“Honoring Autumn at Summer’s End”

Original Oil Paintings, Accompanying Poetry, Blues/Jazz Vocal Performance

Featuring Artist in Paint, Poetry, and Voice: Rina Lucas, Staff & Palette

With Virtual Piano by Composer Arshak Sirunyan

Including Wine and Cheese Reception

September 26th, 2024: 6-8 pm

Artsy Heart

Program

Staff & Palette is delighted to bring an original multimedia show “Honoring Autumn at Summer’s End” featuring the paint, poetry, and voice of Rina Lucas to Artsy Heart, an innovative, eclectic gallery shop in upscale Glen Town Center just outside Chicago in Glenview, Illinois. On September 26th from 6 to 8 pm, patrons will be treated to an elegant wine and cheese reception hosted by the gallery owners while chatting with the artist before and after her live performance planned from 6:45 to 7:15 pm. Rina’s own paintings, spoken word poetry, and vocal arrangements of jazz and blues classics will engage the audience and seek to tell a story with seasonal metaphors for life transitions.

Artist Statement

“With the change of seasons, both in the year and in life, there can be an initial lament in the letting go of what is to make room for what will be. But as we find the courage to embrace these evolutions with acceptance and even celebration, we experience their true beauty and purpose. Lessons learned as Summer gives way to Autumn seem especially profound. It is at this time when the Fall Equinox works her magical metamorphosis on our landscapes and lives, teaching us to balance transformations within and without. Throughout my career as an artist, I have enjoyed exploring these images with my paintings, poetry, and vocal performances. I am excited to share these themes with the gracious patrons of Artsy Heart as we gather for a festive evening of artistic expression ‘Honoring Autumn at Summer’s End’.” – Rina Lucas

Artist Bio

Soprano Rina Lucas is known for her powerful instrument, effortless range, and musical versatility. Comfortable in multiple genres, she has performed as a soloist with the Charleston Symphony, with the Lowcountry Voices, during the televised Spotlight Awards, in her own multimedia Piccolo Spoleto productions in SC alongside pianist and composer Arshak Sirunyan, and in her original virtual and live shows at The Moss Center and the Floyd Center for the Arts in VA. In addition to her accomplishments as a vocalist, Rina is also a gifted poet and visual artist working in oils. All of her paintings, rich and diverse in subject and style, are accompanied by poetry and signed in Hebrew as a nod to her roots. She has been featured in numerous juried exhibitions along the East Coast and beyond. Her interdisciplinary work has also been recognized by Artistonish Magazine, Classical Singer Music Magazine, Medici International Music Competition, Music International Grand Prix, National Association of Teachers of Singing, and TERAVARNA. With a Bachelor of Science from James Madison University and a Master of Physical Therapy from Gannon University, Rina’s path to performance has been nontraditional, having turned to the arts full time in 2012 after a career as a Physical Therapist. Since that time, she has developed her talents with several excellent mentors including: Professors of Voice – Sandra Barnhardt, Patricia Clevenger, Dr. Jill Terhaar Lewis, and Ariana Wyatt, Artists – Michael Farrar, Z.L. Feng, Jonathan Green, and Terry Lyon, as well as the former Poet Laureate of Charleston, SC, Marcus Amaker. She owns Staff & Palette, her studio for paint, poetry, and voice in the Greater Chicago area where she has recently relocated with her husband John and their beloved pups, Ariel and Eli.

“Many thanks to Renee and son, Matt Edmondson of Artsy Heart for their kind invitation to bring ‘Honoring Autumn at Summer’s End’ to their beautiful gallery shop!” – Staff & Palette