March 2010

"Keeping Dry"
Volodymir Fechyk

Celebrate the vibrant colors of umbrellas and life in the Rain throughout the world.
The month of March will showcase the global, original oils of Fabian Perez of Argentina, Guy Desspat of France and Czech Republic's Volodymir Fechyk.

Oleg Zhivetin Art Exhibit

Alessandro’s Ristorante & Galleria will feature an exhibit of limited edition artist-embellished giclees by Russian painter Oleg Zhivetin.

Zhivetin’s extraordinarily complex works revolve around a universal theme of love in a fractured color style.

“His combination of geometric shapes and abstract patterns—often applied onto canvas in copper foil or gold leaf—is truly masterful,” says Alessandro’s Owner Roger Yost. “His characters’ faces evolve from flat, mask-like images to fully realized visages exuding intelligence and emotion.”

Yost met the artist at the annual Art Expo show in New York two years ago and made arrangements to exhibit his work.

Zhivetin was born March 18, 1964 in Uzbekistan, where at an early age he began painting landscapes and working with watercolors. He eventually earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Surikov Art Institute, one the former Soviet Union’s most prestigious art schools.

Russian icon painting is a basic and profound point-of-reference in Oleg’s work, according to Yost. “The viewer will find religious imagery—golden halos, Madonnas, and angels—as well hearts, musical instruments, books, celestial beings, and flowers, symbols of beauty, delicacy, and spiritual development. “One of the most beautiful aspects of Oleg’s painting is his skillful rendering of faces, hands and feet. His characters often communicate through the use of hand gestures rather than eye contact. Gestures are imbued with subtle meaning; a deep sense of shared experience is created through this control of body language. “To stand before an Oleg masterpiece is an experience you will not soon forget; to own one is a source of pride.”

"European City Lights" Art Exhibit

Original oils by Guy Dessapt, Andrej Chernysh and Jerome Valery capture the beauty and mystery of Paris and Prague at twilight. From Roger Yost's personal collection.

The exhibit is in Alessandro's Ballroom Gallery.

Alessandro’s is located at 120 Commercial Street NE in Downtown Salem. The gallery is open during restaurant hours, 11:30 to 2 p.m. M-F, and 5-9 p.m. M-Saturday. The telephone number is 503-370-9951.

Pianists Peter Kotenko and Jahaziel J. Galindo

These talented local pianists perform their improvisational styles of music in the dining area on Friday and Saturday nights.

Peter Kotenko performs Friday nights.
Jahaziel J. Galindo performs Saturday nights.

Performances start at 6:30pm on both nights and continue until 9:00pm.