There is much to admire and enjoy in the diverse creations of artist Ann Elizabeth Schlegel. One of the most prolific practitioners in our area, she has exhibited her paintings at Apollo Grill, Abruzzi on Main, The Farmhouse, the Banana Factory (for 13 years), SteelStacks, Moravian Academy, Allentown Art Museum and many other celebrated spots. She also created the art for Musikfest's 20th anniversary poster (2003), the Mayfair 20th anniversary poster (2006), the Wine Dine Culinary Festival posters (2003 and 2005) and the Andy Warhol poster for the Allentown Art Museum exhibition in 2006.
She recently relocated to 606 Hamilton Street, Allentown (Studio 606 - Palette and Pen). Her presence as an artist and creative community builder is certainly bolstering the city's viability as an art destination. Schlegel is currently immersed in a new series of paintings that she describes as “an homage to racehorses, haute couture feathered hats and libations.” Additionally, she is preparing for the next Allentown Art Squawk to be held on Sunday, October 12, 2014. You can find out more about this event, where she will partner with the Allentown Art Museum to celebrate the career of Robert Indiana, at facebook.com/allentownartsquawk.
Whether she is exploring landscapes, artists, food, animals or cultural traditions, Schlegel's unique imagination and exceptional technique shine through each piece. Her paintings of jazz musicians employ joyful colors and loosely interlocking shapes to convey the rich, ever-shifting tones and textures pouring forth from these inventive souls. Her mixed media pieces depict jazz instruments that bear the imprint of their rich sonic history while awaiting a fresh encounter with the animating touch of a musician. Each piece affords a unique visual perspective into this fascinating energized world that often penetrates our ears and eyes far too quickly.
Education in the arts remains an essential facet of her life. Schlegel attended the PA Academy of Fine Arts and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. One heuristic experience was being accepted as a painter in École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris and receiving a private invitation to paint in Monet's garden in Giverny. She enthusiastically shared, “It was surreal and more than exciting, but I worked for it and I loved painting there! I do believe they appreciated me, as well.”
She was also an artist in residency three times in Antibes, France. Schlegel bears the distinction of being the first artist in the world asked to live in the Villa Fontaine. The work that she produced during those residencies exudes an exotic romanticism that clearly conveys her love for the enchanted landscape and its people.
“The town owns over 30 paintings of mine, but they also own my spirit, my heart. One day I hope to live there,” she muses.
