BANANA REPUBLIC BY GLENN NESS

Realism Meets Abstraction
NEW YORK • New paintings by Glenn Ness and Michael Rich are on display at George Billis Gallery beginning March 25. Ness paints realistic city and interior scenes, as well as objects found in suburbia such as backyard swimming pools. “My paintings give the viewer permission to superimpose and examine their own feelings pertaining to the narrative given in each image; the ubiquitous empty chair implies a presence, or an absence that may trigger memory or hope, the story everyone has but may hold secret,” Ness has said. Also on display are abstracted landscape paintings by Rhode Island-based artist Rich. “The search for me is for a language of mark, color, and shape that approaches the idea of beauty. Inspired by familiar surroundings, drawn lines become fence posts, swaths of orange and gold become fields, deep blue patches—sometimes soft, sometimes violent—are the ocean, and always the vast sense of space created is sky,” Rich has said. Meet the artists at an opening reception on Saturday, March 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. Their works are on display until April 26. For more information: 212.645.2621 or  www.georgebillis.com.

Down South

FISHING BOAT ON THE GULF WITH NET BY BILLY SOLITARIO

NEW ORLEANS • Don’t miss a solo show by New Orleans-based artist Billy Solitario this month at LeMieux Galleries. “Nature, figures, cityscapes with dramatic compositions, and island scenes from the Gulf of Mexico” are among his favorite subjects to paint, says the artist. The show includes new paintings of dramatic cloudscapes as well as still-life paintings depicting oysters, shrimp, and lemons. His works are on display through March 29. An opening reception takes place on Saturday, March 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information: 504.522.5988 or www.lemieuxgalleries.com.

Mystery & Whimsy
CHARLESTON • Mary Martin Gallery of Fine Art presents a two-person show this month featuring works by Randall LaGro and Philippe Guillerm. LaGro’s abstracted monotypes, which are one-of-a-kind images made by working in ink on glass and then printing on paper, as well as his abstracted paintings are on view. In all of his works, he blends layers to create a sense of mystery. “A lot of my figures are about contentment and contemplation,” the Taos-based artist says. Guillerm is best known for his wood sculptures depicting a variety of stringed instruments. He has traveled the world but creates many of his works from his studio in Maine. The two artists’ works are on display beginning March 7. For more information: 843.723.0303 or www.marymartinart.com.

Of Note: The National Cowboy Museum’s Small Works Sale, held in November, grossed more than $444,000.


MORE BEYOND THE WEST ART EVENTS....