Preview Shows at Ferrari Gallery and Arts for Act

HOWL GALLERY/TATTOO PRESENTS GALAXIES UNITED

OPENING RECEPTION APRIL 1^st  DURING FORT MYERS ART WALK

HOWL Gallery/Tattoo presents “Galaxies United”, a new exhibit featuring the artwork of Stephen Hayford and Robert Hendrickson, both Lucasfilm artists living in Southwest Florida. The show features photographs of hand-crafted dioramas by Stephen Hayford and the graphically bold watercolor works of Robert Hendrickson.

Stephen Hayford is an award-winning photographer, working in photojournalism for more than 20 years. His journalistic work influences his art, which is approached from the perspective of a documentarian. Hayford creates elaborately detailed dioramas which he populates with customized action figures which are less than four inches tall. He then photographs these unique scenes with great attention to light, subtle gestures, and compositional storytelling.  Thus he creates realistic, and sometimes exaggerated, portraits of human behavior in plastic.Hayford’s interest in plastics grew out of his childhood fascination for toys and passion for Star Wars. He channels this youthful passion as an official artist for Lucasfilm. His personal work reflects the peculiarities he encounters as a Florida resident.

Robert Hendrickson was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. At a young age he showed an interest in the arts that eventually lead him to the Art Center College of Design. Since launching his career as a freelance illustrator, Robert has created artwork for the entertainment, advertising, book and magazine industries. Past and current clients include Lucasfilm, The Jim Henson Company, Time Inc, Topps, IDG Entertainment and more. In 2005, Robert began officially creating artwork for the Star Wars universe. His work can be seen in the pages of Star Wars Insider to limited edition prints for Star Wars Celebration IV, V and Star Wars Celebration Japan.

The opening reception for “Galaxies United” will be held Friday, April 1^st, in conjunction with the downtown Fort Myers Art Walk, from 6-10pm. The evening will also be a celebration of HOWL Gallery/Tattoo’s 2 Year Anniversary, and will feature a raffle with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Animal Refuge Center in North Fort Myers. The exhibit continues through April. For more information, please visit www.howlgallery.com, www.stephenhayford.com, or www.roberthendrickson.net.