The Foundry Art Centre is delighted to announce the opening of four exhibitions to kick off our 2023 exhibition year. In the Main Galleries, we welcome Charles Houska, Jason Gray, and Passing Clouds. In the Ameristar Gallery, the Foundry Studio Artists present a group exhibition.
Charles Houska’s People, Places, and Fishbowls represents characters from Charles’ imagination, things that bring him joy, and of course, his iconic fishbowl. Using acrylic paint, wood, and canvas with layers of vibrant color and bold lines, he communicates his passion for sharing a whimsical view of the world. There is deeper meaning only when the viewer connects with their own personal story. Charles makes happy art because he hopes to inspire positive feelings in others.
Does a parasite know that it’s a parasite? by Jason Gray is a body of work focusing on the concept of naturedness with no geographic assignment. The photographs are a non-linear meditation on the impact of people on the environment and upon society’s legacy of built structures. The series is not straightforwardly negative or critical, just observing and questioning.
Passing Clouds is an electronic musical collaboration between visual artists Jim Daniels and Daniel Stumeier. The project began during the pandemic, developing through Zoom conversations and the exchange of tracks to edit and build upon. Inspired by this element of enterprise and collaboration, Daniels and Stumeier decided to reach out to visual artists with backgrounds in animation, video, and sculpture – offering Passing Clouds as a community platform. The participating artists made a piece of visual art that Passing Clouds composed a soundtrack for and vice versa. Through this process, the music and artworks respond to one another and foster a symbiotic relationship among those involved. Collaborating artists for this exhibition include Adrian Aquilino, Andrea Coates & Mike Kearns, Evan and Stacy Smith, and Steph Zimmerman.
In the Ameristar Gallery, Foundry Studio Artists explore the concept of the word “Blue”. In their exhibition, The Blues, each artist presents works from their own unique perspective and media including ceramics, fiber, mosaics, and painting. Exhibiting artists are Jim Carlson, Ann Croghan, Sue Giannotti, Lisa Hinrichs, and Jody Williams.
The opening reception for all four exhibitions will be held on January 6, 5-8pm, as part of the Foundry’s First Friday programming. Live music by Two Hands | One Engine, art activities, the Foundry bar, and more will be available during the reception. Main Galleries exhibitions will be open through February 11th; The Blues will be open through February 26th.
Main Galleries exhibitions are made possible with public support from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. For more information, please visit us at foundryartcentre.org or email Jessica Mannisi at [email protected].
About the Foundry Art Centre
As a vibrant home to the arts, the Foundry Art Centre raises awareness and appreciation of the arts throughout the region. Alive with activity, the Centre’s programming reinforces the importance of the arts and helps ensure that arts and culture remain vital. Artists, patrons, young people and the community at large continually find new ways to interact at this unique facility.
