I’m honored to be included in this show presented by FUSEDChicago and juried by Barbara O’Brien
FUSEDChicago, an organization of artists based in the Midwest who share an interest in encaustic, a method of making art using pigmented wax fused to a surface by heat, is pleased to announce Connections, a juried group
exhibition of works that will address contemporary relationships to nature. On view at the ARC Gallery in Chicago from November 23, 2023, through December 18, 2023, the exhibition is composed of 25 works of art by 13 artists.
Thirteen member artists will be featured in the exhibition: Carrie Baxter, Cat Crotchett, Helen Dannelly, Andrew DeWeerdt, Alicia Forestall-Boehm, Donna Kuo, Cindy Lesperance, Jane Michalski, Carol Myers, Denise Oehl, Karen Tichy, Neli Tzintzeva, and Robin VanHooser.
The exhibition was juried by nationally known art curator and critic Barbara O’Brien.
“We learn in primary school that a noun is defined as a “person, place or thing.” Artists submitting to “Connections” took the term “nature” to encompass all those meanings and more. The use of encaustic ranged from being the sole medium in a painting to being one of many components in complex mixed media works; photography, silk screened prints, recycled artworks, watercolor and raffia were each utilized in the exploration of “the connections between humans and nature.” This open-ended language, from the FUSEDChicago call for entries, resulted in artists from not only the Chicago area, but also from seven states to submit works of art for my consideration. The selection process was a challenge as there were so many remarkable works of art to
review. The more than two dozen works selected for the exhibition include the intimate and large-scale, vividly colored or resting at the edge of readability. They tap into a range of art historical and cultural traditions
including Native American motifs, Pictorialism, Pop Art, and Roman mythology. I took pleasure in the spirit and talent, the playfulness and drama, evidenced in the works selected. I hope the viewers will, as well.”
Barbara O’Brien is an independent curator and critic based in Milwaukee. She was Executive Director of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City,
Missouri, from 2012 to 2017 after serving as chief curator and director of
exhibitions since 2009. O’Brien has a longstanding interest in and commitment to
the community of artists who incorporate encaustic into their practice. She was the Keynote Speaker at the International Encaustic Conference in both 2008 and 2013. “I am delighted,” O’Brien recently shared, “to have been invited to select works of art for “Connections,” which I anticipate will be both an opportunity for revelation and an occasion for celebration. I hope that artists will explore the encaustic
medium - and wax in all its many iterations - to address both the poetic and prosaic implications of the theme chosen by FUSEDChicago.”
O’Brien’s recent projects include serving as curator and catalog essayist for June Ahrens: Reflecting Time (2022), and Close to the Line: Mari Rantanen and Kirsten Reynolds (2019), both at the Housatonic Museum of Art in Bridgeport, CT. In 2022, O’Brien served as a curatorial consultant and catalog essayist for solo exhibitions at The Painting Center, NYC; Chris Nau: I’m Not Your Animal and Gerri Rachins: Almost Everything is Going Well.
Exhibition Dates
November 23 - December 18, 2023
Artists’ Reception, Juror’s Remarks and Announcement of Commendations – December 1, 2023, 5-8 pm ARC Gallery, 1463 W. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL
Exhibition Overview
The artwork in this exhibition will address contemporary relationships to nature. The connection between humans and nature is a fascinating one. Nature is both all around us and deep within us. We exist in layers that range in depth and complexity and it is often difficult yet necessary to look beyond the surface.
About FUSEDChicago
FUSEDChicago is an organization of artists based in the Midwest who share an interest in encaustic, a method of making art using pigmented wax fused to a surface by heat. Their mission is to advance public awareness of encaustic medium
through workshops and thematic exhibitions of member work and to create professional opportunities for networking and learning exchanges for members. All artist members of FUSEDChicago create art partly or entirely from encaustic. Members are represented in art galleries locally and nationally, have been included in world-class expositions including EXPO Chicago and SOFA (Sculpture Objects Functional Art and Design), and have work in collections throughout the world. Website: fusedchicago.com