Columbia City Gallery regularly showcases artists beyond our core membership. This offers our community the chance to see new work, themes, styles, and voices. For the current exhibit, we decided to do something new and fun – a Small Works Invitational, in which gallery members invited artists to show alongside them in a collaborative pairing.
For Juliette Ripley-Dunkelberger and fellow ceramic artist, Meredith MacKeigan, storytelling is at the root of their work. Juliette admires Meredith’s forms, which elongate and lift off the table to give them a sense of lightness. “I love the movement Meredith creates with her line works. She develops visual depth with layers of underglazes, transfers, glaze, and gold luster.” Many of Juliette’s pieces tell stories through emotion, expression, and texture. “Omm” was made to exude calm, something she says she felt we all need a lot of right now. Meredith notes that she appreciates how Juliette connects ideas with potent emotions. “Over the years, we have enjoyed discussing the complexities and surprises of working in clay. We frequently speak about the creative process and the role of creativity in our lives.”
Kate Harkins, a painter and mixed-media artist known for her graphic shapes and bold use of color, invited fellow friend and painter Mark Callen. “I thought the work would look interesting side by side,” she said. Mark paints landscapes, and while Kate has been focusing on portraits for the last few years, their styles are compatible. In preparing work to show together, she began incorporating more landscape into the background of her portrait, in a way she had not done previously. This is now making its way into more of her current work – and we can’t wait to see her paintings’ future development!
Jacqui Beck and Margaret Fitzgerald agreed on a theme of the idea of connection, especially important during this time where we have lost the opportunity to gather with friends and loved ones. “We need each other and we need to stay in touch with our own hearts. We wondered how we can help ourselves and others find connection and solace through our art.” Jacqui says her painting “Under Her Wings” represents our need to have a safe place, to know we are not alone. Margaret’s work, “Ladder to the Heart, Window to the Soul,” grew from her sense of loss of being physically present with people. “Making art that might lift others can clear the way and perhaps stir new ways to join hearts.”
Eliaichi Kimaro invited teacher and mentor Shaun Doll to exhibit with her. “Prior to meeting him 7 years ago, I had no art experience. I am a member [of the Gallery] because of Shaun. So it seemed fitting to invite him to be my Plus One.” Eli said they did not coordinate their submissions, but she was excited to see what he would bring. And we have to agree with Eli, “Holy cow, he did not disappoint!!” Shaun’s contribution is an extension of the Hobo Series he’s been working on for the last few years. Riffing on Tramp Art, a common theme of his work, he utilizes cigar boxes and matches, cheap and easily available, incorporating hobo symbols into his final pieces.
These are a few of the stories behind our artist pairings. We hope you have a chance to come in and see the many ways our artists have collaborated. Regardless of how each artist pair interpreted the collaboration, we think you’ll agree that these pieces take on an additional significance when viewed together.