"American Landscapes: Paintings by Rita Armstrong," the new MATV Gallery exhibit on view September 14 - November 6, 2009 is granting this recent immigrant her dream of being an artist in America. Originally from Brazil, Rita believes that it is “an amazing opportunity” to share her perspectives of American landscapes and history with the people in the country that has been such an inspiration to her. Mostly larger canvases painted with oils or acrylics, these works range from such settings as Lake George and winter in Vermont to such historically significant sites as Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and Henry David Thoreau’s
cabin at Walden Pond, depicting “the shared history we all have and the culture we all contribute to and are a part of.”
Ever since she first started painting at age 12, Rita has loved playing with color. Following some formal training early on, she mostly has experimented on her own, embracing inspirational landscapes and translating them through her bold, rich palette. Rita came to the United States four years ago, living first in Malden but eventually moving to Revere. By pursuing her love of travel—and aided by her husband’s love of history—Rita has been guided easily to the types of scenes that she believes showcase America’s beauty and uniqueness and that “inspire hope for the future and speak of the resiliency of America.”
Rita has been painting for her own pleasure, but her practice of presenting paintings to family and friends as gifts sparked opportunity. Rita studies English and US culture at Malden’s Immigrant Learning Center (ILC), where she gave Director Diane Portnoy one of her paintings. Impressed, Diane suggested 
that Rita participate in the 2008 Window Arts Malden show, which featured local artists’ works in the windows of downtown Malden businesses. Her works ended up in the ILC’s front windows, and Rita will be participating once again in this year’s event, which coincides with her own first solo show at MATV.
The public is invited to attend the 
exhibit reception on Friday, October 2, from 6:30 to 8:00pm. Viewing hours are Monday–Thursday, 10am-9pm; Friday, 10am-6pm; and Saturday, 10am-2pm. Handicapped accessible, Malden Access Television is located at 145 Pleasant St. in Malden Square. For information, visit www.matv.org/gallery or call 781-321-6400.
Gallery Spotlight "American Landscapes"
Click "Play" to view this 17-minute video about the exhibit "American Landscapes" featuring artist Rita Armstrong.
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