Some fairy tales come true.
Queens College art professor Tony Gonzalez unveils Little Red at The Garage Art Center on Saturday, June 1, at 4 pm.
On display there until June 30, this solo exhibition showcases photographs inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, a time-honored children’s tale about a young girl and a sly wolf. Expect to marvel at mysterious figures playing figurative and abstract roles within urban and natural settings, exploring themes of identity, journey, and the interplay between reality and imagination.
As part of the experience, Gonzalez will discuss his passion and artistic process during Fairytales & Little Red: An Artist’s Journey on Saturday, June 22, from 3 pm to 4:30 pm.
Currently a Tenured Professor and Chair of the Art Department, Gonzalez has been teaching full-time at Queens College since 2002. The former Ford Foundation Fellow has also taught photography at The Cooper Union, Pratt Institute, and New York University. He received his BFA from the Cooper Union School of Art and his MFA from Yale University.
“I first began to consider the subject of Little Red when I photographed my model wearing a red cloak on an abandoned street in a suburban New Jersey town one Halloween,” stated Gonzalez. “I became intrigued by the possibility of exploring the storytelling capacity of photography with the idea of a modern-day fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood. However, I was more interested in capturing certain aspects of the story rather than producing literal illustrations of the tale—thereby eliminating certain details of the basket or the wolf.”
Not far from the Bay Terrace Shopping Center, The Garage Art Center consists of a gallery and an outdoor seating area at 26-01 Corporal Kennedy St., about two blocks east of the Clearview Expressway in Bayside. Public transportation is scarce, but there’s free parking on the street.
Stephanie S. Lee, who teaches Korean folk art at Flushing Town Hall and works at Queens College’s Godwin-Ternbach Museum, created the venue by converting the garage in a private residence.
All programs are free and open to the public, but registration is required. The email is [email protected]
Bonus Art Opening
The Little Red opening runs until 6 pm. So patrons will have to click their heels three times to transport immediately to the Opening Reception for 50 Years of Arts and Learning, which is set to begin at the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning at 6 pm.
On view in both JCAL galleries, this exhibition celebrates the countless artists, educators, and cultural leaders who have stepped foot in JCAL since its inception in 1974. History and art unfold among posters, paintings, set pieces, flyers, postcards, and many other items.
JCAL’s entrance is at 161-04 Jamaica Ave.
Image: The Garage Art Center