(Aug. 10, 2017) Berlin resident Dana Helmuth hopes to provide a home for overlooked and otherwise under-the-radar artists when he opens the doors of his new gallery, Clearlight Studio, for the first time tomorrow, Friday, during the monthly 2nd Friday art stroll in Berlin.
The space, on 16 South Main Street next to the Berlin Visitor’s Center, was formerly home to the Brooklyn Baking Barons.
Helmuth, a painter and illustrator, earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore in 1993. He has worked and traveled extensively in the United States and abroad during the last two decades.
His work has been published in more than 100 art magazines and he has displayed art in solo and group shows in Baltimore, New York City, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Tokyo and Kathmandu.
He also has 20 years of experience as a tattoo artist, working primarily in Baltimore and Manhattan.
“Clearlight Studio is my private painting studio as well as the divided front half of the space being the gallery,” he said. “The aim of the gallery is to bring contemporary art to the area of many different backgrounds and directions.”
He said the gallery follows the trend of “pop up” galleries that are popular now in New York City. The first show, opening Friday, is called “Art for Arts Sake.”
“It features artists from all over the world, from fine art, urban street art, lowbrow art, folk art, tattoo art, and photography backgrounds,” Helmuth said. “There will be original work as well as some prints from international artists, and local artists including myself, Patrick Henry, Patti Backer [and] Matthew Amey.”
He said Clearlight would regularly host solo and group exhibitions and opening receptions “to try and bring the community together to see art.”
“My goal is to bring other types of artwork to an area I feel is somewhat of a cultural void in that respect,” he said. “There is no outlet for local young people who don’t paint landscapes or still life work or Eastern Shore themes to display their work as artists.”
Helmuth said tattoo artists, in particular, have a hard time making ends meet in the area.
“Tattooing is illegal in Worcester County, but it is one of the most popular themes for television shows, clothing lines and people’s skin in general,” he said. “Some of the most talented tattoo artists in the country live in Worcester County, but are forced to travel outside the community to earn their living for their trade.
“It’s not a free-trade platform here – it is very limited and only taking away huge potential revenue into Worcester County or Berlin from traveling tattoo collectors into the area spending money in restaurants and bars and stores,” Helmuth added.
“It’s very hypocritical in a Republican platform to limit business potential in a safe way. However, hopefully I can successfully bring wall art from these outlawed artists to the area and display it with other contemporary art of all forms, like the rest of the art world is doing.”
The gallery will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, as well as open evenings in conjunction with town events, he said.
For more information, visit www.theclearlightstudio.com or www.facebook.com/clearlightstudio.
The space, on 16 South Main Street next to the Berlin Visitor’s Center, was formerly home to the Brooklyn Baking Barons.
Helmuth, a painter and illustrator, earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore in 1993. He has worked and traveled extensively in the United States and abroad during the last two decades.
His work has been published in more than 100 art magazines and he has displayed art in solo and group shows in Baltimore, New York City, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Tokyo and Kathmandu.
He also has 20 years of experience as a tattoo artist, working primarily in Baltimore and Manhattan.
“Clearlight Studio is my private painting studio as well as the divided front half of the space being the gallery,” he said. “The aim of the gallery is to bring contemporary art to the area of many different backgrounds and directions.”
He said the gallery follows the trend of “pop up” galleries that are popular now in New York City. The first show, opening Friday, is called “Art for Arts Sake.”
“It features artists from all over the world, from fine art, urban street art, lowbrow art, folk art, tattoo art, and photography backgrounds,” Helmuth said. “There will be original work as well as some prints from international artists, and local artists including myself, Patrick Henry, Patti Backer [and] Matthew Amey.”
He said Clearlight would regularly host solo and group exhibitions and opening receptions “to try and bring the community together to see art.”
“My goal is to bring other types of artwork to an area I feel is somewhat of a cultural void in that respect,” he said. “There is no outlet for local young people who don’t paint landscapes or still life work or Eastern Shore themes to display their work as artists.”
Helmuth said tattoo artists, in particular, have a hard time making ends meet in the area.
“Tattooing is illegal in Worcester County, but it is one of the most popular themes for television shows, clothing lines and people’s skin in general,” he said. “Some of the most talented tattoo artists in the country live in Worcester County, but are forced to travel outside the community to earn their living for their trade.
“It’s not a free-trade platform here – it is very limited and only taking away huge potential revenue into Worcester County or Berlin from traveling tattoo collectors into the area spending money in restaurants and bars and stores,” Helmuth added.
“It’s very hypocritical in a Republican platform to limit business potential in a safe way. However, hopefully I can successfully bring wall art from these outlawed artists to the area and display it with other contemporary art of all forms, like the rest of the art world is doing.”
The gallery will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, as well as open evenings in conjunction with town events, he said.
For more information, visit www.theclearlightstudio.com or www.facebook.com/clearlightstudio.