This exhibition highlights a group of thirteen artists who explore the theme of self-created worlds of dioramas, while addressing a variety of contemporary concerns, including psychological and social issues, natural environments and virtual realities. The works in the exhibition are diverse in size and medium, such as tiny matchbox situations, room-sized installations, embroideries, paintings, video, architectural and ecological sculptural models and psychologically charged photographic studies of miniature environments. Many of us are captivated by the magical charm of dioramas and there seems to be an innate human desire to recreate our surroundings, especially those that transform the landscape of life into parallel or miniature environments. As children or hobbyists of any age, we love playing with a favorite dollhouse or creating miniature action-packed toy soldier battles. Historically, we can see this same fascination beginning with ancient cultures, such as the small scale environmental models found in ancient Egyptian tombs, or the elaborate Medieval Christmas crèches, right through to 1822 when Louis Daguerre coined the word "diorama" in reference to the his new type of theatrical entertainment, only to reappear again as our present day virtual reality games. As a vehicle for artistic expression, the diorama provides contemporary artists with the perfect platform for taking into account real life conditions by deftly intertwining elements of the authentic and the imagined into constructed environments, silent captured scenes which are frozen in a moment of time. Artists featured in the exhibition are Jessica Bottalico, Darlene Charneco, Lisa Dahl, Lisa di Donato, Jennifer Hunold, Misako Inaoka, Katerina Lanfranco, Elizabeth Livingston, Jason Paradis, Margaret Roleke, Jonah Samson, Justin Shull and Rachel Vaters-Carr. The exhibition is on view through Saturday, July 30. The Ann Street Gallery is a nonprofit art gallery specializing in contemporary emerging and established artists. The gallery is located at 104 Ann Street in Newburgh, and hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 am-5:00 pm and Friday through Saturday 11:00 am-5:00 pm. www.annstreetgallery.org

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