Dear friends & family,
The leaves are just tinged with gold, and the crickets' night songs* are slow and soft. Cats are snoozing in sunspots that slide across our living room. But as the season is slowing down for its "long winter's nap," things in my house are ramping up. After living at an artist's estate in the lower Hudson Valley in Rockland County for the last 5 years, we are moving. The artist-in-residence program at "Vytlacil" where my husband and I were caretakers has finished, but we are starting a new chapter in our continuing story.
The last few years have been a bit of a gauntlet for me: deaths, sickness, and trials have taken their toll on my energies. I haven't gotten as much painting work done as I would have liked to (but isn't that always the case?) but I did complete a good burst of projects over the summer. I am hopeful now, not to leave a location that I have come to love in spite of the hardships but, to take a risk with a new job in a new location, anticipating a renewal of peace of mind and growth of spirit.
Please update your contacts with my new home address:
371 Asharoken Avenue, Northport, NY 11768
(If you're wondering why you're receiving this email - scroll down for an explanation note in the footer.)
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Oh, Hudson Valley studio, so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good-bye. I flit, I float, I fleetly-flee, I fly.
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I'm excited to share these exhibitions with you:
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I'm honored to be invited to two exhibitions celebrating the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's bold spiritual inquiry: 95 "theses" for discussion amongst his peers, posted on the local bulletin board in Wittenberg at the end of Europe's Medieval Age.
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I'm heartened to have work on the walls for Bethany Lutheran College's REFORMATION 2017 exhibition with some dear friends & mentors: William Bukowski, Jason Jaspersen, Eric Ouren, Andy Overn, and Paul Trapp. Though we're flung far and wide since spending time in the classrooms at our alma mater, sharing space in the gallery is the next best thing. All together, twenty eight Lutheran artists' work is on display in the Ylvisaker Fine Arts Center (aka, the YFAC: pronounced "Why-Fack") gallery. Many of the participating artists will be present to speak and answer questions at the reception, and if all the wires connect, I'll be video-conferencing into the reception. And if you're in the area, please stop by and see it in real life!
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RECEPTION: Thursday, October 26, 2017 - 7:00pm
ON VIEW: October 1 - November 22, 2017
YFAC, 700 Luther Drive, Mankato MN
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I am also honored to have been asked to participate in Concordia University's Reformation Reformed exhibition. Curator Keith J. Williams explains, "Martin Luther saw issues in his church and chose to try to reform the institution with an earnest intent to help foster a new relationship to spirituality among the people. This exhibition asks Lutheran artists to envision works of art that creatively project forward the concept of ongoing 'reformation' into an unknown future."
The work I chose to include has a composition based on a sculpture of the Roman god Janus in the Vatican Museum I saw on my first trip to Italy. Janus looks both forward and backward at the same time. I thought that one of its faces looked like mine, and I've always kept that buried deep in my memory. In this image, my sister and I are facing different directions: she to the end of her life, and I to the proverbial beginning of mine. I finished this work just one month before she died. In many ways, I feel like we were formed from the same stuff. She is now in heaven, having accomplished the goals God set for her to do - but God is still forming an unknown future ahead of me.
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ON VIEW: October 19 - November 15
Concordia Art Center, 1301 Marshall Avenue, St. Paul, MN
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Guilt is an interesting thing: some folks build rigid walls in which to house preferred behaviors, and others have few scruples. In my case, I actually feel guilty for being an artist. But with every painting (and every studio newsletter I write), I numb that electric zap of creatively-assigned "guilt." And so, it is my pleasure to say that my work was accepted into the Bell-Ans' 120th exhibition & celebration, "GUILTY PLEASURES." The exhibition was curated by Lynn Stein, who shared in her gallery talk that the majority of artists in the show bled a similar vein of guilt in their artist statements. At least I'm not alone! Read my snarky statement by clicking on the photo.
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In the midst of the big move, I am working on three small floral works for Union Arts Center's Patron of the Arts Sunday. Curator Elena McCabe notes that this event is a fitting complement to Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday. (Too soon? Sorry, folks - my newsletter needs to cover 6 months at a crack.) Watch my Instagram for more about this fun event as it gets closer to the Opening Reception on Sunday, November 26, 6-9pm. Not only will "patrons" be able to purchase beautiful new art, there will also be prizes for the patrons if they post pictures of their purchases, too!
#betterthanblackfriday |
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My erstwhile studio at Vytlacil as the last
"ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE"
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Thank you for letting me share my studio news with you!
I infrequently gather up a bit of news about my artwork in a short e-epistle like this, aiming for a semiannual share in Spring and Autumn. But you may always see what I'm currently up to - kittens, musings on life & death, works-in-progress, and the occasional beer - on my social media. I hope you'll stay connected with me!
This letter carries my best wishes for you to you,
Charis
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