November 21, 2007

If ever we forget the beauty of Paducah, we have LowerTown artist and author Bill Renzulli here to remind us. In his new collection of watercolors, Paducah: Front & Back, Renzulli examines the nooks and crannies of our city, as well as landscapes of familiar and not-so-familiar architecture.

The show opened last Wednesday at the Yeiser Art Center and runs through December 22.

Have I Been Here?

Renzulli began the series back in January, snapping photos as he walked his famous roommates around Downtown and LowerTown. “I’ve always liked to paint urban street scenes, markets, backs of buildings and alleys, and in January, I started doing a little at a time,” Renzulli says. “By this summer, I had a dozen or more pieces that I thought would be good for a show.”

It's Not Broadway

With that, he called the lovely Landee Bryant, the Yeiser’s executive director, and found November available for an exhibit.

So just what is it about the backs of buildings that draws Renzulli to, uh, draw them?

“I like the bitty things you find back there – the porches, trash cans, the pipes,” Renzulli explains. “Many people may pass these things a thousand times and not look at them, but I’m always looking to see what’s in there. It’s part of my fascination of the urban environment.”

Where Do I Go from Here?

Renzulli has been fascinated with Paducah’s environment since he and wife Patience moved here as part of the Artist Relocation Program. They opened their highly successful Gallery 5 in 2002. (Read details, here.) Spending so much time painting scenes of his newly adopted hometown, Renzulli says, has made his connection with Paducah even stronger.

“I’ve always felt that if I paint something, then I own a part of it,” he says. “It’s very much about but cementing ties.”

Domes on Broadway

For Renzulli, the process of painting isn’t complete until folks get to take a look. “I hope people will come and view the pieces,” he says, “and maybe see a little something that they haven’t noticed here before.”

The Yeiser is keeping regular hours this holiday weekend – Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. – with the exception of Thanksgiving Day. 442.2453.

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