Artists at the Upstairs Gallery

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April/May Featured Artists:

Chris Kostyo, Darrell George and
Arianne Schnalzer

Chris Kosztyo

Chris Kosztyo was born and raised in Princeton NJ, immersing himself in nature and arts almost immediately. Moravian College brought him to the Lehigh Valley in 1996, receiving his bachelor’s degree in studio art with a focus on painting. Throughout the 11 years that have followed since graduating in 2000, Chris engaged his painting and refined his craft while holding down a series of odd jobs, including graphic design and professional puppetry. While his initial focus was portraiture, primarily of strangers, his subject matter broadened to include city scapes and interior studies, often employing oil pastel with vibrant colors and warped perspectives. Chris' work now leans more toward the narrative and lyrical, building on his strong foundation of visual understanding, but veering further and further from the stifling systems of reality.

Darrell George

Darrell George is a native to Long Branch, NJ and was living in and out of New Jersey since 1998 when he graduated from the University of Delaware. As an art student and a football player on an athletic scholarship, Darrell was hardly stereotypical; he would eventually change his major to keep his scholarship, but was confident that he would continue to paint on his own.

As Darrell’s athletic career ended he was anxious to continue his life as a painter. He immediately found satisfaction being surrounded by art while working as an assistant to James Yarosh of James Yarosh associates Fine Art Gallery in New Jersey.  Attracted to the Russian style of non conformist artwork in the gallery Darrell enrolled at the Bridgeview School of Fine arts in New York.  Darrell credits his growth as a painter to his academic study with Russian artist Anna Rochegova.  From Anna, Darrell learned many of the techniques, philosophies, and rigorous training habits of the Surikov Institute in Moscow, but credits his travels and time in athletics as the inspiration to his subject matter and palette.

Today Darrell lives and paints in the Lehigh valley. Visit Darrell’s online gallery at www.unstopgallery.com or in person at the banana factory, 25 west 3rd street in Bethlehem studio 242.

Arianne Schnalzer

Arianne Schnalzer is currently an artist in residence at the Banana Factory in Bethlehem, PA. She received her BFA in Fine Arts, Studio Painting at Kutztown University in 2008. She is completing her degree in Art Education currently at KU. Arianne aims to extend the world of fine arts beyond teaching fundamental technique, to develop serious thinking dispositions as life skills within her students and herself. She believes the process of art making allows us to slow down and observe beyond the ordinary, to reflect and think on a metacognitive level.

She explains, "The pendulum of time swings. The speed of Western culture accumulates into a need for a downshift, a slower movement. To focus on what is essential in life, to make considerate connections. Painting allows me to slow down, to become aware of the natural rhythm of our world. The medium follows a path first laid by tradition, and then altered through time. Thus it acts as a visual measurement of time and place, as I work layer by layer. It allows for a connection between maker and viewer, of form and texture, of the significance of symbol and the materials in our daily lives."

Please keep in touch with Arianne on her website www.arianneschnalzer.com