Rock Island, Illinois - Familiarity breeds inspiration for three members of The Art Collective who will be showing works at a MidCoast Gallery West group exhibit opening in January. The Art Collective, twelve artists from the Quad City region, will present a group show January and February at MidCoast Gallery West, 1629 2nd Avenue, Rock Island. "A River Runs Thru Us" will debut at an opening reception on January 8, from 6-9 pm and is free to the public.
"Living along the 'mighty Mississip' has influenced my life," shares Jay Stratton, wood sculptor and furniture maker. "I grew up playing in one of her tributaries, bicycling along her shoreline, and exploring the deep ravines carved out of the land as the water made its way to the river." His wood sculptures capture the flow of the water in a unique manner as the artist allows the natural wood forms to guide him through to the outcome of a piece. Stratton will be showing some of his highly-sought-after works in the Collective's show.
Another Collective artist shares the experience of being influenced by the Mississippi, but on a daily basis. Amy Nielsen, calligrapher and mixed media artist, has lived alongside the river for 17 years. "My life on the river always motivates me in surprising ways," Nielsen shares. "It is ever changing, always moving and teeming with life." She has created a signature piece for the show, featuring brush-written calligraphy which she says, "...is a study of that continuous motion and the diversity of the underwater dwellers that unite this extraordinary location along the shores of Illinois and Iowa." Nielsen will be showing her mixed media work featuring fish sculptures along with the signature piece during the show.
Although she grew up in central Iowa, Bonnie Grebner has lived on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi in Hampton for years and also feels the river's inspiration daily. A clay artist, Grebner took the idea of life on Mississippi into the future for her work. "The clay sculptures I created for this group show are purely from my imagination. I let my mind wander and think about what life might be like thousands of years from now in and around the Mississippi River. These 'mutated crustaceans, river bank inhabitants, and underwater creatures' I created are the result," she explained.
The Art Collective show will feature the work of 12 artists with media ranging from wood to calligraphy. In addition to D'Angelo, Moore and Halverson, the Collective includes Jay Stratton, Amy Nielsen, Bill Wohlford, Sheryl Lammers, Andi Naab, Bonnie Grebner, Lori Miller, Brent Langley and Judy O. Gray. For more information on the show and the gallery, contact Carolyn Krueger at carolynjkrueger@gmail.com. For more information on The Art Collective, visit our Facebook page at The-Art-Collective or contact Lori Miller at lmfiberart@gmail.com.
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