Artist in Residence Lea Feinstein from California to showcase her recent Paducah creations

Paducah Arts Alliance Artist in Residence returns to install her solo exhibition at Ruth Baggett Gallery

Paducah Arts Alliance (PAA) is pleased to announce that “No Dawdling,” recent works by California artist Lea Feinstein, will be on display at Ruth Baggett Gallery, 1025 Jefferson, fromJune 18 through July 31. The public is invited to the opening reception this Saturday, June 18, from 5-8 pm.

Feinstein works predominantly with Tyvek, a high-density polyethylene industrial material that resembles Japanese rice paper. She applies various processes to this material including painting, folding, dyeing, crimping, and crumpling to create malleable sculptures that resemble fashion, architecture, or Japanese-influenced decor.

The title, “No Dawding,” is a quote from John Cage, American avant-garde composer and artist. “It was my mantra in Paducah,” notes Feinstein. “Jump in. Don’t think too much. Don’t judge, just work. Accept what comes in the creative process, the gifts of accident. The wrong turns and dead ends. The side steps. Lots of side steps.”

Her “jump in” attitude is evident in the vigorous body of work Feinstein created in her temporary Paducah studio environment above MAKE workshop/gallery at 628 Broadway. (MAKE is also the building/canvas that Vlada Soshkina, another former PAA resident artist, used to create her popular outdoor mural.)

“My studio was a godsend–north light in a white space, with crumbling ceilings all around. It was the perfect place to render my own version of clarity in the midst of chaos,” notes Feinstein. “Paducah and the arts community were a goldmine for me. Warm and welcoming, deep into their own work…we had good art talks.”

Feinstein began her month-long residency in Paducah on May 1 and created through May 31. She is currently an independent critic for painting students at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She is also a contributing author for Art ltd., the premiere art magazine covering the contemporary art scene in Los Angeles and Daily Serving’s Art Practical, an international forum for visual arts. She has worked as a studio art professor at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, and both Trinity College and Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

“No Dawdling” is curated by Paul Lorenz of StudioMars. Lorenz and Feinstein will be installing the work this week at Ruth Baggett Studio. Deep and rich, “No Dawdling” is an unexpected installation/exhibit you don’t want to miss.

To arrange an interview, contact Rosemarie Steele or the artist directly via email at leafeinstein@earthlink.netor by calling 650.281.5669.