{"id":551,"date":"2009-01-31T12:15:00","date_gmt":"2009-01-31T12:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.johnokeefe.net\/blog\/?p=551"},"modified":"2023-02-14T17:09:44","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T17:09:44","slug":"2009-group-exhibition-by-cate-charles-gallery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.johnokeefe.net\/blog\/2009\/01\/31\/2009-group-exhibition-by-cate-charles-gallery\/","title":{"rendered":"Group Exhibition by Cate Charles Gallery (2009)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"Cate
Cate Charles Gallery<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

My first private gallery show was a Group Exhibition by Cate Charles Gallery in Stonington, Connecticut. In late 2008 I contacted the owner, Kimberly Charles, about showing my paintings in her Gallery. She had me bring down my collection for a short meeting and interview. She liked my work and said she would be pleased to include me in one of her upcoming group exhibits.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Cate
Cate Charles Gallery<\/strong>
(Closeup view through gallery window)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Group Exhibition – Opening Reception (12-5-2008)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kimberly related the positive feedback she has received about my work from other artists and visitors at the Gallery. She expressed that “good things are heading [my] way”<\/em> and that “[my] work is unique and carries a lot of emotion and feeling.”<\/em> Very encouraging words!<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Cate
Kimberly Charles and John O’Keefe Jr.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Kimberly Charles scheduled the opening reception to coincide with a popular Stonington event, First Fridays. First Fridays is an event started by the local shops running along the main street in town. On the First Friday of each month, the shops remain open late into the evening. On this night, December 5th, 2008, so many people attended that it was difficult to walk around at times. There was a constant stream of people visiting the Gallery to view the exhibit.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"\/
“Old Olive Tree Path”<\/em> by John O’Keefe Jr.<\/a><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
\n
\"Cate
Jennifer and John O’Keefe Jr.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
\n
\"Cate
Joshua, John O’Keefe Jr., and Danielle<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
\n
\"Cate
Opening Reception<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

First Fridays in Stonington, Connecticut – Walking the Town<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First Fridays is an event that is supported by most of the local Stonington businesses on the First Friday of each month. All participating shops remain open late into the evening, and as you can see in the below pictures, they draw quite a crowd. At one point we estimated about a thousand people were walking the streets and the police had to restrict vehicle traffic because of the large groups.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"First<\/figure><\/div>\n\n
\n
\"First<\/figure><\/div>\n\n
\n
\"First<\/figure><\/div>\n\n
\n
\"First<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

First Fridays in Stonington, Connecticut – Artist Russ Kramer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My family took some time to walk through town and visit a few shops participating in First Fridays. We found a narrow alley with a sign indicating that more shops were at the other end.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"First<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

When we came to the end of the alley, we found the gallery and studio of Russ Kramer<\/strong>. WOW!!! Russ paints incredible maritime scenes. We talked about our transitions from secular work to full-time painting – Russ made the transition in 2002, and I more recently in 2007. We discussed offering high-quality reproductions, and I was encouraged about my efforts in this area after hearing Russ relate some of his experiences with the proofing process and working closely with a reproduction supplier. It was lovely meeting such an accomplished artist.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"First
John O’Keefe Jr. and Russ Kramer<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Russ Kramer is one of the leading maritime artists of our time.
(Behind Russ and I, to the left is one of Russ’s recent paintings)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about Russ Kramer at:\u00a0www.russkramer.com<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Update – Sold ‘River Through the Adirondacks’<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I am pleased to announce that I sold my first larger painting, ‘River Through the Adirondacks.’ <\/em>While I was sad to see it go, I was thrilled to have one of my larger pieces hanging in someone’s home. This Group Exhibition by Cate Charles Gallery was another great experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My first private gallery show was a Group Exhibition by Cate Charles Gallery in Stonington, Connecticut. In late 2008 I contacted the owner, Kimberly Charles, about showing my paintings in her Gallery. She had me bring down my collection for … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15],"tags":[136,139,138,86,135,137],"yoast_head":"\nGroup Exhibition by Cate Charles Gallery (2009)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"My first private gallery show was a Group Exhibition by Cate Charles Gallery in Stonington, Connecticut, and owned by Kimberly Charles.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.johnokeefe.net\/blog\/2009\/01\/31\/2009-group-exhibition-by-cate-charles-gallery\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Group Exhibition by Cate Charles Gallery (2009)\" \/>\n<meta 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While I am comfortable working in most mediums, I specialize in landscape oil painting, similar to the famous Hudson River School and Victorian-era artists. ART IN MY EARLY LIFE Like every other artist, I have loved viewing and creating art for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I always drew with pencils, colored pencils, watercolors, and just about every medium I could get my hands on. I received formal art training during my primary school years. When attending elementary school, I received specialized training at the Paier College of Art in New Haven, Connecticut. The first formal recognition of my artistic ability happened in elementary school when I won an award, placing me in the top five of a statewide student art competition. During my middle school years, I was invited to attend college-level art classes one day a week at the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Also, during this time, I studied watercolor painting with Connecticut artist Kathy Singer. However, my most beloved art teacher was my Aunt Ann Fucich, who instilled in me a love of art when I was a small child. John O'Keefe posing with a drawing outside of the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, New York, when he was seven years old Outside the Museum of Natural History (NYC) at 7 Years Old. (My Aunt Ann Fucich took pictures) My love for art led me to seek a career in mechanical drafting. As new technologies emerged, I advanced to more sophisticated 3D CAD modeling systems, new product development, and, eventually, project management. Throughout the years, I completed many university courses and job-specific training to advance my mechanical design\/engineering career. Even though my work was very technical, an artistic element was involved in designing new products and the associated documentation processes. My love for creating art did not stop at drawing and painting. As a teenager, I started pursuing musical skills. My first love is the guitar, and I ran a small recording studio out of my home for a time while also playing guitar in a few bands. The computer soon became another outlet for creating art. With my computer skills and 3D modeling experience, I began to develop a sophisticated DC-9-41 add-on cockpit package for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The project focused on the Scandinavian Airline Service (SAS) DC-9 airplane OY-KGR. There was extensive programming and many computer-generated renderings and image files assembled in real-time when the game was running, giving the person playing the experience of sitting in a real DC-9 cockpit. A RENEWED LOVE OF ART In 2007 my wife, Jennifer, rekindled my zeal for drawing and painting. Her encouragement and support motivated me to create O'Keefe Arts and take up oil painting as a professional artist. Jennifer also enjoys creating art, and we are working together to promote the business and my paintings because of our shared love of art. I sell original works, accept commission work to create custom landscape paintings, and offer a variety of high-quality pigment prints, i.e., Giclee, reproductions of my artwork. (Websites: www.okeefe-arts.com and www.johnokeefe.net) John and Jennifer O'Keefe outside of the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, New York, when he was thirty-seven years old Outside the Museum of Natural History (NYC) at 37 Years Old. My paintings have been well received in the art community, allowing my works to be displayed in prestigious exhibitions and art shows. In my home state of Connecticut, the Lyme Art Gallery, Mystic Arts Center, Cate Charles Gallery, and the Mill House Gallery have exhibited my artwork. My paintings have won awards, and I have been a featured artist in a group exhibition at the Lyme Art Association's \\\"17th Annual Associate Artists Exhibit\\\". In April of 2009, I was elected onto the board of directors of the Cheshire Art League in Cheshire, Connecticut, and I created and managed the league's website until the fall of 2011. Organizations that I belong to are Oil Painters of America, Lyme Art Association, The Salmagundi Club of New York City, Mystic Arts Association, Cheshire Art League (until 2011), and Landscape Artists International. In 2012, Jennifer and I created Painting Frames Plus, where people can purchase high-quality reproduction painting frames. 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While I am comfortable working in most mediums, I specialize in landscape oil painting, similar to the famous Hudson River School and Victorian-era artists. ART IN MY EARLY LIFE Like every other artist, I have loved viewing and creating art for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I always drew with pencils, colored pencils, watercolors, and just about every medium I could get my hands on. I received formal art training during my primary school years. When attending elementary school, I received specialized training at the Paier College of Art in New Haven, Connecticut. The first formal recognition of my artistic ability happened in elementary school when I won an award, placing me in the top five of a statewide student art competition. During my middle school years, I was invited to attend college-level art classes one day a week at the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Also, during this time, I studied watercolor painting with Connecticut artist Kathy Singer. However, my most beloved art teacher was my Aunt Ann Fucich, who instilled in me a love of art when I was a small child. John O'Keefe posing with a drawing outside of the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, New York, when he was seven years old Outside the Museum of Natural History (NYC) at 7 Years Old. (My Aunt Ann Fucich took pictures) My love for art led me to seek a career in mechanical drafting. As new technologies emerged, I advanced to more sophisticated 3D CAD modeling systems, new product development, and, eventually, project management. Throughout the years, I completed many university courses and job-specific training to advance my mechanical design\/engineering career. Even though my work was very technical, an artistic element was involved in designing new products and the associated documentation processes. My love for creating art did not stop at drawing and painting. As a teenager, I started pursuing musical skills. My first love is the guitar, and I ran a small recording studio out of my home for a time while also playing guitar in a few bands. The computer soon became another outlet for creating art. With my computer skills and 3D modeling experience, I began to develop a sophisticated DC-9-41 add-on cockpit package for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The project focused on the Scandinavian Airline Service (SAS) DC-9 airplane OY-KGR. There was extensive programming and many computer-generated renderings and image files assembled in real-time when the game was running, giving the person playing the experience of sitting in a real DC-9 cockpit. A RENEWED LOVE OF ART In 2007 my wife, Jennifer, rekindled my zeal for drawing and painting. Her encouragement and support motivated me to create O'Keefe Arts and take up oil painting as a professional artist. Jennifer also enjoys creating art, and we are working together to promote the business and my paintings because of our shared love of art. I sell original works, accept commission work to create custom landscape paintings, and offer a variety of high-quality pigment prints, i.e., Giclee, reproductions of my artwork. (Websites: www.okeefe-arts.com and www.johnokeefe.net) John and Jennifer O'Keefe outside of the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, New York, when he was thirty-seven years old Outside the Museum of Natural History (NYC) at 37 Years Old. My paintings have been well received in the art community, allowing my works to be displayed in prestigious exhibitions and art shows. In my home state of Connecticut, the Lyme Art Gallery, Mystic Arts Center, Cate Charles Gallery, and the Mill House Gallery have exhibited my artwork. My paintings have won awards, and I have been a featured artist in a group exhibition at the Lyme Art Association's \"17th Annual Associate Artists Exhibit\". In April of 2009, I was elected onto the board of directors of the Cheshire Art League in Cheshire, Connecticut, and I created and managed the league's website until the fall of 2011. Organizations that I belong to are Oil Painters of America, Lyme Art Association, The Salmagundi Club of New York City, Mystic Arts Association, Cheshire Art League (until 2011), and Landscape Artists International. In 2012, Jennifer and I created Painting Frames Plus, where people can purchase high-quality reproduction painting frames. 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