Works by Frank Bocek and Carol Freije will be on display at the Tioga Arts Council in Owego from Sept. 4-25.
The Tioga Arts Council is pleased to announce an exhibition of works by local artists Frank Bocek and Carol Freije. The exhibition, on display at the Tioga Arts Council from Sept. 4 – 25, will feature paintings, stained glass works, and photographs. A reception will be held on Friday, Sept. 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. as part of Owego’s 1st Friday Art Walk.
Frank Bocek has been designing and creating Stained Glass Art since 1975. What started as a hobby evolved into a commercial studio, crafting window installations for restaurants, churches and private collectors. Frank’s ability to work with glass and color has been an individual journey; having worked for a commercial glass repair company for two years where he learned the basics. He now designs windows, lamps and autonomous panels as though he is painting.
Frank has studied with many artists over the years and has taken design and color theory courses at the college level. In the past he has studied glass design with Paul Marioni, an influential artist from Seattle and Narcissus Quagliata, a world-renowned artist from Mexico City.
He has studied oil and pastel painting with Carol Freije since 2011. He credits Carol with teaching him to truly see and to accurately communicate what he sees. For Frank, learning from others is important in the development of his craft. To see more of his work, visit www.frankbocek.com.
Carol Freije is a Third Place Winner for her painting “Carol’s Mother, ‘Rose’” in the prestigious, 2015 Roberson’s Regional Art Exhibition, juried by Mark Schaming, director and assistant commissioner of the New York State Museum.
Carol grew up on the South side of Binghamton as an only child of doting parents. They supplied her with coloring books, paper dolls, and paint by number sets; Carol wallpapered her bedroom. In later years as a teenager Carol took charcoal drawing from Harry Litchfield on the West side of Binghamton. He brought in kids from the neighborhood, put them on a stool with a spotlight on them, and they became models for Carol’s drawing.
Carol also studied in Ireland with Trevor Geoghehen, an accomplished artist. At the workshop, students would paint every day near the Shannon River, Ballyvaugh. Carol has also taken workshops from wonderful, accomplished artists in their field of work: Still Life from Don Sali in Evergreen, Co. and Studies of the Human Form from Rod Hicks in Pueblo, Colorado. Lastly, and most important, was Carol’s association with Michael Tanzer at the Roberson Carriage House for several years. She learned so much from him and he was her good friend until he died at age 58 of cancer.
If Carol is not painting, she is thinking of painting.
The Tioga Arts Council is located at 179 Front St. in Owego, N.Y. and is open Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For additional information, visit www.tiogaartscouncil.org or call (607) 687-0785.
