News Release

November 15, 2007

Contact: Carolyn Pennington, 860-679-4864
e-mail: cpennington@uchc.edu

Paintings and Photography Featured at LeWitt Gallery

Exhibit: "Morocco at a Glance" paintings by Emese El Bissatiné Pásztor and "Wild America” photographs by Gary Melnysyn

Where: Celeste LeWitt Gallery, UConn Health Center, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington

When: December 6 through March 12, daily 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

About the artist:
The daughter of artisan parents Emese El Bissatiné Pásztor grew up in a small Hungarian village, where she says she was amazed and inspired by her parents' creativity. Working with vibrant colors, she is also inspired by her collection of simple handcrafted objects - brought back from numerous visits to Morocco - and by Henri Matisse who spent time there.

She has exhibited at Artwalk, West Hartford, and at numerous shows in Hungary, including at the János Tornyai Museum in Hódmezővásárhely. She has also had solo exhibits in Nagymagocs, Hungary; Paris; Westborough, Mass.; and Farmington.

A Bristol resident, Pásztor earned a bachelor's degree in Education, Fine Art and French Language and Literature at Nyíregyháza College in Hungary and is currently working on her master's in Art Education at Central Connecticut State University. She is a certified art teacher and French language teacher.

Gary Melnysyn has traveled throughout North and Central America photographing and documenting wildlife in their natural habitat. He has published articles and images in Nature Photographers Magazine and Outdoor Photographer Magazine. His photos appear in newspapers and in local venues, and he is a frequent contributor to the Connecticut Audubon Web Gallery.

Melnysyn has been recognized for his work by the Simsbury Camera Club and was a Better Photo and International Library of Photography finalist. He is a standing member of the Nature Photographer Network and the National Educators Computing Conference (NECC).

A self-taught photographer, Melnysyn has been certified by the University of Florida as Master Naturalist. A Granby resident, he is an expert on the coastal ecosystem of Florida, where he has led narrated eco tours.

Editor's Note: Download high quality image of artist’s painting at: http://auxiliary.uchc.edu/art/exhibit.html.

The University of Connecticut Health Center’s collection of fine arts serves to enhance the environment and promote the sense of a caring community for patients, visitors, staff and students. Art is selected, acquired and exhibited by the UCHC Art Advisory Committee. To view a selection of the Health Center’s permanent collection visit: http://auxiliary.uchc.edu/art/index.html.    

The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital, a Solucient Top 100 Hospital® 2006. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. To learn more about the UConn Health Center, visit our website at www.uchc.edu.

Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications homepage at www.uchc.edu/ocomm/ for archived news releases and other information.