DALLAS, Pa. — Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s Friedman Art Gallery is hosting a new solo exhibition by artist Terri Yacovelli, entitled "Fused: Works in Encaustic Wax." The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, will feature a variety of Yacovelli’s artworks and will run from Sunday, Aug. 24, to Thursday, Nov. 20. The Friedman Art Gallery is located on the lower level inside the campus’ Nesbitt Academic Commons building.
The exhibit’s grand opening coincides with the Arts at Hayfield organization’s 39th Annual Summer Arts Festival, which will be held across Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s campus on Sunday, Aug. 24, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., rain or shine. From 1 to 2 p.m. that day, Yacovelli will host an encaustic art demonstration outside the Nesbitt Academic Commons.
The festival itself features more than 100 artisans, performers, crafters and food vendors. A suggested donation of $3 is requested by Arts at Hayfield for adults to attend the festival. Following this event, Yacovelli’s artworks will be viewable to the public during the gallery’s typical hours, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Yacovelli earned a master of liberal arts degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland, and a bachelor of science in art education from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. She is a former studio art teacher and adjunct professor of art at York College of Pennsylvania.
Encaustic is derived from "enkaustikos," a Greek word meaning "to burn in." Used as early as the 1st-century B.C. by Greek painters, it is one of the oldest and most enduring of all artistic media. This ancient technique combines heated resin, beeswax and pigment applied in layers onto any porous surface. Each layer must be fused to the previous layer, creating texture and luminosity.
As a versatile art medium, encaustic is part of a revival in contemporary 21st-century art. Yacovelli’s work examines themes of nature and spirituality through encaustic paintings created with vivid color, dramatic texture and luminosity.
“My creative process reflects the concept that painting with encaustic means accepting and allowing the materials to lead the way,” Yacovelli said. “Hot wax often has a will of its own, forcing me to abandon preconceived notions and give in to the medium and moment. The result of this practice is a delicate balance between the elements of my deliberate artistic choices, intuition and the physical properties of the paint.”
For more information about this and other upcoming exhibits, email FriedmanArtGallery@psu.edu or call 570-675-9159. Those interested in learning more about Yacovelli are invited to view her website.
With the opening of the Abram Nesbitt Academic Commons in 2008, Sidney and Pauline Friedman gifted Penn State Wilkes-Barre with the Friedman Art Gallery. This art gallery space regularly displays the works of students, local artists and private art collections. The Penn State Wilkes-Barre Friedman Art Gallery strives to promote, encourage and exhibit artworks of professional and amateur artists from the Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus and surrounding communities.