Galen Brown "OCD"

It is with absolute pleasure that we announce the opening of local artist Galen Brown’s solo exhibition titled OCD, and finally some access to his work!

Brown was born in Reno in 1959 and raised in both Reno and at King’s Beach, Lake Tahoe. He was a dedicated junior ski racer on the Reno Falcons ski team and later the Lake Tahoe Ski Club, and a quiet loner in school who lacked direction until a ski accident rendered him immobile for six months. Brown began taking classes at the San Francisco Art Institute and wound up staying for the duration of his formal art education. He studied in China and New York, earning a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in 1988 and a master’s degree in 1990. Brown occasionally exhibited his work in group exhibitions at galleries and non-profit art spaces, but given his slow and methodical working style, Brown resisted selling his work to collectors, preferring to keep his bodies of work together….

Until now……

Galen has released 3 bodies of work including several of the Circles series, (those that will fit in the Melhop Gallery º7077 space), for exhibit over the months of February and March this year. The work is quiet and thoughtful, while also obsessive, and delicate but which radiate with so much pulsing energy that they are mesmerizing. Compelled to continuously respond to the environment, world events and the materials he has to hand, Galen works consciously marking the passage of time while exerting a playfulness outside of each medium’s normal use.

Each artwork challenges the way we think about drawing as a medium. Galen pushes the boundaries of our understanding and preconceived notions about drawing. The scale of the drawings range between 3 inches x 2.5 inches up to 12 feet x 12 feet.

The Nevada Museum of Art purchased one of the 8 foot x 8 foot circle drawings for its permanent collection, after his solo exhibition Sinecere, in 2019-2020.

For now, the gallery will operate by appointment only. As receptions are out of the question during Covid times, we are very happy to open for individual visits or to host mini gatherings for you and a small group of masked up friends (maximum of 7). Please let us know if you would like to schedule a gallery visit on a weekday or a weekend. Flexibility and support for artists are our goals in these strange days!

Email: frances@melhopgallery.com