David Gerbstadt to open solo show at Art Partners Studio
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
A solo exhibition by David Gerbstadt will open Thursday at Art Partners Studio.
His unconventional art career has included a near-death experience, the international distribution of more than 3,000 free works of art, and the documentary generated by that mass gesture of good will.
And, now the work of iconic painter David Gerbstadt will be available to Coatesville Area residents. On Thursday, Gerbstadt’s solo exhibition will open at the Art Partners Studio with a free, public reception from 5 to 7 p.m.; refreshments will be served.
“David has been a longtime friend of the studio,” said Lindsay Brinton, director of Art Partners Studio. “We have admired his quirky, funky, outsider art too long from a distance and are delighted, finally, to introduce David and his art to the residents of Coatesville.”
According to Brinton, Gerbstadt’s work is best described in his own words: “I do not paint landscapes, still lifes, portraits, animals, political, or issue-driven subjects. I do paint and draw kindness, love, joy, and other things that put some light into the universe. I focus on what I like, not what I don’t like. The art speaks for itself.”
In 1994, Gerbstadt, a Berwyn resident, decided to leave his paintings and drawings for the taking – on street corners, at train stations from Pennsylvania to Mexico to Poland. In 2000, a film crew chronicled the experiences of Gerbstadt and some of the recipients of works ranging in size from 7 feet high to about 3 inches. The film, called “David Was Here,” won an award at the Iowa international film festival, according to Gerbstadt’s web site.
In 2006, Gerbstadt painted his car, an endeavor he describes as a “magical ride,” engendering positive responses wherever he goes. Once, fearing a ticket, he felt some angst when he saw a police officer surveying the vehicle. It turned out that the officer was simply taking a photo so he could send it to his girlfriend.
Gerbstadt said a paramedic brought him back to life on Dec. 28, 2007, after he was run over by a tractor-trailer while riding his bicycle. Listening to doctors’ amazement that he survived has motivated him to continue his passion of never giving up and enjoying life one breath at a time, according to his web site.
Gerbstadt’s exhibition at the Art Partners Studio will run through May 9. He specializes in recycled materials for his work, including the paper. Extending the geographic reach of the show, some work will also be displayed at the library, which is across the street, said Brinton.
For more information about the Gerbstadt exhibition or the Art Partners Studio’s summer art camps or classes and generous scholarship program, call the office at 610 384-3030 or visit our website at www.artpartnersstudio.org. The studio’s office is located at 524 E. Lincoln Highway, in Coatesville. Office hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
