EARLVILLE – Artists Daniel Petrov and Lisa Gregg Wightman kick off the 2007 season for the Earlville Opera House Art Galleries.  Both exhibits will run from Jan. 13- Feb. 24t.  On Saturday, an opening reception will take place for both exhibits from 6:00-7:30 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend and refreshments will be served.
Daniel Petrov’s solo exhibition in the East Gallery of the Earlville Opera House is entitled “A Collection of Dreamers.” On display are over twenty of his typical energy-laden and provocative portraits of the last three years. Some of the depicted subjects come straight from the artist’s immediate milieu and others he stumbled upon purely by chance. Comprising this eclectic and compelling group are a Chinese Shaolin kung fu master, a struggling Turkish actor, a German avant-garde singer, and an aspiring Japanese children’s book illustrator. The obvious commonality between these individuals is that they all pursue the arts in one form or another. What further unites this colorful bunch is that they are all, perhaps because of their unique gifts, fierce individuals with a firm belief in their own ideals and ambitions.   
Petrov has produced a large and consistent body of artwork.  His paintings are executed in oil and acrylic and his drawings in pencil, acrylic, and ink.  Fascinated with the human figure, Daniel has developed a dynamic and sensuous visual idiom. He strives less for realism than emotional acuity. Characteristics are his long, fervent brush strokes and a penchant for vivid colors, whimsical gestures, and heightened expressions.
Petrov was born in Bulgaria and grew up in Munich, Germany.  In 1992, he graduated with a BFA in painting and filmmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute. In 1995, he moved to New York, where for ten years he worked as a cameraman, shooting television news stories and documentaries for European broadcasters. With an ever-growing output of art, Daniel began pursuing a career as a painter. In 2006, he settled in Sarasota, Florida. He has exhibited in several solo shows and twenty group shows across the US.  To view his online portfolio, log on to www.danielpetrov.com.
 Lisa Gregg Wightman will exhibit “Stones and Threads” in the West Gallery of the Earlville Opera House. The exhibition consists of pieces made from various materials and mixed media collage. 
 “My artwork is inspired by a few personal and universal themes that interpenetrate each other.  The main reference is the one to nature.  I use the theme of nature as a language to investigate the wonder, strength and fragility of human life.  I am also interested in the transcendent qualities of the natural world and how those qualities connect us to it. My work also intends to convey the solitude and quiet that I require in my experience as an artist.  In the work, I have used a variety of drawing and painting media, but what is most visually noticeable is the use of collage. I utilize a wide variety of collage materials and some are created specifically for a certain piece. The sewing function as collage, but also as line and mark.”
Wightman was born in Houlton, Maine, which borders New Brunswick, Canada.  During the 1960s, she lived in Germany before moving back to central New York, where she attended college.  She lives in Rome with her husband, Bruce, and her son, Russell. Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute has employed Wightman for the past 21 years as a Professor of Art. She teaches primarily printmaking, but also papermaking, book arts, and drawing. 
Earlville Opera House events are made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and through the generosity of Earlville Opera House members.