Coming soon to a theater near you

FMCC’s Perrella Gallery is preparing to open a new exhibit featuring the work of Charles Steckler, a noted stage designer and creator of three-dimensional dioramas (including the one shown at right).
I’m particularly interested in this show because I know the artist from my long-lost undergraduate days at Union College in Schenectady, where he is a professor in the Department of Theater and Dance.

I haven’t done any acting in ages, but back then I was lucky enough to be involved in a couple of productions that featured some of Prof. Steckler’s ingenious inventions. I particularly remember one play in which I was required to multi-task, appearing on stage as a character one moment, and ducking backstage to operate one of his gigantic puppets the next. If I remember correctly, the puppet was so large it took two guys to hold it upright and move it about the stage.

What follows is a description of the exhibit as provided by the Perrella Gallery:
 
“Boxed Sets, Dioramas and Stage Design of Charles Steckler”

The exhibition juxtaposes Steckler’s work as an artist, working primarily in the medium of assemblages — three-dimensional collages of found and fabricated objects  that  he refers to as dioramas — with the stage set designs he has created over the past 30 years.
Steckler’s art is characterized by the use of often complex compositions and resourceful combinations of common materials arranged in surprising ways, according to a news release from the college. This marks the first time Steckler has shown his dioramas and set designs together.
He is referred to as a “bricoleur” — a tinkerer who uses odds and ends in creative and resourceful ways to fashion something new.  These assemblages create unique personal, imagined narratives that can be found throughout much of his work. His dioramas and collages possess a rhythmic layering of objects and images set in densely packed spaces, vibrantly colored or starkly black and white. The works reveal a meticulous attention to detail while at the same time exuding a playful energy and humor.
“In the past, Steckler hesitated mixing his role as an applied artist with his personal art,” says Perrella Gallery Director Joel Chapin. “A stage designer synthesizes the ideas and needs of others into a workable design and the artist can freely delve into a singular personal reality. I believe the work contained in this exhibition clearly demonstrates a union of Charles Steckler’s creative abilities. The dioramas seen in this exhibition can be viewed as diminutive stage sets that portray wildly imagined dramas or invented worlds. The subjective informs the objective and visa versa.”
Steckler has exhibited his work in numerous one-person and group exhibitions and has designed stage sets for over one hundred plays. He has been a Yaddo Fellow, an Associate at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, a Resident Artist at the Vermont Studio Center, a Prix de Rome Finalist and Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome. He earned a B.A. from Queens College and a M.F.A. from Yale University. He is Professor of Theater and Designer in Residence at Union College in Schenectady, NY.
 An artists’ reception will be held Friday, September 24 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Perrella Gallery, 2805 State Highway 67, Johnstown, New York.  Refreshments will be served and the public is cordially welcome.
 A gallery talk by the artist will be given in the Perrella Gallery on Wednesday, September 29 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. and is open to the public.
Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. with extended hours until 9:00 p.m. on Thursdays or by appointment. The Gallery is closed weekends and holidays. For further information please contact Amy Radik at 762-4651 ext. 3616 or the Perrella Gallery at ext. 4112.
An artist’s reception will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday (Sept. 24) at the Perrella Gallery, next to the theater at the college, 2805 Route 67. Refreshments will be served. The public is welcome.
A gallery talk by the artist will be given in the gallery from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 29). This also will be open to the public.
Gallery hours are weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thursdays, when it stays open until 9 p.m.