Children’s book signing, public art mural celebration & dual exhibition highlight the creative couple’s community engagement
The Paducah Art’s Alliance’s (PAA) will showcase the works of March artists-in-residence
Vlada Soshkina and Dmitry Gomberg in a dual exhibition this Saturday, April 2, at StudioMars, 418 N. 7th Street, from 5-7 pm. Soshkina & Gomberg, originally from Ukraine and Russia, arrived in our UNESCO Creative City on March 7 from the
Southern Berkshires of Western Massachusetts with their son Lev and have been photographing and painting the town.
Artists participating in PAA’s residency program are required to engage with the community through exhibitions, workshops, public lectures and/or collaborative projects with local artists. As a public art outreach effort, Soshkina has worked her magic on the exterior of MAKE, a gift shop and DIY paint studio, on 7th Street between Kentucky and Broadway with a mural depicting her and husband Gomberg. This highly visible project was a creative collaboration between PAA, MAKE owner Kijsa Housman, and Steve Koonce of Painters Supply. MAKE will host a reception and book signing for the artist on Saturday at 628 Broadway from 10 am-noon. See MAKE Press Release for artist reception details.
About the Artists
Vlada Soshkina, who was born in the Ukraine, is a book illustrator with a Masters Degree in Fine Art. She is the co-founder of Red Wooden Flag, a multi-disciplinary studio that focuses on illustration and book design. Vlada recently returned from a visit to her home country to oversee the printing of “Soldier,” a beautiful children’s book featuring her illustrations. Dmitry Gomberg moved to New York in 2000 along with his parents and family members, who soon became citizens of the United States. After completing a course in photography at the International Center of Photography in New York, Dmitry traveled to the Republic of Georgia where he was introduced to the life of high mountain shepherds in Tusheti. This 5-year journey resulted in hundreds of photographs for a project known as The Shepherd Way, which earned him the distinction of being one of 50 photographers (representing 21 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa) named as LensCulture’s Emerging Talents in 2014.
In addition to Soshkina’s public art project, she will be showcasing her “Latest Works” in paintings at the artists reception/exhibit at StudioMars this Saturday. Gomberg, who recently exhibited his “The Shepherds Way” photos, will present “Paducah’s Little Details,” which features his portfolio of Paducah photos captured during his residency.
To set up artist interviews, contact Rosemarie Steele, 270.331.5588. Kijsa Housman, MAKE, can be reached at 270.331.2787.
