‘Depths and Edges: Berenice D’Vorzon’ Exhibition at Hope Horn Gallery

         From Sept. 6 though Oct. 11, the Hope Horn Gallery at The University of Scranton will present the exhibition “Depths and Edges: Berenice D’Vorzon,” showcasing selected paintings and watercolors produced by the artist over the past fifty years.  A native and lifelong resident of New York City, D’Vorzon has worked from studios in Soho and East Hampton for nearly six decades. She also lived and taught in northeastern Pennsylvania between 1968 and 1988.

         Attracted at an early age to the wetlands of Pelham Bay near her childhood home in the Bronx, N.Y., D’Vorzon recognized deep connections between nature and art. As a young painter working in the 1950s, she adopted many gestural and expressive techniques used at the time by the Abstract Expressionists. From early views of city harbors, the artist moved on to develop series based on light shafts, coast lines, and deep swamps. Addressing elements of birth and renewal in nature, these works expressed D’Vorzon’s strong interest in ecology and feminism. In addition, the artist traveled widely, finding sources of inspiration in the landscapes and cultures of China and Bali.

         Darlene Miller-Lanning, Ph.D., director of the Hope Horn Gallery and a former student of D’Vorzon, notes that the “Depths and Edges” exhibition, organized as the artist was closing her long-time studio, highlights a selection of works produced across a long and productive career.

         “As an art historian, it’s a chance you don’t get very often,” Dr. Miller-Lanning said. “The studio contents are all together. Rarely does one have the opportunity to research an artist and her work using a collection of materials that spans fifty years.”

         Dr. Miller-Lanning will present the lecture “Where Elements Meet: The Life and Work of Berenice D’Vorzon,” on Friday, Sept. 6, at 5 p.m. in the Pearn Auditorium of Brennan Hall. The opening reception for the exhibit will follow immediately after in the Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall.  The lecture and reception are open to the public, free of charge.

         Gallery hours are Sunday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. and Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. For additional information, call 570-941-4214.

08-23-13