October 4, 2018, Castelli Art Space Welcomes Laura Letchinger

Castelli Art Space presents a solo exhibition entitled “CONNECTION” by Laura Letchinger, with Special Guest Piece by Piece. Opening October 4, 2018, the show will feature at least ten large mixed media works by the artist as well as a variety of sculptures and wall hangings by the mosaic arts nonprofit.

Raised in a small rural town outside Chicago during the 70’s and early 80’s, Letchinger wanted to be an artist from a young age and fondly recalled her first experience with art. “One of the first memories I have of mark making was when I was very little and came across piles of new white paper and sharpened pencils in my grandparents' attic,” said Letchinger. “I clearly remember drawing a single crisp line across the vast emptiness of the paper and for whatever reason, I was hooked.”

These days Letchinger paints on a daily basis, mainly working in acrylic mixed with graphite, charcoal, collage or pastel to create her large, urban-inspired pieces. Her paintings are collected internationally by individuals, designers, architects and developers.

Piece by Piece serves the residents of Skid Row and South Los Angeles, working with those living in supportive housing and individuals with very low income. In addition to providing free mosaic art workshops—with an emphasis on recycled materials, the program offers a sense of community and opportunities to earn much-needed supplemental income. Participants gain self-confidence, courage and an improved quality of life while giving back to their communities as they collaborate to create large-scale public art projects.

Said Letchinger, “As I began planning the show, it became clear that I had a special opportunity to offer this remarkable nonprofit not only financial support (10% of any sales of my work) but also exposure to new audiences in a gallery setting to help increase their own sales and collector relationships. Program Director and professional mosaic artist Dawn Mendelson had the idea that one of my paintings be interpreted into mosaic for the show, a wonderful physical manifestation of energetic connection extending out of my studio and into this inspiring community.”

Meet artist Laura Letchinger and find out more about Piece by Piece at the opening reception on October 4, 2018, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm at Castelli Art Space, near Culver City. “CONNECTION” runs October 4 - 7. Castelli Art Space is located at 5428 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90016; (310) 204-6830. https://www.castelliartspace.com/ http://www.lauraletchingerart.com http://www.piecebypiece.org/