Upper Gallery

OPENING RECEPTION
Monday, June 22, 6 PM - 8 PM

SHOW RUNS
June 22 - July 26, 2026

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The Spring Lake Theatre is pleased to welcome Lydia Baldassarre and Emily Gilman Beezley, and announce the opening of their two person art exhibition “Body and Soul”.
 

From June 22 to July 26, the Spring Lake Community House Upper Gallery located on the second floor inside the Spring Lake Theatre is exhibiting “Body and Soul", the works of Lydia Baldassarre and Emily Gilman Beezley. The ‘Body’ in the title speaks to both artists showing a cohesive body of work; pieces that share a consistent theme, style, medium, and concept. In addition, Gilman Beezley’s “Pedestal” series depicts vases that symbolize women’s bodies. The ‘Soul’ of the title is informed by the artists’ essence, channeling their life journeys and emotions onto canvas. Viewers are challenged to press pause upon viewing these artworks and discover what relations these pieces have to themselves.
 

Baldassarre will be presenting atmospheric abstract oil paintings that explore the intersection of color, shape and texture. States Baldassarre: “Abstract painting is unpredictable. It is the manipulation of the paint that excites me. I do not know where the paint will take me. The results express my inner thoughts coming to the surface in color and shape. What starts out as a line becomes a unique story forming a bond between the painting and the viewer. Enjoy the
journey I have created. It is an endless adventure.”
 

Gilman Beezley will be presenting her “Pedestal” series of mixed media oil paintings that asks ‘If clothes make the man, how are they making the woman?’. Her depictions of clothed vases communicate how women’s clothing correlates with objectification and gender tropes. Gilman Beezley’s construct is to depict women’s attire that have stereotypical and symbolic societal meaning by ‘dressing up’ vases. Vases are ornamental objects meant to be displayed. They are decorative works of art viewed from multiple angles and are often modeled after female bodies. Each painting in the "Pedestal" series portrays a vase stripped down to its elemental shape, a 2-dimensional figure that can be appreciated in one glance. The ‘clothes’ are crafted from material adhered or sewn onto the canvas using burlap, tulle, denim, nails,
feathers, cord, buttons and trim. All together the result is a cohesive series of artwork intended to raise awareness and create a dialogue.

Baldassarre and Gilman Beezley are founding members of Springboard, a group of women artists that collectively support, advocate and nurture each other’s creative endeavors.
 

About Baldassarre
Lydia Baldassarre has pursued her love of art since she was a child where early memories of the smell of crayons have given way to oil paints. She has studied with many instructors using different media .She has gone from realism to abstraction in her career finding that oil paints allow flexibility, deep richness and playfulness that she continues to nurture in her work. She exhibits in New York and New Jersey and her work can be seen at the Piermont Fine Art
Gallery in Piermont NY.

About Gilman Beezley
Gilman Beezley studied watercolor, printmaking and oil painting at the H.S. of Art & Design, Colgate University, the École des Beaux-Arts, the Art Student’s League of New York and Parsons School of Design. Her work has been featured in solo and group shows across the country, won numerous awards at juried exhibitions and resides in collections in the US and
abroad. Her Public Art include commissions from NJ Transit Arts, AtlantiCare Healing Arts Foundation, The Port Authority of NY/NJ, Northern NJ Community Foundation and New Jersey Arts Incubator.

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For press images, interviews, or additional information, contact Emily Gilman Beezley, email egilbeez@gmail.com.