Red Horse Gallery, Freehold, NJ Presents: Linnea Tober

For Immediate Release
February, 2010
“Tell me the story...It was a woman. You always say that. There's always a woman somewhere, child; a princess, a witch, a stepmother, a mermaid, a fairy godmother, or one as wicked as she is beautiful, or as beautiful as she is good. Is that the complete list? Then there is the woman you love. Who's she? That's another story.” – Jeanette Winterson
Linnea Tober’s “Mermaids”, an exhibition of her most recent acrylic/mixed-media paintings, will open at the Red Horse Gallery in the Freehold Raceway Mall, on March 22. The opening reception will be held Wednesday, March 24, from 6-8pm; serving GLUTEN-FREE, home-made baked goods in order to promote Celiac’s Disease awareness, a disease which Ms. Tober has and feel s passionate about educating the general public about.
Ms. Tober describes her work as such: “I enjoy focusing on the strengths, beauty, layers of emotion and the sheer mystery and magic of the female form. These aspects are apparent to me every single day. After all, aren’t we all goddesses, faeries, gypsies, mermaids, maidens, sirens, enchantresses, mothers, lovers, and friends? My work consists of many layers, layers of color and textures, but mainly layers of meaning. I have a somewhat surrealistic style and strive to capture multitudes of expressions and emotions. Yes, I am an artist, and I have a responsibility to bring beauty into the world; but much more than that, to make people think and feel in ways they might not have otherwise been able to do. My own struggles with chronic pain and fatigue in dealing with endometriosis, arthritis and celiac’s disease have made me all the more compassionate and aware of what it is like to live with illness and just how healing art can be. This has turned my artwork to focusing on many women’s health issues, and hopefully putting a positive, peaceful and uplifting spin on the fight.” Besides the beautiful colors and layering of paint, it is her exact and precise applications of ‘mixed-media’ materials that make her Mermaids truly stand out; items such as beads, feathers, text and jewels make their way into her works in surprising and interesting ways. Furthermore, having been born and raised in the small seaside town of Monmouth Beach; her love and deep respect for the ocean are ingrained in her being. There is no doubt, the sea air in her blood, and these works absolutely depict that passion.
The exhibition will run from March 22-May 14 at the Red Horse Gallery, Freehold, NJ. The Gallery is located inside the Freehold Raceway Mall, on the upper level, next to Sears. The gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10am-4:30pm, and by appointment, the phone number is (732) 866-0435.
Background Information:
An established and exhibiting artist since 1994, New Jersey native Linnea Tober has exhibited extensively on the state level, with works exhibited at the Monmouth Museum, Shore Institute of the Contemporary Arts, The Art Alliance in Red Bank, the Guild of Creative Arts in Shrewsbury, The Monmouth Festival of the Arts, Brookdale Community College, and most recently, a solo show at The Monmouth Beach Cultural Center. Ms. Tober is a member of the Art Alliance, MCAC, The Guild of Creative Art, Belmar Arts Council, Freehold Artist Guild, Artscap, and SICA. She has had over 13 solo shows throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties, and exhibited in over twenty juried shows as well. Much of Linnea’s work can be viewed online at: http://ps1.org/studio-visit/artist/linnea-tober and http://fineartamerica.com/.
Linnea earned her bachelor’s in Art History from Kean University and a Master’s in Art Education from Monmouth University, as well as a graphic design certification from Brookdale Community College.
Press Contact: Linnea Tober; Linnea27@msn.com, 732.500.8629