Johnson State, Vermont Studio Center to Host Retrospective of Work by the Late Anci Slovak

May 21, 2012

Johnson State College and the Vermont Studio Center will concurrently host a retrospective of work by the late artist Anci Slovak May 21-June 8, 2012. An opening reception will celebrate her work, including her vibrant use of color and courageous life drawings at both locations Saturday, May 26, from 4 to 7 p.m. The reception will start at the Julian Scott Gallery at JSC’s Dibden Center for the Arts and finish to Gallery #2 of the Vermont Studio Center.

Slovak, 65, died in November 2011 after a year-long battle with lung cancer. She planned to show this body of work at Johnson State College during a period when her cancer was in remission.

Slovak painted in her home studio in Woodbury and was the co-founder of Signal Advertising in Montpelier. Slovak speaks the language of color and form in her figures in charcoal, flower compositions, and collages.

Hans Hofmann was an early and persistent influence on Slovak’s painting, as was James Gahagan. Under Gahagan’s mentorship, she received an MFA in painting in 1977 from Goddard College. Anci grew up on Long Island, N.Y., and was a graduate of The Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where she received her BFA in painting and art education in 1969.

In Vermont, Slovak taught nearly every type of art student – from kindergarten to elementary and high school, and then to college students at Goddard, Vermont College and Norwich University.

The paintings in this exhibit provide insight to her joy and dedication to art in practice. Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice was Anci’s favorite cause and one to which she devoted much time as a board member. Those wishing to make a donation in Anci’s name can donate online athttp://bit.ly/HVhZBR.