October 14, 1999
Immediate Release
Doug Myers
518-242-2222

"CAKE HEAP" AND LARGER THAN LIFE "DRESSES" FEATURED AT AIRPORT ART GALLERY EXHIBIT

Albany, NY -- (October 14, 1999) - - Rev. Michael A. Farano, Chairman of the Albany County Airport Authority, has announced the Albany International Airport Art Gallery will feature "Material Departure," an exhibition of regional artists working with traditional materials in non traditional ways. The exhibit will run through January 8, 2000 and is open to the public.

The Albany International Airport will host a special reception to introduce the exhibit on Tuesday, October 19 from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. The reception will be held in the airport's third floor gallery.

"The show features the work of fifteen regional artists working in various mediums such as wood, glass, clay, fiber and metal," said Sharon Bates, Director of Exhibitions and Programs at the Albany International Airport. "This exhibition highlights these traditional materials, and while each artist has employed established working methods used with their choice of material, the end result is something far different."

One of the highlights of the exhibition is Hank Adams' "Cake Heap." Adams has exploited the weighty glass in order to make a statement with his two-ton pile of cakes made of 400 separate cast glass pieces. The piece originally grew out of a pile of cast off works the Troy artist had intended for other projects.

"This is definitely a piece that has distilled over the years," said Adams. "The bigger the pile the better. It's very glassy and self-reflective. It's about consumption. It's luscious. It's a pretty saucy piece."

Another focal point of the exhibit is several "larger than life" women's dresses that stand on their own in the gallery. Pittsfield artist Lisa Yetz used common craft store supplies, organic materials and even Mop-n-Glow to fashion her fantastical pieces from handmade paper and sometimes the remnants found at second-hand shops.

The exhibition was curated by Sharon Bates, Director of Exhibitions and Programs at the Albany International Airport and Amy Williams, Vice President of the Rensselaer County Council on the Arts.

The Albany International Airport is committed to showcasing the artistic heritage of the region through its ongoing Art and Culture Program. Exhibitions that feature the works of contemporary artists, area cultural institutions and businesses are presented throughout the terminal on a rotating basis. Potential exhibitions are reviewed and selected by the Airport Exhibition Committee and the Director of Exhibitions.

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