Mango Tango Hillside Art Gallery will present the paintings of Caroline Duprey of St. Croix and Patty Tacquard of St. John from 2:30-5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 10. The sculptural division of the show will be works created by the Maho Glass Studio. Meet the artists, view the art and listen to the music of 2 Blue Shoes at the gallery’s original location on Raphune Hill.
A resident the islands for over two decades, Duprey studied art at the Manchester Institute of Arts in New Hampshire, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the DeCordova Museum School in Massachusetts. As part of the St. Croix community, Duprey is able to create contemporary expressions of traditional folk art forms. She loves to sketch. She said, "I want to capture a particular feeling or color that remains in my mind. An artist, I believe, never knows what the catalyst may be to start him or her on their painting adventure, and referring to my sketches often is the beginning of a new work.”
Duprey’s work is on view and for sale at Designworks in Christiansted and Mango Tango on St. Thomas. A resident and working artist on St. Croix for over 20 years, her charming paintings are sought out by collectors at St. Croix’s annual Good Hope Art Event.
Patty Tacquard earned her Bachelor of Science in environmental design at the University of California, Berkeley, simultaneously seeking out private art instruction. Artist Mercedese Bantz, an island favorite, has taught and influenced Tacquard. "My paintings tend to focus on the play of shadow, color and light, especially the patterns of light and the colors reflected in water. I often think that shadows and light play can communicate as much as or more than the object itself."
A resident of St. John since 2001, Tacquard regularly competes for acknowledgment outside the islands. Among the juried exhibitions in which she has competed are the Coconut Grove Art Festival, Coconut Grove, Florida; Att Colony @ the LA Mart, Los Angeles; the Affaire in the Garden Art Show, Beverly Hills, California; as well as the Washington Square Art Exhibit, New York, NY.
She shows her work in Bajo el Sol on St. John and Mango Tango on St. Thomas. Her paintings have been part of the St. Thomas Synagogue Auction throughout the years.
Mango Tango has begun working with recycled wood for some of the furniture and accessories sold in the gallery. The recycled products include show furniture and accessories made from retired boats of Tanzania. The gallery presents the blown glass, cast glass and flame-worked glass creations of Maho Glass Studio. The recycled glass works showcase both art and functionality.
"Duprey is classically trained and embraces the culture of the West Indies. Her works in acrylic on canvas express cultural identity by conveying shared community values and aesthetics. Tacquard has always been drawn to the water. She credits a getaway to Anegada as the inspiration for her stellar oil on canvas paintings in this show," said gallery co-owner Jane Coombes.
For more information call 715-2789.