The Garment District Alliance today unveiled the latest in its ongoing series of public art exhibits, showcasing oil paintings by Garment District-based artist and former fashion designer, Arleen Joseph. Part of her Mindful Journeys series, the works shown include, High Water, Fireworks, Spring Awakening and Hopeful Journey.

Located inside the Kaufman Arcade building on 132 West 36th Street, the free exhibit is accessible to the public through August 19. Mindful Journeys is part of the Garment District Space for Public Art program, which showcases artists in unusual locations throughout the year, and has produced more than 175 installations, exhibits and performances.

“Arleen Joseph’s oil paintings are wonderful works of art that inspire viewers to think deeply about their personal journeys,” said Barbara Blair Randall, president of the Garment District Alliance. “Her passion for art and design exemplifies the creative character of the Garment District, and we are delighted to showcase Mindful Journeys through our Garment District Space for Public Art program.”

The nine works from this series in the exhibit are inspired by Joseph’s memories and travels of the inner landscapes, as well as the nature and emotional impact of color, form and light. Through her work, she strives to extend beyond the personal dialogue and provide viewers with the opportunity for reflections and a journey of their own.

A native New Yorker, Joseph earned a degree in Fashion Design from Parsons The New School for Design and pursued a career in the fashion industry for more than 20 years. Following, Joseph went on to continue her artistic expression through oil painting, by applying her experience with colors, proportions and texture to her canvases.

Joseph, who paints in her Garment District studio, spends the summer season painting in the hills of central Mexico’s San Miguel de Allende. Her paintings are represented in galleries and collections nationally and internationally.

The Garment District is home to thousands of people working in the "creative economy,” including fine and performing artists, designers, architects, photographers and more than a hundred theaters, galleries, performance spaces and studios.

The Garment District Alliance (www.garmentdistrictnyc.com), formerly the Fashion Center BID, is a not-for-profit corporation established in 1993 to improve the quality of life and economic vitality of Manhattan’s Garment District. Through programs in the areas of streetscape improvements, sanitation and public safety, marketing and promotions, economic development, and community service, the Garment District Alliance supports the neighborhood’s transformation into a modern, 24/7 destination for dining, nightlife, hotels and unique office space.  For more information on the Garment District Alliance’s many art initiatives, please visit http://www.garmentdistrictnyc.com/art-design/.