Gallery openings in the CWE are always a great experience, but with the opening night crowds it’s often a challenge to get a really good look at the art. So, what follows are examples of what you’ll find in the current exhibitions at the CWE’s Duane Reed and Houska Galleries, The openings were held on May 17, but there are a few weeks remaining to get over to McPherson and experience the imaginative art at a more relaxed pace.
Livia Xandersmith’s Comedy of Agency, 2022, oil on canvas (on wall) and on wood (in foreground), 192 x 72 x 60 inches.
In her artist statement, Xandersmith—who earned an MFA at Washington University in 2022—said she “introduces warps, glitches, and digital surrealism into her painted works, taking the form of standard stretched canvases, scenery backdrops, and theater flats.” 
Xandersmith’s, Observance, 2024, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 inches
Vandersmith’s Picture Day, 2023, Oil on canvas and on wood panel and ready-made objects, 84 x 108 x 96 inches.
Xandersmith’s Reckoning, 2024, oil on canvas, 32 x 24 inches.
Steven Montgomery’s ceramics, which are shown in the gallery’s back room, include:
Euclidean Large Stein #2, 2024, earthenware, gold luster glaze, oil paint, 10.5 x 9 x 9.5 inches.
From the artist’s statement: “Born in Detroit, Steven Montgomery’s work revels in a history of industry and aging as the artist uses porcelain to produce intricate mechanical forms with the appearance of metal.”
Photo of Montgomery’s Grail with Distress #2 , earthenware, gold luster glaze, oil paint, 13 x 12 x 12 inches, courtesy of Duane Reed Gallery.
Montgomery’s Euclidian Cup with Inverse Triangles, 2024, earthenware, gold luster glaze, oil paint, 3.5 x 6 x 3.5 inches.
Duane Reed Gallery, 4729 McPherson, Open Tues. thru Sat. 11 to 4, or by appt. The current exhibition closes on June 29.
At Houska Gallery:
Nick Schleicher’s Baja Blast features, second from left, OLA-FUR, 60 x 8 inches, acrylic, gel gloss, glazing medium, fluorescent pigment and iridescent pigment on linen wrapped panel.
The St. Louis-based artist earned a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2011. From the artist’s statement: “Ultra-vibrant shaped canvases merge and conjoin, undulating across walls and dancing through space. Wobbly edges and rhythmic movement reject the clinical austerity of minimalism in favor of an unabashed, imperfect humanness. The dynamic surfaces, layered with paint, embrace the sense of fun arising from a life filled with love.”
Schleicher’s SAN-BJA-BLST, 54 x 16 inches, acrylic, gel gloss, glazing medium, flourescent pigment, and iridescent pigment on linen wrapped panel.
TRI-CB4, 69 x 32 inches, acrylic, gel gloss, glazing medium, flourescent pigment, and iridescent pigment on linen wrapped panel.
Also on view at Houska Gallery, is Sam Meléndez’ Misuri. The artist was born in Puerto Rico and now lives in St. Louis. There are St. Louis references in several of the paintings shown below.
Melendez RSVP’D, 40 x 60 inches, oil, acrylic and charcoal on canvas.
Above, Delmar, 60 x 40 inches, acrylic, charcoal, oil stick on canvas.
Tropicana, 48 x 36 inches, acrylic, charcoal, oil stick on canvas.
HiPointe, 60 x 40 inches, acrylic, charcoal, oil stick on canvas.
And finally, Meléndez’ Little Black Dress, 72 x 24 inches, acrylic, charcoal, oil stick on canvas.
Houska Gallery, 4728 McPherson, Open Tues.-Sat. 11 to 4.
Duane Reed Gallery’s current exhibition closes on June 29th, and Houska Gallery’s on July 5th.