois. Our mission is to help make the arts more accessible to the Fox Valley region and beyond. Our vision is to be a cultural hub in the Midwest. We provide our community with classes, artist studios, gallery exhibitions, free programs for under-resourced families and schools, events in our historic venue, and more. Learn more at www.waterstreetstudios.org