“Bada Maloney & Jagitsch" at the Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery -- July 3 through August 27.
Thursday, July 3, through Wednesday, August 27
Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery, 2200 69th Avenue, Moline IL
A variety of artistic mediums will be showcased at the Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery from July 3 through August 27 in the engrossing exhibition Bada Maloney & Jagitsch, a fascinating collection of charcoal drawings and sculpture by Deana Bada Maloney and white-pencil drawings by Matt Jagitsch.
As stated at Deanna's TheBadaCreative.com site, "I have been an observer of nature all my life. I am continually awestruck at the beauty of the natural world and the magic and mystery in every living thing. My work is a study of living forms, celebrating the structure of how something is made along with the transcendental presence of the subject. I have a BFA in Drawing and Painting from the Art Institute of Chicago, with a strong focus in anatomy and scientific illustration.
"I have found sculpture to be another vehicle for me in which I am able to express the beauty and stories woven in nature and the world around us. I tell a story in each of my pieces using symbolism in found materials that I incorporate into my work whether it is from the subject’s natural surroundings or a component of the story. I use a method of using oxides during the final firing of my pieces to capture all the marks made in the creating the piece. This makes my sculptures look like 3D drawings harkening back to my strong drawing roots.
I get my inspiration from stories, myths and legends of the present and past and retell those stories through my art. The work I create is realistic, always celebrates form and is rich in symbolism."
Meanwhile, at BlackSheepStudio.org, Matt Jagitsch states, "I grew up in the small central Illinois city of Jacksonville and loved art from a young age. I was constantly drawing, sometimes on items I wasn't supposed to. As I entered junior high school and high school, I began to take art classes in school, and that's when I truly fell in love with it. Much of that love was brought about by some amazing teachers that I had back then. Teachers that taught me that art was a legitimate pursuit. So I went on to Eastern Illinois University, where I was an Art major with a 2D studio option and an art history minor.
“After college, I unfortunately drifted away from art as I took a job in a non art related field and began a family with my wife. Basically nothing was created for the next 28 years. Enter COVID. As with the rest of the world, I found myself with extra time on my hands. At my wife’s suggestion, I began to draw again. Within a month I started working with white pencil on black paper and that is what I’ve stuck with since. To date, I’ve only shown live within the borders of the state of Illinois, but I have been included in some national and international online shows. Awards and ribbons are wonderful, but the true joy I’ve found from creating art is sharing it with people and talking with them.
“I’ve now created over 200 pieces and still constantly learn new techniques that the medium shows me. So I continue to create new pieces to share with you, because that is what gives me the most joy.”
The Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery is located opposite the airport's gift shop and restaurant, there is a $1 fee for parking, and more information on the Bada Maloney & Jagitsch exhibit on display from July 3 through August 27 is available by calling (309)793-1213 and visiting QuadCityArts.com.
