Resident Artist Show at Hygienic Art Galleries

Please join us for the opening reception of the annual artists-in-residence group show at Hygienic Art Galleries on Saturday, April 27, 7pm-10pm in New London. On display until May 25th.

Our resident artists:

Nick McKnight: Nick McKnight is a painter and neon artist born in Foster, RI. His work focuses on the absurd nature of the human condition. Through the use of language and humor, text and simple imagery are used to convey contemporary culture and our constant need for connection/attention. Nick received a BFA through the University of Rhode Island and exhibits work throughout New England.

Elisha Schauer: Elisha Schauer graduated from Lyme Academy College of fine arts in 2010. She was born and raised in Lancaster PA and has relocated to New London CT where she has lived for the last 6 years. She is now a professional tattoo artist at New London Ink. Representation and non-representation coexist in her work to blur the ideals of reality and bring you into her pop surrealist world. Elisha’s creatures seem to search for meaning, substance, and identity in a toxic, quirky, and unfamiliar environment. Interest and confusion about pop culture and mass media leads her to work in an explosion of materials including; acrylic, Xerox collage, ball point pen, cardboard, vinyl records, or whatever she can find. Elisha’s work is bright, and creepy, it’s something I’ve come to describe as “Whimsical Grit”. She truly enjoy using the overabundance of garbage in our culture to obscure the definition between precious or pathetic.

Ryan Whiston: Ryan Whiston is an artist born and raised in eastern Connecticut. He attended Quinebaug Valley Community College and Central Connecticut State University and has shown his work in several cities across southern New England. While in school he primarily used oil paint, focusing on pointillism and realism before branching out into mural painting and street art. He now uses gouache and watercolor to piece together vibrant, maximalist paintings using a stream of consciousness technique to create his compositions, painting whatever he feels in the moment. His paintings are based on a diverse set of influences including everything from abstract expressionism and pop art to 90s era cartoons.

Susan Hickman: Susan Hickman was born a twin in rural Ohio. She grew up in a small town and ending up studying graphic design and photography at Ohio University. She moved to New York for a year before making her way out to the New England area where she has spent the last 15 years. Susan is an eclectic mixed media artist working with paper, acrylic, ink, found objects, graphic design, clothing design, photography and more. She enjoys experimenting with texture and color and finds making work of any kind, and exploration and an escape.

Troy Zaushny: Troy is a printmaker, painter, and muralist from New London, Ct. His work is a contemplation of the natural world, consciousness, and spiritual identity as they are being transformed by technology. Though incorporating imagery from popular culture, observation, and dreams, his rich colorful visions also explore the influences of faith and fantasy on our evolution.

The Hygienic Resident Artist Program offers support to emerging artists. Residents have frequent opportunities to participate in Gallery Shows and Hygienic programming. The resident program offers a supportive environment for artists to explore their skill set, gain feedback and expand their professional network.