"Origin, Voyage, Dreams"

solo exhibition

The Brent and Jean Wadsworth Family Gallery

Lewis University

February 3-March 20, 2020
Artist Reception and Gallery Talk February 20, 2020

With my two solo exhibitions in January and February, my 2020 artistically and career-wise started with a bang. Little did I know, a few weeks ago, that the whole world would soon be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, and, as is the case for us here in Illinois right now, that I would be in a "shelter-in-place" situation. 

Hopefully, these new regulations will slow down and diminish the impact of the virus spreading, however, we sure are all taken by this strange and uncertain situation and can expect many losses to come in many forms.

As for myself, I can only say - this past week greatly affected my ability to work, and I hope I will find a way to carve out more studio time in the days to come. Both of my boys, like all children here, are now homebound, and it is challenging to keep them occupied and stress-free, and also on top of their school assignments (!) while keeping up my studio practice. I have, for the past week for sure, been mainly a caregiver, a loving parent, and a supportive spouse. 

The arts have the power to transform and transcend. I hope my work engages the viewers in a positive and calming way and brings solace to a burdened mind, and that I find ways to create my work, regardless of the challenges. 

So with the topic of art in mind - I will focus on the things I actually CAN do, not on those that I can't. And I hope you do the same.

Starting with writing here a bit about my solo exhibition at Lewis University, which was a wonderful experience, and I am still sharing the images of it daily on Instagram, though the exhibit itself was closed, together with the entire university. 

I would like to thank Gallery Coordinator Natalie Swain and Professor Mark Swain for all their help with this exhibition.

The beautiful Wadsworth Family Gallery consists of three separate rooms, so this gave me an amazing opportunity for installing work from several series, without clashing different moods and color palettes.

I included works from my Blush Nebula, Origin, Trail to Arcadia, Reef and Migration series.

I had a great opportunity of sharing stories about the artwork in this particular exhibition, as well as my studio practice in general, during the opening night talk, with a large audience of Lewis University students, teachers, and friends. It was also an honor to meet and talk about the exhibition with the Lewis University president, Dr. David J. Livingston.

Here are images of the "Origin, Voyage, Dreams" exhibit at Wadsworth Family Gallery, courtesy of Tanya Lunina.