Musicians making art

Some familiar names are missing.

And some unknown artists turn in dynamic work.

Yes, there are more than a few surprises to be found in the “Fence Select ’09,” currently on exhibit at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy.

Interestingly enough, of the 67 Capital Region artists represented in the exhibit, three of those names are likely to be more recognizable from the local music scene than the visual art scene.

Thomas D’Ambrose – whose “Roller Girls” is in the Fence Select – was the longtime saxophonist in the popular horn-fueled ’80s rock band the Sharks, and he is currently an occasional member of the roots-oriented Circle of Willis. D’Ambrose was also the co-director of Cohoes’ short-lived Trink Gallery, which not surprisingly, mounted a 2002 group show titled “Visions and Vibrations: The Visual Art of Musicians.”

Valerie DelaCruz is another multi-talented artist who is represented by a pair of landscape paintings in the Fence Select. But she is also an accomplished singer-songwriter, who has recorded for the Nashville-based Relentless Records and was twice named Songwriter of the Year by the NorthEast Country Music Association.

Michael Eck‘s painting/carving “The People Yes (Carl Sandburg)” is one of the 86 artworks in the Fence Select, but he is also an accomplished musician, both as a solo singer-songwriter, as well as a member of such musical groups as the Gospel Train and Ramblin Jug Stompers.

The Fence Select ’09 remains on view at the ACCR through Sunday, September 13.