Bethlehem House Gallery

Contemporary Art Gallery

About the Gallery

Bethlehem House Contemporary Art Gallery specializes in both emerging and established regional artists, and provides original, innovative art in a variety of contemporary styles for a range of household budgets. Our four seasonal shows demonstrate the practical use of contemporary artwork in modern interior design by exhibiting works in a furnished environment. At Bethlehem House, we believe that anyone can be an art collector and all homes can be enriched by the display of original fine art. Art belongs in the home.

Ward Van Haute – Gallery Director / Curator
Rachel Bell – Assistant Director

Winter Show 2024

About the Winter Show

The Bethlehem House Gallery’s Winter Show is a mix of contemporary local and regional fine artists displayed in a functional interior design setting. Each room in our gallery space uses the setting of a house to convey a practical use of presenting artwork to elevate the aesthetics of a home. We pair paintings, drawings, and sculpture with furniture, glass, dishware, light fixtures and more. We provide innovative ways for showcasing handcrafted items prefect for furnishing the home. The Winter Show specifically brings a bright feeling to our exhibit space, contrasting with the normally dark and cold atmosphere that the outside world experiences during the winter months. Our Winter Show runs from January 26th to March 16th. 

Winter Show Featured Artists

Melissa Bryant

“I paint quiet moments and places. Collectively, the work is my response to the need for silence and reflection in a contemporary culture that is often excessive and loud. 

The act of painting reminds me to tread softly through life and observe fleeting experiences. When I do, they are ordinary moments that become transformed to significance. They become respites in a complex society.”

Melissa Bryant was born in the Philippines. She emigrated with her family to Vancouver, British Columbia, as a child. Since making the United States her home, she has lived in different parts of the country and has traveled extensively abroad. Melissa received a Bachelor of Arts from University of Maryland in Government and Politics/International Studies with a minor in Asian Studies. She subsequently received a second degree, a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in painting. She completed a Master of Fine Arts program at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While teaching at Nankai University, Tianjin, China, she studied the Chinese language, traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy, and Tai chi. Her other interests include community service, teaching, traveling, playing the piano, and reading. She is also an avid journal writer.

 
Melissa's Work

Devin Feely

Devin Feely creates works by taking the time to make random lines into aesetically pleasing and playful shapes. 

Focusing on how to turn chaos into something peaceful and in doing so learning little by little everything is just a matter of perception. While pushing himself to try to become more patient in the creative process and allowing for a space to become more understanding that everything has its place no matter how unlikely it may seem. 

The works themselves are random lines of his subconscious poured out over top of the surface only to go back in and push and pull to create a duality between the background and the foreground. 

Devin's Work

Tomi J Petrella

My life awareness practice is to examine the initial perceptions and assumptions of what “I” see and feel, in order to let go of ego thinking. 

The obvious ideas of what is real challenge me to look beyond immediate labels to observe and discern the sameness yet uniqueness of everything.

Deep exploration, interpretation, and expression of each subject is then the practice for this understanding and insight. There is a stillness and emotional context to the conversation between me and my subject choices, that goes beyond mere representation and past the surface. 

I find that color, shape, and pattern come into sharp focus, light takes on form, while mood acquires texture. The process, both internally and externally, of creating art is an continuous challenge, joyful meditation, and opportunity to “see” the familiar with fresh eyes.

Tomi's Work

Lynnette Shelley

I specialize in mixed media animal and nature paintings. Having a great love of wildlife, patterns and archetypes, I fuse these influences into my work. My highly-detailed compositions are created using a buildup of multiple layers of ink and acrylic and incorporate techniques in both drawing and painting, from crosshatching to ink splatter to linear painting and mark-making.  Some of my work my “fauxsaic”-style paintings also incorporate elements of collage in which I add hand-colored and cut watercolor paper to the artwork in a process that resembles mosaic tile.

My artworks have been displayed nationally as well as regionally at museums, art galleries and other venues. In 2021, I was awarded “Master Artisan” status by the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. 

Originally from Delaware, I currently live in Ambler, Pennsylvania, and maintain a private studio in Maple Glen.

Lynnette's Work

Ward Van Haute

I am a multidisciplined artist working in reversed painting on glass, fused glass and found object sculpture.  

Many years ago, it was a hobby of mine to restore and customize vintage bicycles. Having accumulated many assorted bike parts, I had a vision inspired by Pablo Picasso’s “Bull’s Head” sculpture. This sculpture was very simply a bicycle seat mounted on the wall with handlebars positioned to resemble bull horns. 

My series of reclaimed bicycle part sculptures takes Picasso’s idea of combining parts to create an image inspired by different horned mammals (and one bird.) I built on this concept, adding features by utilizing various sheet metals to build out the facial structures of the animals and painting many of the parts in a bold and beautiful color palette. 

This whimsical collection of plains and woodland creatures calls to mind the juxtaposition of nature and industry. 

 
Ward's Work