Where to see Dalí, Picasso art in downtown York
Beginning in March, locals will no longer have to travel to large cities to see works by artists like Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso.
For 30 days starting March 3, 10 original prints by these artists and a few others can be found in downtown York.
The exhibit, which will open at 6 p.m. at The Rooted Artist Collective, is a tribute to East Berlin psychologist, clinical hypnotist, author and international speaker Dr. John Ortiz, who passed away in 2012.
Ortiz facilitated more than 1,000 programs on topics related to sound psychology and autism spectrum disorder, educated more than 40,000 parents and professionals and wrote seven books and several meditation CDs related to autism throughout his career, his wife Dr. Rosalind Hoffman said.
In his spare time, he also spent several years researching and collecting artwork, which Hoffman has now decided to sell with an exhibit titled “Two Bodies, One Soul” in his honor.
“To me, that’s the most meaningful statement in a short sentence that equals John and I in the short time we were together,” Hoffman said of the exhibit name.
The 10 works to be on display include original prints from Dalí, Picasso, René Magritte, Henri Matisse, Al Hirschfeld, Peter Max and John Lennon.
“The theme of our house was love and music,” Hoffman said, and those signs and symbols are present in many of the works in Ortiz’s collection.
Some of the first pieces Ortiz purchased were works related to The Beatles, Hoffman said. Ortiz, who was born in Cuba, came to America around the time of the British Invasion and learned to speak English by listening to the Beatles.
His collection includes Al Hirschfeld’s “Lennon in Liberty” and Lennon’s “Two is One,” portraying Lennon and Yoko Ono as one.
“It’s he and Yoko molded into the same person,” Hoffman said. “(Ortiz) loved that one. He loved every one.”
While The Rooted co-owners Jessica Flynn and Carrie Peck described several of the works, including Lennon’s piece, as “affordable,” works by Dalí will probably be the most expensive.
These include “Hatikvah,” a piece from a series commemorating the founding of Israel; “Alice in Wonderland,” which includes the title page and frontispiece from the book; and “Dream Passage,” a colorful surrealist piece.
“There are only five in the world made on the type of paper we have,” Peck said of “Dream Passage.”
The 10 works, most of which include a pencil signature by the artist and a certificate of authenticity, will range from around $700 to $8,000, The Rooted co-owner Dustin Nispel said.
The opening reception March 3 will include catered food, an appearance from Hoffman and possibly live music.
While the exhibit is something Flynn said people would typically have to travel to New York City (not York city) for, The Rooted is trying to focus the event as much on York as possible.
Nine of the 10 prints were framed at York Framing Supplies on Philadelphia Street and the food will be catered by local restaurants, Flynn said.
“We want to promote York in a type of event that doesn’t normally happen here,” Flynn said. “To take a selfie next to a Picasso – this is stuff you would travel for. Yet, we’re opening our doors.”
In addition to the exhibit, The Rooted will also host four paint nights, where they’ll teach participants to paint works inspired by the styles of Picasso, Matisse, Lennon and Dalí. Classes are $50 and will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. March 23-25 and 9 a.m. to noon on March 26. For more information, call 717-683-2041 or visit The Rooted’s Facebook page.
The artwork
The following pieces will be on display at the Two Bodies, One Soul exhibit:
- “Alice in Wonderland” by Salvador Dalí
- “Dream Passage” by Salvador Dalí
- “Fall of Icarus” by Henri Matisse
- “Hatikvah” by Salvador Dalí
- “La Grande Famille” by Rene Magritte
- “Lennon in Liberty” by Al Hirschfeld
- “Three Musicians” by Pablo Picasso
- “Talking to Karen” by Peter Max
- “Two is One” by John Lennon
- “Walking in the Garden” by Peter Max
If you go
What: Two Bodies, One Soul exhibit
When: An opening reception is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 3.
Where: The Rooted Artist Collective, 101 N. Newberry St., York
More information: Visit the Two Bodies, One Soul event page on Facebook.