Art Therapist in Chelsea Exhibition

October 17, 2006

Dear Forum Members,

I would like to invite you to our upcoming exhibition Beneath the

Surface, featuring paintings by art therapist Allyson Norwood Bush.

Artist Allyson Norwood Bush describes her work as, " an exposition on

people and relationships. " A response to the everyday of American

living in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, her work focuses

on the afflictions of the modern individual. Feelings of isolation

and reflection on identity shadow the cast of characters she presents

the viewer. Most affected by `the feminine experience' and women's

negotiation of culturally defined gender roles, her subjects are most

often female. However, because Bush's message is one of meditation

amidst life's hurried pace, she balances these topics of intense

emotional content with a lighthearted style characterized by loose

brushstrokes and whimsical line enhanced by an expressionist palette.

Bush approaches each piece as a work in progress, never clearly

knowing its significance until its evolution is complete. Her wish is

for her art to be approachable, understandable, and egalitarian. With

what may be remnants of her graduate training in Art Therapy, her

artwork promotes self-evaluation centered on achieving a healthier

spirit. The overarching theme of her oeuvre is best classified as one

of eternal optimism. Having overcome many an obstacle herself, Bush's

life and work are truly inspirational. As part of her own therapeutic

routine, Allyson Norwood Bush works with the homeless as well as

those living with HIV and mental illness. She currently resides in

suburban Mendham, New Jersey.

To view Norwood Bush's work, please visit http://www.agora-

gallery.com/ArtistInvite/Allyson_Norwood_Bush.aspx

Beneath the Surface runs November 14 - December 5 in Agora Gallery's

Chelsea location at 530 West 25th Street. The reception takes place

Thursday, November 16, 6-8 PM. The exhibition is free and open to the

public.

Best regards,

Public Relations Department

Agora Gallery

530 West 25th Street, in Chelsea, New York

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