Holly Holmes : Companions

Exhibition Dates: September 8 – October 12, 2024

Opening Reception: Sunday, September, 8, 2024, 3:00 – 6:00 pm

Join us afterwards for a private cocktail hour across the street at the Quincy Street Distillery

Gallery Hours: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 1:00 – 5:00 pm

Needle Punch Workshop: Saturday, October 5, 2024, 2:00- 4:00 pm

The Riverside Arts Center is pleased to present Holly Holmes’ solo exhibition, Companions in the FlexSpace, curated by Gallery Director, Joanne Aono. Please join us on Sunday, September 8th from 3:00 – 6:00 pm for an opening reception with the artist. Join us afterwards for a private cocktail hour across the street at the Quincy Street Distillery. Holly Holmes will be leading a needle punch workshop on Saturday, October 5th from 2:00 – 4:00pm. Registration information to come.

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Holly Holmes utilizes painting and tufting to express her observations of physical spaces. Through these works, we become companions on her walks where she might sketch a view at a train station or from a porch, later combining them with her thoughts on current events and associated emotional reactions.

The paintings are rendered in flat, tight strokes with subtle patterns reminiscent of Phillip Guston, while the rug weavings bring to mind the abstract textiles of Anni Albers and Sophie Taeuber-Arp, bridging fine art with exceptional craft. As the eye wanders through Holmes’ vibrant blocks of color, it jumps from one angle to the next, only to be sprung about by a caressing curve. We flip between the edges and the shapes, conjuring up glimpses of familiar objects, then we step back and get lost once again. The titles give us clues and oftentimes affirmation of a perceived form in their simple poetry.

Like companion planting, where each organism provides a benefit to those adjacent, Holmes’ paintings and wall rugs nurture each other. Our experience is enhanced by the conversations between the artworks as we notice subtle nuances when comparing similar sections within separate pieces. The patterned speckles in her paintings evoke the texture of the yarns, while the hard edges of the paintbrush strokes contrast with the rough borders of the rug tufts. We notice a repeated shape or color from one piece to the next or across the room, giving a sense of cohesion throughout the exhibition.

– Joanne Aono

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Holly Holmes grew up in the Chicago area and currently resides in Oak Park. Holmes is a painter, sculptor, educator, planner and curator. She received a BFA in painting from Southern Illinois University and a MFA in sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She currently teaches at Columbia College Chicago. Holmes was on the board of Terrain Exhibitions, producing a residency program and the Terrain Biennial. She is a member of Videokaffe, an international art collective spanning locations in North America and Nordic countries.

Recently Holmes has shown her work at, Ohklohomo, Chicago; Sluice expo, Colchester, UK; Material, Chicago; The Design Museum, Chicago; Dominican University; River Forest, Il, Kunsthius Gallery; Crayke, UK; ArtTeleported, CICA; Queens, N.Y.; and Videokaffee at Art House, in Turku, Finland. Her art is held in public and private collections throughout the world.

https://hollyholmes.xyz

Companions is Partially funded by a Part-time Faculty Development Grant from Columbia College Chicago

www.riversideartscenter.com

Official Website

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Tags: Companions, FlexSpace, Holly Holmes, Holly Holmes: Companions, Riverside, Riverside Arts Center, Riverside Arts Center FlexSpace