FACULTY SHOW AT WEST WINDSOR: “Airplane” by Donna Payton features in the West Windsor Arts Council’s second annual summer exhibition of two-dimensional works in paint, pen and ink, and multi-media, by teaching artists, including Priscilla Algava of Princeton; Hong Lu of Morrisville, Pa; Donna Payton of Millstone Township; Aparajita Pooja Sen of West Windsor; and Adam Recktenwald of New Brunswick. The works will be on view Sunday, July 21 through Friday, September 6, with an opening reception Sunday, July 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. and gallery talk at 5 p.m. West Windsor Arts Council, in the historic Princeton Junction Firehouse, is at 952 Alexander Road, Princeton Junction. For more information and gallery hours, call (609) 716-1931 or visit: www.westwindsorarts.org.

Two artists with strong affinities for color are presenting a joint show of their work, titled “True Colors,” at the Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville.

Alla Podolsky of Philadelphia is a Ukrainian-born artist known for her dog portraits and for narrative paintings that show people in their environments, at home, in bookstores and cafes, often in city or town settings.

“I paint memories,” says Ms. Podolsky, “moments plucked from experiences, and in my mind, they are all bathed in very specific colors. Not necessarily the colors I saw at the time, but rather the colors I felt, the colors of the moods and emotions I remember. If the moment was sad, I paint it in a cooler, more subdued palette. If it was happy, the colors will be brighter. If it’s a distinct memory, the colors are sharper. It’s often not so much a deliberate choice but rather a natural, instinctive one.”

For Charlie Katzenbach of Hopewell, primary colors hold particular attraction. Inspired by the prisms of light falling on the floor of her Hopewell studio, Ms. Katzenbach paints boldly in blue, red, and green oils on glass planes in various geometric designs and constructions. Rainbows are often the result and Ms. Katzenbach could be said to chase the rainbow for this “True Colors” show, which includes vibrant primary colors on glass panes in various geometric designs that are often reminiscent of Amish quilts. One such is her “Equal Rainbows,” 20” by 18”, oil on glass and stained glass.

“I’ve been painting the spectrum for some time,” says Ms. Katzenbach. “I try to capture the brilliant colors that I see as the crystals in my studio window break the light into its components. There is an exuberant joy in the cascade of colors and the rainbow is also a cultural and political symbol celebrating unity despite diversity for both the civil rights and LGBT movements. As a person affected by both this means much to me,” she says, alluding to her own transgender history.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of works on display in “True Colors” will be donated in support of The Trevor Project, a leading national organization that provides crisis and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth.

Since the late 1970s, the rainbow has been a symbol of Gay Pride and has come to represent the diversity of the LGBT movement.

“Artists are storytellers. And colors are our words. And all I can hope for as an artist is that my words speak to people the same way they speak to me when I paint,” says Ms. Podolsky, who describes color as both universal and personal, capable of invoking visceral reactions of love and hate. “To an artist, color is a language. It’s how we communicate. It’s how we compose. It’s how we translate. It’s what connects all artists, no matter what the medium, or style, or form,” she says.

The Artists’ Gallery is a partnership of 18 established artists with national and international reputations. Ms. Katzenbach and Ms. Podolsky are both members of the group that includes such accomplished artists as Beatrice Bork of Flemington, Gail Bracegirdle of Bensalem, Jennifer Cadoff of Princeton, Joe Kazimierczyk of Hillsborough, Patricia Lange of Hopewell, Carol Sanzalone of Lambertville, and Andrew Werth of Princeton Junction. The Artists’ Gallery attracts collectors and art lovers from all over New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

ANTIQUARIAN OF THE WORD: This 20″ by 16″ oil on canvas painting by Alla Podolsky is among a selection of her works on view in a joint show with Charlie Katzenbach at the Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville. “True Colors” continues through August 4. Part of the proceeds from sales benefit The Trevor Project for services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. For more information, call (609) 397-4588 or visit: www.lambertvillearts.com.

“True Colors,” opened Friday, July 5, and will continue through Sunday, August 4 when the artists will host a closing reception from 4 to 6 p.m.

Located at 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville, the gallery is open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and by appointment. Printed 5×7 inch cards featuring selected artwork by Ms. Podolsky can be purchased from the Artists Gallery for $2.25 each or 10 for $20.

For more information or to arrange a visit outside of regular hours, call (609) 397-4588, or visit: www.lambertvillearts.com.