Visions of Tranquility Exhibition at Widener University Art Gallery

Zucker's Evening Sea and Clouds

Two area artists’ personal visions of tranquility will highlight the November and December calendar at the Widener University Art Gallery. The exhibition will run from November 7 through December 15.

Goldberg's Permafrost

The paintings of Richard E. Goldberg and Barbara J. Zucker comprise the 2 Visions of Tranquility exhibition. The more than 40 paintings in the exhibition, mostly oil or acrylic on canvas, espouse each artist’s interpretation of tranquility—from Zucker’s vision of the Sohoodic Peninsula of Maine’s Acadia National Park to Goldberg’s images of quiet, spiritual moments that contain elements of the surreal.

Goldberg, a resident of Huntington Valley, Pa., is a retired vitreoretinal surgeon and self-taught artist. His use of color, light, atmosphere, intrigue and minimalism evoke an emotional response, drawing the viewer into the painting. Pared composition and chromatic unity add to the feeling of peace, calm, reflection and harmony in his work.

“Art provides a unique opportunity for artists and viewers to open themselves to each other and even something larger than themselves,” Goldberg said.

The subject matter of Zucker’s works focuses on some of her favorite Maine locations, including the Sohoodic peninsula, a blueberry field that turns brilliant scarlet in the autumn, and a small, salt water pond that is just a 15-minute walk from her summer home.

“While these paintings are about special places, they are equally studies in color, light, shape and other formal, abstract elements,” Zucker said. “The paintings have a contemporary feeling due to heightened color and simplified forms.”

On Saturday, November 10 at 1 p.m., the gallery will sponsor a special exhibition-related discussion titled “Chaos & Tranquility” in University Center Room C. The discussion will address the elements required for structural balance in both paintings and brains. Featured speakers include Neurosurgeon James Mills and Executive Director Esther Hofknecht Curtis of the Brain Injury Association of Delaware, and Tracey Landmann, Art Club program director and editor. The discussion will be followed by a reception with the artists in the Widener Art Gallery from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The gallery, which is free and open to the public, is open on Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The gallery will be closed Nov. 22-24 for the Thanksgiving holiday. The gallery is located on the Main Campus of Widener University in University Center on 14^th Street between Walnut Street and Melrose Avenue in Chester.