Gallery W at American Greetings Gives Historic Color to Community with Latest Art and Fashion Exhibit

CLEVELAND, OH --(Marketwired - January 09, 2017) - Gallery W, the public art gallery located on the ground floor of the American Greetings Creative Studios world headquarters, may be new to the Cleveland art scene -- but that's not stopping the intimate Crocker Park venue from embracing the past in its latest exhibition. The gallery's third show, "A Curve of Color: Art and Fashion of Samuel Butnik and Bonnie Cashin," is a collaboration between the esteemed nonprofit organizations the Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) and the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve (AAWR). The show will be on display from Thursday, January 5 through Thursday, February 23, and the public is invited to the opening reception from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, January 12.

The combination of work from Samuel Butnik (1920-2004) and Bonnie Cashin (1908-2000) offers a fascinating study of color. A celebrated painter and Cleveland-native, Butnik is known for his abstract geometric paintings, many of which were inspired by landscapes he experienced as he traveled and lived around the world. The upcoming exhibit boldly stages Butnik's interaction of color alongside Cashin's richly-hued garments. Cashin is best-known for her work with the Coach handbag company, but historians also credit her with the modern concept of layering clothing.

The WRHS is Cleveland's oldest existing cultural institution and displays Cashin's work at their Cleveland History Center. Founded in 1867, the WRHS has a mission to inspire people to discover the American experience by exploring the tangible history of Northeast Ohio and boasts a costume and textile collection of more than 40,000 items as part of their efforts to preserve stories of politics, technology, culture and everyday life.

"Working with the team at Gallery W is energizing!" said Patty Edmonson, Museum Advisory Council Curator of Costume and Textiles for the WHRS. "The Gallery W space is gorgeous and highlights these vibrant garments in a way that feels very different from our historical spaces at the WRHS. The gallery also offers a wonderful opportunity to showcase work that might normally stay in storage and to connect with audiences on the west side that we might not otherwise reach."

The AAWR is a unique archival facility and regional museum that preserves representative bodies of work created by Ohio visual artists and, through ongoing research, exhibition and educational programs, actively documents and promotes this cultural heritage for the benefit of the public. The paintings on view in "A Curve of Color" -- part of a collection of more than 200 of Butnik's paintings, drawings and prints -- are from the collection of the AAWR.

"I am very pleased to have been asked by American Greetings to present work from the Archives in their beautiful new Gallery W," said Mindy Tousley, Executive Director of the AAWR. "Working with the WRHS and Gallery W teams was a pleasure, and I'm very happy with the way the exhibition has turned out. I feel that Butnik is an artist whose time has come again and his paintings have much to offer a new generation of young artists and art enthusiasts."

Please visit the Gallery W website for the hours the gallery is open, information about upcoming shows and more. For more art, inspiration and peeks behind the scenes, you can also follow Gallery W on Instagram.

For more information on American Greetings, visit www.corporate.americangreetings.com. You can also follow American Greetings on Twitter, Facebook, American Greetings blog, YouTube, Pinterest, Google+ and Instagram.

About American Greetings

As a leader in meaningful connections, American Greetings is a creator and manufacturer of innovative social expression products that assist consumers in making the world a more thoughtful and caring place. Founded in 1906, the Company's major greeting card lines are American Greetings, Carlton Cards, Gibson, Recycled Paper Greetings and Papyrus, and other paper product offerings include DesignWare party goods and American Greetings and Plus Mark gift-wrap and boxed cards. American Greetings also has one of the largest collections of greetings on the Web, including greeting cards available at Cardstore.com and electronic greeting cards available at AmericanGreetings.com. In addition to its product lines, American Greetings also creates and licenses popular character brands through the American Greetings Entertainment group. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings generates annual revenue of approximately $1.9 billion, and its products can be found in retail outlets worldwide. For more information on the Company, visit www.corporate.americangreetings.com.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Megan Baucco
Megan.baucco@amgreetings.com
440-343-4254