NAZARETH, Pa. — As students and faculty at Nazareth Area High School walk down the hallways, they are greeted by colorful stained glass and equally bright pieces.
The creative works are part of "Cut Loose," a dual exhibition of drawings by Anthony Smith Jr. and stained glass works by Marie Belle Art.
The show will run through Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Eagle Nest Gallery, inside the secondary school on East Center Street.
From mentor to collaborator
When artist Marie Belle moved into her first studio at Bethlehem’s Banana Factory six years ago, she was interviewed by an artist — Smith — who would become both a mentor and, years later, her collaborator.
“We just connected immediately," Belle said. "He became my mentor, and ever since then, we’d been talking about working together—but it never quite happened. Until now.”
"Cut Loose" merges Belle's luminous glasswork with Smith's earlier works — two distinct mediums that intertwine in a shared language of color, movement and emotion.
It's curated by Conor McGaughran, a Nazareth Area High School alumnus and chairman of the Arts Community of Easton, or ACE.
“The pieces I included are 25 years old, from right after graduate school,” Smith said.
“They’d been bundled in my basement for years. When I saw the colors in Marie’s new work, I felt like a conversation was happening between them.
"It made sense to bring those old works back to life.”
'Fearless' colors
That “conversation” between the artists is visible when you walk into the gallery.
Belle’s layered glass panels glow with saturated blues, oranges, yellows, greens, and reds — colors that recall her homeland of Guinea, West Africa.
Smith’s drawings, titled "Corrupting the Kingdom of Power No. 1," "Corrupting the Kingdom of Power No. 16," and "Corrupting the Kingdom of Power No. 18," buzz with the same energy.
"When I came to America, I tried to tone it down at first. But then I thought, 'No, I am African. I can’t hide from color. It’s part of me.'”Artist Marie Belle
“The first thing I noticed about Anthony’s work was the color,” Belle said. “Coming from Africa, we use color every day. It’s in our clothes, our food, our buildings—everything.
"When I came to America, I tried to tone it down at first. But then I thought, 'No, I am African. I can’t hide from color. It’s part of me.'”
Smith, who traveled to Senegal in 2023, also took notice of the use of hue in West African culture.
"I was struck by how fearless the use of color was,” he said. “In Western art, we’re taught restraint. Traditionally, color is often seen as excessive," Smith said.
"But in Senegal, I noticed the abundance of color in all the artwork there. It made me feel connected to something deeper."
The culture of Guinea
The exhibition’s title, "Cut Loose," reflects both artists' creative liberation.
"Anthony came up with the name, and I loved it immediately,” Belle said. “It means letting go — unleashing ourselves.”
For Smith, the title also works on a literal level: “Marie works with cut glass, and I hung my pieces unframed, pinned directly to the wall. It’s about freeing the art from its boundaries."
Belle’s glass mosaics celebrate the rhythm of everyday life in Guinea — women cooking outdoors, dancing, shopping for food and water, working in the sun.
Her piece "Nimba" holds a particular meaning for her, she said.
“In Guinea, the Nimba is like our national symbol,” Belle said.
“It represents femininity and fertility. The name Guinea itself, in one of our languages, means ‘women.’ So for me, the Nimba symbolizes the strength of women and our culture.”
Belle said her connection to glass started as a teen.
Newly arrived in Pennsylvania at the time, she said she discovered the medium through an after-school program at Germantown High School in Philadelphia.
"It was a place where we learned English and made art,” she said. “Glass was the first thing I fell in love with. I always tell myself, if I don’t cut myself while working, I’m not doing a good job."
Smith, an art professor at Kutztown University, sees Belle’s creative spirit as a mirror of his younger self.
“It’s like our art is having a dialogue across time.”Artist Anthony Smith Jr.
“When I look at Marie’s work, it reminds me of my own early years — so full of joy and exuberance,” he said.
“It’s like our art is having a dialogue across time.”
Meet the artists
"Cut Loose" can be viewed at the high school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Thursday.
Smith and Belle also will attend the Cocktails and Collecting fall fundraiser on Saturday, Nov. 8, at Allentown Art Museum.
The evening celebration, from 6 to 9 p.m., will feature local artists, live music, food and drinks. Tickets are $125.
On Sunday, Nov. 9, they will also partake — along with 29 other artists — in the free Art Fair for All, also at the museum, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For information on the Cocktails and Collecting and Art Fair for All, visit the Allentown Art Museum's website.
Smith's art also is visible at JuxtaHub (375 South 10th St., Emmaus) during the venue's open house held on the second Tuesday of each month (the next event will be at 6 p.m. Nov. 11).
To learn more about their upcoming exhibitions, visit Smith and Belle's Instagram pages.
