En Plein Air, The Art of Jason Berger

A view along the "Promenade des Anglais" in Nice at night.
Picture taken from the hotel Suisse.
(Photo: W.M. Connolley/Wikimedia Commons)

Here's an interesting DC area art update I received today from a friend (thanks Susan!):

"From April 13 to May 4 'En Plein Air: The Art of Jason Berger' will be on exhibit at the French Embassy in Washington, DC.

On Friday, April 13, over 120 people gathered for an opening reception to celebrate the event.

VisionArt, an art consulting company based in Washington and owned / operated by Melissa Himmel Twomey has orchestrated the art exhibit which shows 50 of Berger's remarkable paintings.

Most of the paintings in the show are vivid landscapes of France, the place where he spent most of his adult life as an artist. All of the artwork is for sale in the exhibition.

Berger passed away in 2010 and this is the first large exhibition since his death and the first in Washington, DC.

The exhibit is open by appointment Monday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm or evenings can be arranged as well. Please contact Melissa Himmel Twomey of VisionArt Consulting at melissatwomey@gmail.com to make an appointment."

I must confess I had never heard of Jason Berger (1924-2010), before, but his work looks interesting - colorful, vibrant and full of "joie de vivre," as the French would say. Surely if the French Embassy is showcasing his work, it must be good, "n'est-ce pas"?

According to his website jasonbergerpainter.com, Berger was "a Boston area painter who was connected to the Boston Expressionists. He painted en plein air landscapes in the United States, Europe and Mexico and used those motifs in abstracted studio paintings."

On May 11, moreover, La Maison Francaise/House of France DC - the cultural center located on the grounds of the French Embassy - will at 7 pm host a free reception (registration required however) for 'Unforgettable - A Painter's Brush - With Iranian Female Artists - Works by Nurieh Mozaffari.'