ARTery Gallery’s first post-quarantine exhibit pays homage to another era of art amid chaos

Soho of the 1970s evokes a bohemian lifestyle free to explore new styles of art in the midst of chaos. The first post-quarantine exhibit at the ARTery Gallery in Milford, “Glimpses of Soho,” pays tribute to this special time and place.

Featuring three talented member-artists, Liza J. Smith-Simpson, Madeline Tully and Chris Hobbs, the show emphasizes hope for a brighter future, even in the midst of stress and sorrow.

“The theme ‘Glimpses of Soho’ is a reminder to all of us that true hardship breeds passion and creativity,” says the invitation. “The artists want to make this their tribute of hope to the New York City area. A tribute of encouragement to all that have gone above and beyond the call of duty and to show respect to all those that we have lost.”

The exhibit is on display through July 8, with an extended afternoon/evening reception scheduled for Saturday, June 20, from 3 to 8 p.m. to lessen crowd size. Due to current uncertainty, the scheduled gallery reception is tentative, so call 570-409-1234, check the website, arterygallerymilford.com, or Facebook page for updates. The exhibit will also be viewable on the galleries Facebook page.

The gallery is located at 210 Broad St. in Milford. Hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Monday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Liza J. Smith-Simpson

Liza J. Smith-Simpson of Andover constructs both collage abstracts and lyrical landscapes with a rich and interesting color palette. She uses a variety of substrates, mediums and styles interchangeably. With a great love and respect for the grandeur of the world around her, she derives her subject matter from the places she has visited and places she would like to visit. Going back in time and into the future with her “Flight Paths” series, “Flight Paths XI” commemorates the first USA moon landing and will be featured in this exhibit.

After living in New York for a short period, she returned to her beloved Sussex County, N.J., where she has continued painting local scenes for over 15 years. Graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Caldwell University, she has since branched out of her comfort zone to change careers several times.

“Having successfully worked in all mediums and genre, I resist being put into any single category,” she said.

She studied watercolor, design and drawing with Hyo Chong Yoo at Upsala College and continues to take art workshops. Her paintings have been exhibited widely and have received numerous awards.

Chris Hobbs

Chris Hobbs, a longtime New Yorker, interprets iconic buildings and places as well as geometric abstracts, with vibrantly colored, three dimensional pen and ink art. This process is constructed of multiple layers of hand-colored graphics on paper stock assembled in layers and presented against a colored background in deep shadow box frames. The hours he spends making a single piece are too numerous to track.

He started out doodling and making little drawings, until his wife encouraged him to do them on paper rather than on the back of napkins. As his work became more and more complex, he developed his own unique art form which amazes all gallery visitors. He also works as an arborist, softball umpire, and in real estate, as well as exhibiting his work throughout the country, which has won many awards.

Madeline Tully

Madeline Tully, whether painting in watercolor or oil paint, uses striking color and a style that can be reminiscent of the Old Masters or Impressionists. Her nostalgic work takes you back to that beautiful summer walk in the garden or city street. Viewers can can feel her love of natural settings and smell the fragrant flowers.

Tully is an early member of the ARTery. Her formal training in art began at Washington Irving High School of Design in New York City, followed by oil painting for eight years at the Forest Park School of Art under Robert Burrell. She took classes in watercolor at the Jackson Heights Art School for 5 years with Bob Moffett. She continued advanced watercolor training with Matilda Gretch and training in oils with Marie Liu.