A contemporary art exhibition, “Set in Stone,” will be on display at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum through Nov. 22. Blending still-life and landscape with inanimate figures, “Set in Stone” features 40 works from Cincinnati-based painter Michael Stillion.
“One of our goals as an arts institution is to highlight regional artists and showcase the world-class art that is being made in Southwest Ohio,” said Sean FitzGibbons, executive director at Pyramid Hill. “Working with Michael Stillion has been a great experience and we are really looking forward to this exhibition of new work by a nationally recognized, contemporary painter.”
There is impressive talent in Cincinnati, Hamilton, and in Butler County in general, he said.
“We have nationally, and internationally showing artists right here. So, it’s important for us to be a resource for them, and to showcase these artists,” FitzGibbons said.
This is the first time Stillion’s work has been on display at Pyramid Hill. As the final indoor exhibition of 2020, “Set in Stone” highlights Stillion’s practice over a four-year span. Bright colors and loose marks delineate his 2017 “Situation” paintings. While 2020′s “Set in Stone” series is monotone and tightly painted. His influences include early Italian renaissance paintings, and he also draws on current events and memories.
“When you see Michael’s work, it’s very much his own. You can see his inspiration and where he pulls from, painters like Francis Bacon and Philip Guston, and all the way to pop artists like Keith Haring. You see all of these touchstones within his work, but he has a really great way of employing his inspiration to create his own voice,” FitzGibbons said.
Due to Covid-19, the museum is only open on Sundays and Mondays from noon to 4 p.m. Additionally, guests can visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 4 p.m., but they must sign in at the visitor’s center prior to visiting at half-hour intervals.
“This is a great opportunity to see a local, mid-career artist, who is showing all over the country. I expect in the next couple of years, he is really going to be doing some great things in the international and national art world. This is an opportunity to celebrate somebody from our area, and see his work before it really takes off,” FitzGibbons said.
A closing reception for the exhibition will be held on Saturday, November 14th from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The reception is open to the public, and Stillion is expected to be at the event.
How to go
What: “Set in Stone” by Michael Stillion
Where: Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum, 1763 Hamilton-Cleves Road, Hamilton
When: The exhibition will be on display through Sunday, November 22. There will be a closing artist reception with Michael Stillion on Saturday, November 14 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., which is open to the public.
More info: Visit www.pyramidhill.org for more details as well as updates on extended museum hours as Pyramid Hill continues to re-open its indoor facilities.
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