Matter

At the start of the millennium, technology dominated visual art. Since then, we’ve seen a resurgence of art made by hand that matters to people in a different way. Matter refers to physical substance and to a subject of thought or concern. Used here metaphorically, Matter describes an aesthetic shift in which a new generation of artists is reinvigorating the textile tradition relevant to many of the concerns of this new century.

This exhibit heralds the revitalization of sculptural textiles for a new era. This thematic group exhibition features works by artists whose imagery is informed by contemporary issues such as globalization, labor, gender and the body, proliferation, and nature. Matter brings together six artists who reside in the Northeast and Midwest. They have created contemporary sculptures, visually complex and compelling, grounded in ideas that transcend the traditions of craft. The sculptures in Matter immerse viewers in a world of eye-catching visual experience and sheer imagination. Each artwork is made by hand, bringing together cutting-edge and age-old visual techniques.

About the artists:

Mike Andrews lives in Chicago, IL. He received his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art and BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His work has been shown the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, the Chicago Cultural Center, and the Ross Art Museum at Ohio Wesleyan, among other galleries around the nation. He is a professor in the Fiber and Material Studies Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. http://mandrews.net/splash.html

Catharine Draper lives in South Portland, ME. She received her MFA from the Maine College of Art and her BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her work has been shown at the Portland Museum of Art, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, and the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art in Michigan, among other galleries around the nation.

Karen Gelardi lives in South Portland, ME. She received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work has been shown at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, the Front Room Gallery, and The Map Room, among other galleries in Maine. http://karengelardi.com/

Amy Honchell lives in Chicago, IL. She received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work has been shown at the Evanston Art Center in IL, the Bertram N. Linder Art Gallery at Keystone College in PA, and the University of Illinois, Chicago, among other galleries. She is a professor in the Fiber and Material Studies Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. http://amyhonchell.com/home.html

Caroline Lathan-Stiefel lives in West Chester, PA. She received her MFA from the Maine College of Art and her BA from the Brown University. She recently was a Creative Capital Foundation visual arts grantee. Her work has been shown at Suyama Space in Seattle, Galerie Articule in Montreal, and the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center in GA, among other galleries internationally.

Mark Newport lives in Bloomfield Hills, MI. He received his MFA at the the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and his BFA at the Kansas City Art Institute.  He recently was a Creative Capital Foundation visual arts grantee. His work has been shown at the Anderson Gallery at Virginia Commonwealth University, The Arizona State University Museum, and the Chicago Cultural Center, among many other galleries internationally. He is currently the Artist-in-Residence and head of the Fiber Department at Cranbrook Academy of Art in MI.