Main Street Gallery is proud to celebrate15 years as Cambridge’s only artist-run cooperative with a Fall show of the works of its guest artist, local painter, Jose Ramirez. There will be a special Second Saturday gala reception on September 12 from 5-8 pm to honor the artist and mark the Gallery’s milestone. The reception is free and open to the public and special refreshments will be served. “It’s a big thank you to the Cambridge community and all who have supported the gallery for these 15 years, as well as a welcome reception for our guest artist,” says director, Linda Starling.

Jose Ramirez is no stranger to the downtown Gallery having shown his oil and water color paintings of local scenes last year in a well-received exhibit titled MORE THAN LINES AND COLORS.

This year, for the months of September and October, his works will hang alongside the artwork of the eight gallery members in his show called MOMENTS IN TIME IN WATERCOLOR AND OIL.

Jose, who works in both watercolor and oil, likes to paint  en plein air, or outside in nature, and also in his studio. He says he has always known he was an artist and his focus is on painting what he loves, what he knows and where he lives. “As an artist, I love to create paintings from the simple act of looking”, he says. “I’m inspired by the beauty and presence of the things I see and the way light affects ordinary objects.”

A resident of Dorchester County, his subjects are often local street life, landscapes and maritime scenes he might encounter in his everyday travels. But what inspires him about these scenes he says is their very presence and beauty and how light plays on them. “I like to seek out the relationship between light, shadow and  atmosphere as I paint”, he explains.

After moving to the Eastern Shore from his home in Guatemala in 2012, Jose says he started developing his unique style that he describes as “smooth and realistic.” He stresses that although his work is rooted in realism, his goal is not to paint a photo-realistic representation of what he sees but a painting that captures his feelings about his subject.

 Jose Ramirez studied art at the Manuel Herrarte Lemus Art School in Chiquimula, Guatemala and began exhibiting his work at the age of 21.

He has shown his work widely in the area and is a member of the Academy Art Museum, where he attends open studio sessions and is able to draw the human figure from life. He’s also a member of the Plein Air Painters of the Chesapeake Bay and the Working Artists Forum, all in Easton.

MOMENTS IN TIME IN WATERCOLOR AND OIL will premier at the gallery at 518 Poplar St. in Cambridge on September 4 and will run through November1.

In addition to the Second Saturday gala on September 12 there will be an artist reception on Second Saturday, October 10 from 5-8 pm at which the artist will give a talk about his work. This reception is also free and all are invited. Light refreshments will be served

Main Street Gallery is open Fridays through Sundays from 11-5 and online shopping is always available at mainstgallery.net.  Located in Cambridge’s thriving arts and entertainment district, MSG is currently reviewing work by prospective members and guest artists. Please contact MSG through its website or by calling 410-330-4659 if you are interested in being part of this vibrant artist community.