The Big Picture: Exhibition by Alexey Steele

Alexey Steele is famous for his work as a painter and as an outspoken advocate for the role of fine art in modern society. “The Big Picture” is a selection of huge drawings made for two of his unique dome mural commissions, The Circle and The Soul of the Hero. Known as “cartoons,” the drawings are made to work out problems of composition and form before committing to the painting.

These remarkable renderings offer a glimpse into the working methods of a master artist. In 2009 the paintings won Steele the prestigious Artemis Award in Athens, Greece, “for celebrating the power and beauty of women through his art on a heroic scale in the modern world.”

Steele is a signature artist member of the California Art Club and founder of the Classical Underground, a unique performance platform showcasing the relationship between classical music and classical representational art.

He and his work have been featured on two covers of American Artist, in a Los Angeles Times profile and in art and music publications including Southwest Art, Fine Art Connoisseur and Gramophone.

An opening reception will be held Saturday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. and an artist's reception will be held Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 5 p.m.

Admission is free. The Kwan Fong Gallery, located in Soiland Humanities Center, is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.