Wells shows off recent collages in "Collage 02740"

Trinidad born, New Bedford Artist Alison Wells, captures the essence of Downtown New Bedford in her solo exhibition “COLLAGE 02740”. Her recent offerings of paper collages will be on view at Colo Colo Art Gallery, 29 Centre St. from May 3 – May 21

Wells depicts a side of Downtown New Bedford life and history that is tactile, memorable and alluring through the medium of paper collage. “Downtown New Bedford has been my home away from home for the past 7 and a half years” says Wells who came to the city from Trinidad to pursue a MFA in painting at The University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth in 2004.

“I wanted to depict downtown in a way that expressed the sweet and sometimes bittersweet facets of the things that make this quaint and quirky part of the city what it was yesterday and is today.”

Wells examines how downtown New Bedford serves as a source of inspiration throughout her career in the United States, at first subconsciously and now quite consciously. She is influenced greatly by its rich architecture, its fascinating hidden histories, its multicultural and ethnic backbone and of course the rich artistic veins that pumps the city with life and vitality.

Wells manipulates this versatile medium of collage to transform her works into mesmerizing shifts in color, value and dimension by incorporating a wide variety of cut and torn papers to her palette. Each collage forms a bridge across time and culture to express her unique artistic vision and narrative.

Alison’s paintings have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums in the United States, the Caribbean and Europe. Wells was selected to exhibit her work at the 2010 World Exposition in Shanghai, China and in 2011 she was awarded an artist grant from the Brookline Commission for the Arts, (under the Massachusetts Cultural Council). Some of her most recent shows have been at The Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River, Massachusetts, The Brookline Art Center Gallery, Brookline, Massachusetts and Clover Fine art Gallery, Brooklyn New York.  

Wells is also an Adjunct Art Professor at Bristol Community College and she teaches after school programs in downtown New Bedford to kids and teens. Some of these include the Historical Society’s “Hidden History” programs; The Friends of the New Bedford Free Public Library together with the New Bedford Art Museum’s “Art in Words” program and Artworks’ Cool Kids summer programs along with Art therapy classes with war Veterans at the Veterans Transitional House.  Alison gives private lessons at her studio located in the Cummings Building, 96 William St., Studio #3, New Bedford. Wells is also a Board Member of the New Bedford Historical Society.

Collage  02740  runs from May 3 - May 21 2012.

Opening Reception: Saturday May 5, 2012 5:00pm - 8:00pm.

Meet the Artist - Aha Night May 10, 7:00 - 9:00pm.

For further information please contact:

Luis Villanueva, owner, Colo Colo Gallery colocologallery@gmail.com or (508) 642-6026

Alison Wells at alisonwe@gmail.com  or 774-526-6550

Alison’s work can be viewed at www.alisonwells.com