ARDEN GALLERY - Key Persons
"The Silk Road series is chromatically luscious and compositionally reductive. I refer to it only partly tongue in cheek as "lush minimalism." Each painting in the ongoing series is a small color field achieved by layers of translucent wax paint applied at right angles. The series was inspired by the shimmery quality of iridescent silk, hence the title, but quickly evolved into more expansive explorations of hue and surface." - Joanne Mattera
"Mattera revels in the medium's stained-glass-like luminosity. She's a colorist whose principal concern is how tones interact and play off one another . . . Throughout, there's a sense that light is powering these works."
Job Titles:
- Lemon Horizon, " 2022, Oil on Canvas, 40 X 40 Inches, $7, 500
- Nantucket Dunes, " Oil on Canvas, 40 X 40 Inches - SOLD
"New England marshes remind me of a wonderful childhood, full of joy and freedom. For me they represent spaces that are safe, peaceful, and endless. In the marshes of New England I have always experienced a sense of 'oneness' with nature. It is my place of belonging." - Margaret Gerding
Margaret Gerding, "Sunset over the Dunes I," oil on canvas, 36 x 60 inches - SOLD
"Sunset over the Dunes I and II are about those moments in life when everything seems right…it's as if nature is trying to remind us that there is beauty to be found in this crazy world. This evening light is exceptionally radiant when reflected off the water - setting the pink sand, purple clouds, and lush grasses aglow."
Margaret Gerding, "Among the Rocks," 2022, oil on canvas, 40 x 40 inches, $7,500
Zola Solamente has been the Director of Arden Gallery Ltd. since 1999. She walked into Arden and instantly knew it was the place she wanted to make her professional home. Zola studied Studio Art and English Literature at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, while also earning 4 National Championships and All-American honors with the Women's Soccer program. Zola played on the United States Women's National Soccer team from 1991-1993, representing her country in several international tournaments. She went on to work at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and with two independent contemporary art galleries before she and Rick moved to New England to raise their daughter, now a writer in Los Angeles. In addition to curating exhibitions at Arden and running the gallery, Zola has provided consulting services to artists and collectors, as well as juried shows for non-profit venues. She has also lectured about collecting contemporary art at local universities and adult education events. When not in the gallery, Zola serves as an Envoy with the US State Department traveling to underserved countries around the world, coaching and speaking about how sports can empower girls and women, and unite communities. She is a novice, but avid sculler and has a passion for tennis.