Small Rays of Hope and Fragments of a Larger Idea, Rhonda Schaller Studio, Chelsea, NY
Harry Matti Hukkinen Returns to Rhonda Schaller Studio for "Small Rays of Hope and Fragments of a Larger Idea"
December 6–20, 2007 · 547 West 27th Street, Suite 529, New York, NY
NEW YORK, NY. Nine months after exhibiting in the gallery's spring show Live Free or Die, Harry Matti Hukkinen returned to Rhonda Schaller Studio in Chelsea for Small Rays of Hope and Fragments of a Larger Idea. The international holiday exhibition brought together 224 collectible small works by 135 artists from 20 countries. It ran from December 6 through December 20, 2007, with an opening reception on Saturday, December 8.
The gallery described the show as a celebration of its community of artists and their visions. For the installation, the space was transformed with a lattice grid holding a series of 12-by-12-inch "windows" throughout the gallery. Each artist was invited to present a personal "small ray of hope" through their own window, and five artists were selected to present "a larger idea." Awards for best in show, second place, third place, and honorable mention were announced at the opening.
Hukkinen contributed a small print made from a hand-carved linocut. The image shows a lone figure, seen from behind, lifting both arms toward a clear, star-filled night sky. It is a quiet image of aspiration and wonder that answered the exhibition's call for hope. The work reflects Hukkinen's grounding in the classical tradition, where the human form and the natural world together point toward the good and the beautiful.
To accompany the exhibition, the gallery published Small Rays of Hope for 2008, a color wall calendar with 135 plates reproducing the work of every participating artist, including Hukkinen's. The gallery also released "Artists Create Hope" buttons to mark the occasion.
About Rhonda Schaller Studio
Rhonda Schaller Studio was an exhibition space in the West Chelsea gallery district, founded by artist, author, and educator Rhonda Schaller. Schaller also co-founded Ceres Gallery and later served in leadership roles at Pratt Institute. She is the author of Create Your Art Career and other guides for working artists.
About Harry Matti Hukkinen
Harry Matti Hukkinen is a Finnish-born American sculptor, painter, and educator based in Idaho. He holds an MFA in Sculpture from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and has exhibited in New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Hawai'i, and the United Arab Emirates, including the 29th Annual Exhibition of the Emirates Fine Arts Society at the Sharjah Art Museum.
