(September 25, 2009, - Littleton, CO) – An exhibit of student art from a trip to France this summer will open at the Colorado Gallery of the Arts at Arapahoe Community College on Oct. 13. Called Impressions of Provence, the exhibit will include paintings and drawings and will be on display until Dec. 2.

The Gallery will host a reception with light refreshments on Friday, Oct. 16, from 5 p.m. to7 p.m. The reception and exhibition are free and open to the public. The exhibit will be closed during the week of Thanksgiving.

About 12 students and two Instructors plan to display their work during the exhibition. The students attended an intensive painting workshop in France from June 14 through June 28. The workshop, Southern France - Art 275-105 Special Topics, was taught by Ian Roberts and Marsha Wooley. The first part of the 10-day workshop was taught in Le Barroux, a small medieval village perched on a rocky outcrop and dominated by a 12th century chateau.

"From the moment we arrived we were enchanted by the visually engaging and undiscovered little corner of Provence, to say nothing of the Provencal quality of life," Wooley said. "We were very excited to go to our first location where we rendered the beautiful Provencal landscape with a chateau at our backs and Mount Ventoux in the distance."

Then the group traveled to Paris for four days where they covered historical and aesthetic painting concerns with visits to historical sites and museums.

Ian Roberts is an honors graduate of the Ontario College of Art in Toronto and studied figure and landscape painting while living in Florence, Italy He has been teaching plein air painting in Provence annually since 1997. Marsha Wooley is the former chair and now coordinator of Drawing, Design and Painting at ACC. She has an MFA from the University of Pennsylvania and has been an art instructor for more than 20 years. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally and is currently represented by the Robischon Gallery in Denver.

Gallery hours for the exhibition will be Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m., Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Colorado Gallery of the Arts is located at Arapahoe Community College, 5900 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, CO. The gallery is on the first floor at the northeast end of the building called the Annex. For more information contact Marsha Wooley at marsha.wooley@arapahoe.ed, 303.797.5862, or Gallery Director Trish Sangelo at trish.sangelo@arapahoe.ed or 303.797.5700 x 6549.

Arapahoe Community College has served the south Denver metropolitan area since 1965. One of 13 colleges in the Colorado Community College System, ACC offers more than 100 degree and certificate programs to its 7,500 plus credit students per semester through sites in downtown Littleton and Parker. ACC also offers professional development, customized training and other non-credit offerings enjoyed by many more lifelong learners.

Arapahoe Community College Mission Statement:

To provide innovative and responsive educational and economic opportunities in an accessible, inclusive environment that promotes success for students, employees and the community.