Beverly Arts Center is pleased to present the art exhibition titled “This Living Earth – Our Shared Gaia” in its second floor gallery, which is a cross section of visual observations from nature by 12 northern Illinois / Indiana artists in a variety of media. Both naturalism and abstraction are investigated by this group of artists: Sharon Bladholm, Gabriella Boros, Victoria Fuller, Kathryn Gauthier, Fletcher Hayes, Mike Barret Kolasinski, Basia Krol, Deborah Maris Lader, Kim Laurel, Dorothy Mason, Gregory Mejia, Renee McGinnis.

The Gaia theory as a world concept focuses on observing how the biosphere and the evolution of life forms contribute to the stability of our planet. Hortus Botanicus (the botanical garden) is the underlying common influence that permeates each of these artists’ work, whether of landscape, plant, water and animal study or as allegorical metaphors for our natural world in flux. Works exhibited are a figurative treatment of our nature subjects sometimes alluding to other symbolic meanings.

Those symbols of our natural world are expanded on as pattern, texture, color, form and light. We invite you to observe this diverse group of visual expressions compiled by the curator/artist team of Kim Laurel and Fletcher Hayes.

“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.” — Henry David Thoreau

Artists’ Statements

Sharon Bladholm: “My art [is] focused on the relationships between the natural world and humans, to contemplate our fraught dependence on imperiled environments.”

Gabriella Boros: “The themes I cover include plants acting as healing agents, as spiritual elements and plants reflecting societies and aspects of human lives.”

Victoria Fuller: “[My] work finds inspiration from natural and man-made forms, and is often concerned with finding the correlations between the two, while addressing issues of social concepts, popular culture, and perception.”

Kathryn Gauthier: “[I draw] from a deep emotional well, using tree imagery as metaphor in the expression of powerful emotional connections, personal growth, and experiences.”

Fletcher Hayes: “My artistic goal is to bring to life a marvelous moment in time. Fleeting situations become storytelling symbols. An important story lives on as myth after all the witnesses have departed.“

Mike Barret Kolasinski: “Creating an understanding of the philosophy of nature as a whole and integral entity of ourselves, [I am] a visual activist for nature.”

Basia Krol: “Inspired by indigenous and restored natural habitat, my art explores the intersection of ecology and spirituality. My nature inspired compositions hover between abstraction and realism. I want to take people to places they didn’t know they missed.”

Deborah Maris Lader: “I’m interested in the idea of fragility – of our faculties, of our senses, of our planet, of life, and of our ‘place’ in the world and how, in the pursuit of saving it, we might save ourselves.”

Kim Laurel: “My work investigates symbolic forms and shapes found in nature. I love exploring the associations of figurative images of animal and plant icons. Let the presence of nature enrich your life and embrace it.”

Dorothy Mason: “The awe and tenacity of nature speak to me spiritually. Through my paintings, I seek to convey nature’s majesty and resolve in order for us to understand and form a relationship.”

Gregory Mejia: “The shifting dune sand provides trails and vistas for hikers and artists. It all provides a natural environment that inspires me to try and record the emotions I feel when in its wonder. My work, created from sketches, aren’t necessarily portraits of a specific place, but are instead reimagined views – amalgams of places and memories.”

Renee McGinnis: “The central figures or structures I paint are surrounded by gardens of a misdirected beauty and lush botanicals suggesting man’s infallible desire to control nature or some other state of human folly.”

Closing Reception
“This Living Earth – Our Shared Gaia” Artists’ Talk and Performance will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2024, 2:00–5:00 p.m. Admission to the family-friendly exhibition and reception is free to the public.

About Beverly Arts Center
The BAC is a multifaceted not-for-profit serving the Chicago area with high-quality programs. We offer vibrant programming and courses in these five disciplines: Dance, Visual Arts, Music, Film, and Theater.

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Tags:  Gregory Mejia, 12 Who Study Nature, Basia Krol, Beverly Area Arts Alliance, Beverly Arts Center, Deborah Maris Lader, Dorothy Mason, Fletcher Hayes, Gabriella Boros, Kathryn Gauthier, Kim Laurel, Mike Barret Kolasinski, Renee McGinnis, Sharon Bladholm, This Living Earth – Our Shared Gaia, Victoria Fuller