CAA Exhibit and Sale Highlight the Human Figure
COOPERSTOWN—”Side by Side: The Figure Explored,” which opens with a reception on Friday, June 13 at the Cooperstown Art Association, will feature a sale of figurative artwork by Raymond Han, through the Raymond Han and Paul Kellogg Foundation, and a display of artwork from “Figure This!”, CAA’s weekly community figure drawing sessions.
The exhibit will be on display from Saturday, June 14 through Saturday, June 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day in the CAA ballroom gallery. Friday’s opening reception will be held from 5-7 p.m.; sales of Han’s artwork will not begin until June 14 at 11 a.m.
“CAA patrons may remember our recent sales of Raymond Han’s artwork, 2022 and 2023, designed to benefit the Raymond Han and Paul Kellogg Foundation and CAA,” officials said in a press release. “This sale of work gives patrons the opportunity to purchase Raymond Han’s paintings as a thank you to the community he loved so much, and will feature a collection of figurative work by Han.”
The sale is open to the public; eligible purchasers must be a current CAA member at the time of purchase. Memberships may be purchased or renewed at the gallery at any time, officials said. Membership discounts will not apply, sales will be limited to two artworks per household, and the purchaser is responsible for the packing and transportation of the artwork.
“We ask that sold paintings stay on display throughout the exhibit to be enjoyed by other visitors,” said CAA Executive Director Janet Erway.
Han, who passed away in Cooperstown in 2017, was an accomplished oil painter, well known for his work in the genre of photorealism. Of Korean descent, Han was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1931 and was based in New York City and Upstate New York for most of his life, over the years having studied with Willson Young Stamper, Frank Mason, and Robert Beverly Hale. His work has been exhibited in many notable museums and establishments, many of whom also have work of his in their permanent collections, officials said.
“Figure This!” is CAA’s weekly community figure drawing group, operating regularly for the last two years. It features a rotating roster of live models and an open call to all community artists “who wish to refine their artistry and deepen their technique.” Artists were invited to display their work from these sessions, in conjunction with Han’s figurative artwork, “to help give the viewer an extensive perspective of the utilization of the human figure in the visual arts.”
Those who would like to learn more about “Figure This!” and how to participate in the future can contact CAA at (607) 547-9777.
The Cooperstown Art Association is located at 22 Main Street in the Village Hall, on the corner of Main and Fair streets. The exhibit was made possible by a grant from the Community Foundation of Otsego County.
