“Prayers of Steel" at Carl Sandburg College -- September 6 through October 18.
Exhibit: Friday, September 6, through Friday, October 18
Opening Reception: Friday, September 6, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Carl Sandburg College's Lonnie Eugene Stewart Art Gallery, 2400 Tom L. Wilson Boulevard, Galesburg IL
Inspired by Carl Sandburg’s poem of the same name, Lisa Nelson Raabe's Prayers of Steel serves as the first art exhibition of the 2024-25 academic year at Galesburg's Carl Sandburg College, its display in the Lonnie Eugene Stewart Art Gallery treating patrons to the talents of the Peoria-based artist who has enjoyed solo exhibitions in locales including San Antonio, Chicago, Peoria, Decatur, and Quincy.
Artist Raabe holds a bachelor’s degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in addition to master’s degrees from Illinois State University and Bradley University. Among Raabe’s numerous awards and residencies, she won Best of Show at the 2022 CAC Member Artists Biennial at the Contemporary Art Center in Peoria, as well as Best of Show at the 2020 Hot CIAO at Studios on Sheridan in Peoria.
In her artist's statement at LisaNelsonRaabe.com, she says, "I'm intrigued by how materials transform because of saturation, density, and opacity, in chemical combinations, with heat and pressure, and especially visually from context and distance. This current work expands beyond my experiments with patina processes and plant dying on Thai papers. Using a variety of dilutions and solutions, I'm exploring how dyes and pigmented glazes respond to surface.
"Working with thread has become an essential drawing tool for me. Arabesques, zig zags, and circuitous lines of thread are sewn into the paper or pinned and adhered to the surface. I often work on both sides of the paper, bleaching, washing, drying, and ironing before attaching work to a panel.
"These images reflect and cultivate inner calm, insight and with a strong pull toward mandala – centering objects. I hope you find these places within your own heart, to feel ease and joy in the midst of our crazy, abundantly informative world."
An opening reception for Raabe's Prayers of Steel will take place in the Lonnie Eugene Stewart Art Gallery from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on September 6, the exhibit runs through October 18, and both the show and reception are free and open to the public. For more information, contact gallery director and art program coordinator Lisa Walker at (309)341-5303 and ldwalker@sandburg.edu, and visit Sandburg.edu.
