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New Gallery Space Launched at Civista Medical Center!

CCAA Exhibits:

Charles County Commissioners' Gallery

Charles County Commissioners' Showcases

Civista Medical Center Gallery

Richard Clark Senior Center Gallery

United Way Meeting Room Gallery

Other Galleries in Charles County:

Mattawoman Creek Art Center

Tony Hungerford Memorial Gallery

County Commissioners' Gallery
(200 Baltimore St., La Plata, MD)
Monday - Friday (9:00 am - 4:00 pm)

Mary Sokol lives on a farm of rolling hills and woodland near the headwaters of the Wicomico River where she can paint the sunsets and wildlife scenes encountered there.  She believes art should demonstrate beauty.  "In modern day life mankind sometimes needs a slowing of the pace and time for reflection. Art should allow you to feel beauty and peacefulness," she writes.  

Mary's art has a wide range of inspirations from the non-objective glow of life's basic force to the objective work she does, inspired from nature and animals. The glow she paints often comes through in her paintings on metal, in which the metal is a light source, not covered by paint, creating highlights in many of her paintings. The metal surface also comes through the paint to create a shimmer in those paintings.  She feels a need to have bright light in many of her paintings which relates to how light connects with immortality and the cycle of birth and death.  She explains, "A burst of light is seen when a baby first opens its eyes to view the world and a brilliant light is seen in a tunnel as we die.  Light travels throughout the universe and is what we see as color and as art itself."  

Mary often uses the majesty of horses as symbols in her art.  Horses in her paintings represent themes such as maternal love, the obtaining of equality for women, freedom, or the creation of the universe.  She also likes creating paintings of horses as objects of beauty, and especially enjoys doing commissions involving horses and pets.  Scenes and people from other countries that she has visited also enter into Mary's art.  These paintings show the diversity of human culture and the beauty of the world.

 "When I paint," explains Mary, "time has no meaning and hours become minutes.  Painting comes from your emotions and must show what you are thinking or dreaming.  That is the unique thing about art - each artist puts something of herself in each of her works."

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Richard Clark Senior Center Gallery
(1210 Charles St., La Plata, MD)
Monday - Friday (9:00 am - 4:00 pm)

Susan Boarman uses black and white in many of her pencil drawings to create a sense of the past. In other drawings she prefers rich natural colors to capture the beauty of today's Southern Maryland landscape or the sun reflecting through clouds over the Potomac River.

Susan's self taught style draws attention to itself. A casual glance often becomes a nose-to-glass scrutiny, as the viewer is drawn in by the intricate details. Trees are drawn leaf by leaf; barn doors show nails and rust stains; birds have individual feathers. One picture has turkey tracks in the dust and a horseshoe is nailed by the door. In another, a deer hides among the vines growing over an old home place.

Susan's drawings are of real places in Southern Maryland.  Most are visible along the back roads. Anyone who's been to the Popes Creek Crab Houses will recognize the view in "Potomac River Bridge and Boats."

Susan Boarman, a lifelong resident of Charles County, works as a Navy Comptroller at Dahlgren, VA. She and her husband Bobby have three children.

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CCAA Gallery at the United Way 
(10250 La Plata Road, La Plata, MD)
Monday - Friday (9:00 am - 4:00 pm)

Kelli Pennington's photography is on display in the United Way Gallery. 

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Civista Medical Center Gallery
(200 Baltimore St., La Plata, MD)
Monday - Friday (9:00 am - 4:00 pm)

Sudha Reddy loved to draw and paint from the earliest age. Inspired by her mother, she learned many different art forms throughout her childhood. Although she has always painted in several mediums, Sudha loves to paint mostly in oils. Recently she has been painting on a variety of surfaces, including metals and wood.

“I reach my canvas when I see beautiful surroundings, beautiful photographs or great paintings,” writes Sudha. “I never completely stopped drawing or painting. It is a meditation and also a technique of communication with the world and with my inner-self.”

Sudha has participated in many solo shows and many juried shows, winning several awards. One of her paintings was chosen and now appears in the newly released brochure of the Mattawoman Creek Art Center. Sudha lives in Charles County with her husband Dr. Soma N. Reddy who encourages and supports art. 

In reflecting about art, Sudha says, “There is an artist in everybody. Everybody has some type of creativity, which is natural order of life and energy. The big art is our life and nature around us. Painting is an expression of my feelings and it gives me happiness, and I want to share it with others. Art has a great power on us, it heals, it calms, and it mesmerizes many.”

To learn more about Sudha, or to purchase any of her work, please contact the Charles County Arts Alliance at 301-392-5900.

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On Tuesday, February 26, 2008, after months of planning and discussions, the dream of a local art gallery space in the Civista Medical Center became a reality, thanks in large part to Chris Stefanides (President and CEO of Civista), Diane Rausch (President of CCAA), Mary Agnes Swann (President of MCAC), Dr. Soma Reddy (physician), Sudha Reddy (artist), Barbara Stepura (Civista Board of Directors and artist), and worker bees Donna Gray (Civista), Anne Machetto (MCAC), Susan Burch and Therese Thiedeman (both CCAA), and members of the Engineering staff at Civista.

Chris Stefanides, Civista CEO:  "I am very excited that Civista is able to provide display space for area artists.  In addition to promoting artists in our community, this partnership helps to further my goal of enhancing the patient/family environment at the hospital by providing another dimension of the healing environment through art.  We are thrilled with our partners in offering this collaborative effort."

The gallery space is located in the new section of the hospital.  Immediately upon entering through the new entrance, visitors see the information desk before them with a spacious lobby, gift shop and snack bar to the right.  The gallery space is also within view, between the Information Desk and snack bar/gift shop.  This new initiative is starting small with a single wall of space, but allows for expansion as artist and public interest dictate. 

Mary Agnes Swann, MCAC President:  "One of our goals is to bring quality art to the community.  We feel this partnership allows us to do just that.  We are very excited about this wonderful new venue."

The Charles County Arts Alliance (CCAA), the arts council of the county, sincerely appreciates ALL the organizations that host gallery space for local artists within Charles County . 

Diane Rausch, CCAA President:   "The mission of the CCAA is to promote ALL the arts in Charles County – visual art, music, drama, dance and literature - and we are just delighted to be partnering with Mattawoman Creek Art Center and Civista to present this beautiful and professional gallery space that spotlights our very talented Charles County visual artists."

This new gallery space is the first one with accessibility to the public around-the-clock.  It is our hope that this additional venue will assist local artists in receiving the exposure they deserve.  We also hope local citizens and businesses will take the opportunity to visit the various gallery spaces throughout Charles County and consider purchasing local artwork for their homes or places of business.  There is an abundance of talent in our county!

Artists interested in exhibiting their work in this new Civista Gallery should contact the CCAA at 301-392-5900.  CCAA staff will work with MCAC staff in coordinating a schedule of exhibits at two month intervals.  Visitors to the gallery can read the current artist's biography (hanging beside the exhibit) and receive contact information for the CCAA and/or MCAC at the Information Desk.