Regional YMCA’s ESCAPE to the Arts Opens Nature-Inspired Exhibit

Regional YMCA’s ESCAPE to the Arts Opens

Nature-Inspired Exhibit

The Regional YMCA of Western
Connecticut’s ESCAPE to the Arts opens a new exhibition Nature in Art, showcasing work by area artists Claudine Mussuto, Jerome Nevins and Dayna Wenzel. The show opens August 5 and runs through
September 13 in the Art Gallery at ESCAPE to the Arts, 293 Main Street, Danbury, CT. 
Nature in Art is the second of two exhibits at ESCAPE to the Arts that are part of the Accessible Art Project, a juried selection of artists, coordinated by the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut.

The Art Gallery at ESCAPE to the Arts is a professional gallery space devoted to exhibiting works by local, regional and emerging artists, while enhancing the arts and culture of downtown Danbury.

Claudine Mussuto of Stormville, NY will display mixed media works full of delicate collage elements and minute detail. The selection of work focuses on small life forms: insects, birds, fish, plants and the life forces that animate them. Mussuto understands ideas through color, text, and the repetitive exploration of certain forms, astrological and mythological signs and symbols, and geometric shapes and patterns. 

Dayna Wenzel of Danbury will also exhibit mixed media works. Wenzel utilizes Mother Nature’s discarded elements and mankind’s discarded ‘trash’ recycling and transforming both in her thought provoking artwork. Her colors are those found in forests and the sea. The rich beauty of nature and the contrast between its pure simplicity and deep complexity are a constant source of Wenzel’s inspiration.

Jerome Nevins of Redding will present a series of digital photographs. Included in the series are images from Topstone Pond in Redding, which once belonged to Edward Steichen. This is where Nevins often finds inspiration. He reworked the images of branches, rocks, and water into kaleidoscopic impressions that speak to that inspiration. Mirroring, copying, rotating, and layering the initial image allow simple beginnings to become quite complex.

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information call ESCAPE to the Arts at 203.794.1413 or visit www.regionalymca.org. 

The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut (formally the Housatonic Valley Cultural Alliance), based in Danbury, Connecticut is a leader in supporting a vibrant arts and culture community in Northern Fairfield and Southern Litchfield Counties. We promote and advocate for arts, history, and culture as a primary driver of the economy and as an enriching influence for communities and people. We understand and believe that the arts sector is a critical engine for growth through creativity, innovation and collaboration. The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut, a 501c-3, is the largest and only regional service organization working to ensure better access to arts and culture for all residents and visitors in the Housatonic Valley region. We are supported by public funding, corporate and private contributions, and by our members. www.artswesternct.org.

The Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut is a Charitable, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) community service organization dedicated to building strong kids, strong families, and strong communities through the development of spirit, mind, and body.  

The Regional YMCA strives to serve all. It operates two full service


facilities in Danbury and Brookfield, and 3 program sites by providing a wide variety of programs and services to the residents in the 22 towns in Greater Danbury and Eastern Putnam County, NY:          

- Quality
all-day, pre and after-school childcare.        
- Summer day camps at 4 locations.        
- Wellness and aquatic programs for youth, teens and adults.        
- Youth leadership programming as well as painting, drama, dance, sculpture, pottery, computer graphics, photography and more at The Center for the Arts and Humanities, home to ESCAPE to the Arts, Danbury.