Greg Jahn - Nancy Halter Pottery - Merry Christmas to Me!

For many years, I have been collecting the work of Greg Jahn and Nancy Halter, a Billings couple who are also collaborative artists.  They open their studio every year in early December and I always go early and make my selections.  Here are my choices for 2014.

http://gregjahn-nancyhalter.com/home.html

Broad Spectrum - SAQA Regional Exhibition curated by Cynthia St. Charles

Ryniker-Morrison Gallery on the campus of Rocky Mountain College

1511 Poly Drive, Billings, Montana

February 17 - March 30, 2012

Opening Reception 5 - 7 pm on Friday, February 17

The gallery is an intimate space divided into two rooms. With 11 foot ceilings, and glossy hardwood floors, it feels spacious and provides a wonderful atmosphere for this Montana - Idaho SAQA regional exhibition.

Here is my curator statement:

The human existence is infused with fiber and textile. Cloth is the first thing to touch our bodies at birth and the last thing to embrace us at our death. Throughout our lives, we use textiles to clothe ourselves, upholster our furniture, cover our windows. It is everywhere around us. It comforts us, warms us, protects us.

People have been using textiles as an expressive art form since the dawn of civilization. However, this art form phased out rapidly when mass production made cloth cheap and plentiful. Now, in the age of technology, there is a deep, slow underground movement of artists around the world who have chosen textile as their medium for artistic expression. These artists are rapidly gaining recognition and acceptance in the world of fine art. Art quilts straddle the space between art and craft. The tactile quality of the medium is both seductive and comforting, while also being visually gratifying.

This is the first time regional members of Studio Art Quilt Association have shown their work together. The show was juried by Desiree Vaughn, a nationally recognized quilt artist from Suttons Bay, Michigan. The curator is Cynthia St. Charles, an award winning textile artist from Billings, Montana.

I have posted the images as they would be seen as the viewer enters the room and moves around the space.

"Grass" by Christine Mullaney and "Twilight" by Heidi Zielinski

"Twilight" by Heidi Zielinski and "Pockets of Shadow" by Heidi Zielinski

"Blue Herons" by Linda MacDonald and "Autumn Leaf" by Linda McLaughlin

"Autumn Leaf" by Linda McLaughlin and "Green Woman" by Nancy Erickson

"Green Woman" by Nancy Erickson and "The Outsider" by Pat Budge
Then, going around the wall here, and into the second room:

"Home Away from Home" by Karen Burton and "Closure" by Wanda Nelson

"Closure" by Wanda Nelson and "Peepholes #3" by Kathleen Probst

"Peepholes #3" by Kathleen Probst, "Fire" by Regina Browne and "Peppers" by Barb Olson

"Fire" by Regina Browne, "Peppers" by Barb Olson and "Indian Summer" by Lisa Flowers Ross

"Indian Summer' by Lisa Flowers Ross, Cell #8: Muse Self Portrait by Kathleen Probst, and "Resilience" by Brooke Atherton

"Resilience" by Brooke Atherton, "Ode to Dad" by Nora Bebee and

"Coneflower and Bee" by Kathy Hammond

Then around to the other side of this wall, back into the first room:

"Color Study 1" by Donna Deaver, "Big Sky Country: Heart Mountain" by Phyllis Movius

and "Montana Grizzly" by Karen Burton

I do apologize for the quality of these pictures. They were still working on tweaking the spots when I left, so many of these pieces are not well lit in the pictures I am posting right now.

The opening reception is tonight and I will try to get pictures of the crowd for another posting.
I could also do a post that shows each piece individually and with a detail, if there is interest in that.
I just wanted to give you all a feel for the venue and the show as it appears in the gallery.

As we were setting up, a few people passed through and they were quite impressed! Congratulations to all the artists!

More Art from the Bair Family Collection

John F. Herring, Sr. and George Cole
A Wooded Landscape with Farm and Haywain
36 x 8"

More Art from the Bair Family Collection

John F. Herring, Sr. and George Cole
A Wooded Landscape with Farm and Haywain
36 x 48"

Dietz Edzard (1893-1963)
Girl with Hatboxes

Both above and below by
Edouard Leon Cortez 1882-1969

Lewis Henry Meakin (1850-1917)
Landscape with Stream

Art of Joseph Henry Sharp in the Bair Art Museum Collection

"Little Bighorn River" 1905
24 x 36"

C.M. Russell Paintings at the Bair Art Museum

More Eielson Visitor Center Art

The Eielson Visitor Center has a nice gallery for artwork from the Artist in Residence program.
I was impressed that this visitor center contains not one, but two stunning art quilts!

Eielson Visitor Center Art

This stunning quilt hangs in the Eielson Visitor Center in Denali National Park.

There is also an exhibit with a film showing her process for constructing it.
I believe Ree Nancarrow lives near the park.

I apologize for the fuzzy image below of the label. I think it is still readable.

More Art with Airus

Painting Stars

After these were painted on both sides and dry, I drilled a hole in them and tied on some heavy fishing line, per his request - so he can hang them in his room.

Art with Airus

4 year old grandson, Airus has chickenpox and so he was at our house several days while his parents worked. He wanted to do art together. He will do most of the art, but will then ask for help creating some part of it while he directs. Above, a map with houses, chicken and a chicken house. He drew the map and two of the houses. He asked Joe to make one of the houses. The chicken house is a collaboration - he made the house part, but needed help with the legs. Then he asked me to draw and cut out the chicken.

Above, his spiral drawing - he asked me to add to his drawing - so I did. It is fun collaborating with a 4 year old.

This map is almost entirely done by Airus - just a few of my spirals in the bottom right. (oops, I just realized I have this picture oriented wrong).

Edith Freeman at Yellowstone Art Museum

I could not resist sharing a few more images from the Edith Freeman exhibit at Yellowstone Art Museum. I LOVE her work!