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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

"Waking the Divine"
Photographs and Oil Paintings

Robert Manganelli and Carl Rowe

March 15, 2003 - April 8, 2003

Artist Reception: Saturday, March 15, 6 - 9 PM

Santa Monica, Calif. - February 21, 2003 -- The Schomburg Gallery is pleased to announce "Waking the Divine," an exhibition that brings together two celebrated artists that are noted for their abilities to capture timeless moments on film and on canvas. Photographer Bob Manganelli captures split-second frames of everyday life, finding what Cartier-Bresson referred to as the magical "1/125 of a second" -- the "moment of creation" -- that would otherwise have gone unnoticed. Carl Rowe portrays the divine majesty of the American landscape -- undulating mountain ranges, shadows cast by rolling clouds overhead -- with the life of the land ready to explode from his canvas at any moment.

Manganelli's lens uncovers the beauty that exists in the moment where form and circumstance converge - where the metaphysical intercedes with the physical -- exhibiting what he calls the "nowness of existence." The works to be exhibited are the fruits of Manganelli's recent journey through the Amazon where he re-connected with his love with still photography while conducting research for his upcoming film project, aptly entitled, Waking the Divine.

A 1983 graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology's School of Photographic Arts and Sciences and a 1992 graduate of UCLA's School of Film, Manganelli has forged a well-rounded career based on the aesthetic exploration of the state of human emotion. His work at Robert Redford's Sundance Institute led to After Image, a 2001 independent film written and directed by Manganelli. The film (starring John Mellencamp, Terrylene and Oscar-winner Louise Fletcher), was acclaimed for its exploration of the genuine human connections that people make, as well as vulnerability, melancholy, acceptance and forgiveness -- themes that also re-surface in the photographic work to be included in "Waking the Divine."

Rowe paints oils on canvas and captures the form, colors, lines and textures of breath-taking American landscapes, using oranges, golds, greens and blues in ways that evoke the spirit of an untamed and untainted West. Rowe, an accomplished choreographer, grew up in the mid-west, but now lives in Boise, Idaho -- a move that allowed him to see the land with greater intensity. According to Rowe, his long history with the stage, theatre and dance prompts him to see the land in a theatrical manner: strong light, emotional colors and lines that possess near-human qualities that literally bring life to his work.

A resident of Idaho since 1979, Rowe holds a B.A. in English from Luther College and has attended the Goodman School of Drama at the Chicago Art Institute, as well as the School of Dance at University of California at Santa Cruz. Most recently, Rowe was awarded the 2002 Governor's Award - Excellence in the Arts, Lifetime Award.

FOR VISUALS OR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Susan Schomburg, Director
Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Avenue, E3A, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Tel: 310-453-5757 Fax: 310-453-5758
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11 AM to 6 PM