CONVERSATION OF A FRIDAY: Gallery 13 North in Lambertville recently signed international artist, Lourdes Ral from Barcelona, Spain. She is showcasing her work at the Gallery in a group show called “Abstract Innovation,” which is opening on April 8. Pictured here is one of Ral’s paintings, titled “Conversation of a Friday.”

Since its opening last year, Gallery 13 North in Lambertville has hosted several art-related events involving established artists known throughout the region. Gallery 13 North is pleased to announce the representation of an innovative young artist from Barcelona, Spain: Lourdes Ral. Along with other international artists, Ral will be showcasing her works for Gallery 13 North’s upcoming group show “Abstract Innovation” which will run from April 8 to July 9. The opening reception is scheduled for April 8 at 2 p.m.

Lourdes Ral graduated from the University of Barcelona in 2000 with a BA in art history, she also completed communication and art criticism degrees from Girona University. Since 2000, her mixed media artworks of pastel, acrylic, and tempera gained an international following through exhibitions in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Austria, and Germany. In addition, Ral participated in ArtExpo Barcelona.

Her artwork symbolizes the strong presence of time, inspired by the hustle and bustle of small cafes in the Las Ramblas district of Barcelona and other transportation hubs in Catalonia. Her characters are travelers and locals intermingling in cafes or reading books as time passes in their everyday lives.

“Gallery 13 North has given me the opportunity to showcase my paintings in the U.S. for the first time. Showing the streets of Barcelona, the interiors of buildings, and the interaction of people in my paintings will create a bridge between Barcelona and New Jersey,” says Ral.

International artist Cathy Minniti will also show her works at the group art exhibition. Minniti was born in 1935 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and reconnected with art in the adult years of her life. She became a prolific artist in 1982. Her abstract works are motivated by philosophy and literature. Her works reflect a personal story as well as the life of humankind.

Past solo exhibitions include shows at Manzana de las Luces Museum in Argentina, the Metropolitan Museum of Art of Buenos Aires, Prallsville Mills, and the Bank of Princeton Gallery in Lambertville. In addition to her solo shows, her works were displayed at the Argentinian Embassy in New York, National Congress of Buenos Aires, and 11th Congress of Art in Palermo Viejo among many others.

Three additional artists with different media styles will adorn Gallery 13 North space at this upcoming show. Marcel Juillerat, Robert M. Baum, and Wayne Cunningham are no strangers to the Delaware Valley and the Lambertville art scene. While this will be the gallery’s first representation of Cunningham’s abstract works, both Juillerat and Baum recently had solo shows at Gallery 13 North that highlighted traditional impressionistic painting styles and plein air landscapes. At the “Abstract Innovation” show on April 8, patrons can see a different side of their artistry. Six never-before-seen geometric abstracts by Juillerat will be on display as well as Baum’s free-form abstracts.

Gallery 13 North is located at 13 North Union Street in Lambertville. Hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sunday noon–5 p.m. For more information, visit www.Gallery13North.com.