I TIMELESS ANTIQUES Women Of Distinction Louis XV Empire Sheraton Chippendale QLieen Anne George II An 0CC exhibit highlights the talents of 40 female artists. FRANK PROVENZANO SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS SPECIALIZING IN MAHOGANY & WALNUT 15531 W 12 Mile • Just West of Greenfield Southfield 810-569-8008 Hours: 10AM-6PM • Closed Tues. & Sunday Artistic Expressions Custom Flotals by Centerpieces • Wreaths • The Unusual Vintage Vases • Brass, Silver, Stone and Ceramic Containers • Accessories • Artwork • Mirrors Studio Hours: 10- 5 Mon.-Fri. • 12-3:30 Sat. Due to free 110111e consultations, please call first. 725 S. Adams • Suite 22 • Birmingham (Adams Square Building) (810) 644* 8349 N Michigan's Only Cowboy and Indian Gallery ALWAYS BUYING & SELLING • Western paintings • Cowboy Collectibles. Spurs Hats, Chaps. Saddles • Books and Photographs o requirements were placed on the artists in "Our Visions: Women In Art," but there is an un- mistakable shared perspective in nearly all of the multimedia works. Everyday images of kitchen sinks, cribs, a mother holding a child are transformed into the symbolic and metaphorical. What emerges is sure to engage the viewer with an openness, inti- macy — and a clear point of view. From the provocative "Ring Around the Rosey" sculpture of helpless infants, which is at the center of the exhibit, to the ethe- real "End of the Day" mixed-me- dia collage of domesticity, the visions of women artists are clear- ly distinct, yet at the same time, distinctively from a woman's per- spective. Perhaps that's exactly what Oakland Community College's Womencenter had in mind when it began the annual exhibit nine years ago. This year's exhibit, • American Indian Basketry, Pottery . Textiles and Beadwork • Colts and Winchesters • Pawn Jewelry 11 251 Merrill Street • Upper Level • Birmingham, MI 48909 R sy4 (810) 647-8833 ;-',( Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 10:30 a.m. 5:30 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m.-4:00 p.m. or by appointment - rii Sad.; which runs through June 9, fills the walls and pedestals of the Wallace F. Smith Theatre Gallery on the Orchard Ridge campus in Farmington Hills. "For some of these artists, there's a statement behind their art. For others, it's just a case of beautiful execution," said Arlene Frank, program coordinator at OCC's Womencenter. An inverted crib with pro- truding nails, titled "Sheltered Child," and "Once Upon a Pedestal," a satirical representa- tion of the phrase that inspires feelings of condescension, are two clear examples of pieces that make a "strong statement." The appeal of the exhibit, how- ever, lies in its diversity. The works of nearly 40 na- tional watercolor artists, photog- raphers, painters, sculptors and charcoal and pastels artists were selected from 122 entrants. In- cluded are pieces by local sculp- tor Sarah Hartman and Farmington Hills mixed-media artist Harriet Gelfond, whose "End of the Day" received the ex- hibit's top award. Celebration of Left: the artistic cre- Harriet Gelfond's "End ations of women artists is an end in of the Day." itself, Ms. Frank said. Below: "Throughout Harriet Gelfond history, the voices took first place and visions of at "Our women have been Visions." silenced," she (Shown here: "The Family.") said. "It's impor- tant to see the various hues and different visions of today's women." In addition to the visual creations, the Womencen- ter has selected the writings of female poets to comple- ment the "women in art" motif. The poetry collection is bound in a booklet avail- able at the gallery. For the Womencenter, it's equally important to assist in the educational develop- ment of those searching for their "voices" in their ca- reers as well as their acad- emic and family lives, said Ms. Frank, who is the only full-time member of the cen- ter. "Many women use the Womencenter as a source of support," she said. "Partic- ularly, women who are re- turning to school to get back into the workplace — women recently divorced or widowed." OCC's Womencenter also `-\ (-/ <