January 6th - 27th, 2017

The Strand Center for the Arts is excited to host Rose Hebert’s “Monsters in the Closet” exhibition in the Main Gallery in January, 2017.

 Rose Hebert is a contemporary folk artist best known for their paintings that drip with vibrant colors.  Raised in Plattsburgh, NY Rose is a self-taught artist currently working in Burlington VT. Rose works primarily in acrylics but dabbles in many different media. Their style is culminated from years exploring tattoo art, outsider art, punk music, and the general absurdity of life.

 About their work in this exhibit, Hebert states: “Although a preliminary sketch is made and transferred to the canvas, my work from this series is very reactionary and can best be equated to an orchestra creating a symphony. I draw the first draft onto the canvas and proceed to ‘chop up’ the drawing with my pencil to break down areas further to make them more complicated. From there I lay out a border around the core of the painting to set a mood for the overall theme and color palette of the piece. I then start with a single color choice that I want to be the strongest in the painting and build from there to drive the intensity of the piece to a crescendo that walks the line between overwhelming chaos and harmony. I like to think that I'm influenced by everyday life, trying to find beauty in ugliness, and artists such as Tom Wesselman, Misaki Kawai, Devin Troy Strothers, Joan Brown, Matisse, and Karl Appel.” 

 “I first met Rose at Ian Burcroff’s show here at the gallery and then I had the opportunity to stop by their studio and see their work. After that, I knew it would be awesome to feature it in our gallery,” stated gallery director, David Monette. “Rose has a fresh, energetic style, very intense, very brash, and we are very lucky to have their work in our gallery.”