Dynamic Duo @ AFA Gallery

Plane Space by Ryan Hnat 
Ryan Hnat to exhibit paintings and sculptures in maiden solo exhibit at Afa Gallery; his exhibit “Plane Space” opens to the public March 7^th from 6-9 PM.  Hnat will simultaneously release the publication Watch Towers and Portals, which he co-wrote and illustrated with his wife Amy Hnat
Afa Gallery offers patrons a stimulating solo exhibit in its first floor gallery- paintings and sculptures created during the past year by Ryan Hnat.  He is coupling the exhibit with the release of the publication Watch Towers and Portals, a collaboration with his wife Amy.
Ryan calls the work in this solo show “abstract sonnets in time and space.”  He adds that “they are visual lyrics for the musician, experiments for the scientist, and discrete codes for the investigator in us all.”  Hnat created the work using a variety of mediums while focusing on geometric planes and several textures.
Hnat has been busy in the local arts scene since graduating from Penn State and Marywood University with degrees in Art Education and Fine Arts, respectively.  This will be his 5^th solo exhibit in 7 years; his is a young career that has allowed him to exhibit in galleries and museums throughout Pennsylvania and to receive recognition for his talents.  In 2007 he was lauded with the Young Artist of Pennsylvania Award by the Anita Shapolsky Foundation in Jim Thorpe.
What’s fascinating about Hnat is that his interest in the arts is not limited to being a creator of art but also a mover and shaker in the scene.  He has experience curating and organizing exhibits, preparing galleries for exhibition, marketing exhibits, performing fundraising activities for non-profits arts organizations and more.  In the past Ryan Hnat has worked for a number of galleries most notably Marywood University Art Galleries, The Laura Craig Galleries, Zoller Art Gallery, the Anita Shapolsky Art Foundation and Afa Gallery where he has a seat on the board of directors.  Tom Noone, Vice-President of Afa Gallery says, “Ryan is tireless, he expects a lot from others because he is willing to go the distance to see something through.  His energy and excitement about what is happening in the arts is contagious; and his involvement at Afa the last two years has been very rewarding for us.  He brings a demographic to the gallery that we very much want to pursue.”
Regarding the collection he has assembled for “Plane Space”, Mark Ciocca, Chair of the Gallery Committee says- “Ryan has created an astrophysical plane that transcends time and space creating a juxtaposition of the tactile real and unconscious surreal of one’s interpretation.”  Moreover, Hnat’s work gives the art patron a unique perspective into geometric abstraction because there is also something organic and natural about it.  He uses color and texture to create structure and in some instances the intentional absence of color creates form, light and presents space in a new way.  Patrons will leave the exhibition feeling they have witnessed something fresh.
Hnat’s master plan for this solo exhibit is two-fold.  With his wife Amy, Hnat wrote and illustrated with photography the publication Watch Towers and Portals that he plans to release to the public during the opening.  The Hnats are touting the books as a visual journey through remote places in Northeast Pennsylvania where they explore structure, space, and materials.
“Plane Space” opens to the public Friday, March 7^th with a reception for the artist from 6-9 PM; the exhibit will be on display through March 30^th.
 
Repose and Restoration: the Huber Breaker & Other works by James Maria
For the month of March, AFA’s second floor gallery will be exhibiting paintings by James Maria of West Lawn, PA. Maria states that his work focuses primarily on “the visual language of entropy and abandonment to discuss shifts in economy and industry while also asking larger and more metaphysical questions about the spiritual realm.” The opening reception will be March 7 from 6-9pm. The exhibition will be up though March 29.
About Afa Gallery
In 1988 a group of area artists founded Artists for Art (Afa) Gallery, a non-profit organization committed to raising awareness of the visual arts, providing a platform for regional artists and presenting their work in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  Every month the gallery opens two exhibits to the public in its two-story, 3,600 square foot space located on the 500 block of Lackawanna Ave.  Considered the anchor for First Friday events, Afa Gallery is supported by grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Lackawanna County’s Department of Arts and Culture.  The gallery is open Thursday to Saturday from 12-5 PM.  Admission is free and open to the public.  More information is available at artistsforart.org or by calling 570-969-1040.