April 10 – June 19, 2021
Over the past year we’ve found solace in the outdoors and in the natural world. To celebrate the balm and calm of Nature and the sense of discovery and refreshment that it gives us, Kolman & Pryor Gallery announces its spring exhibition, Nature’s Way. The show is curated by gallery co-founder, Patrick Pryor, with works by gallery artists, Betsy Ruth Byers, Kate Casanova, Jil Evans, Kelly Jean Ohl, Jodi Reeb, Julie Snidle, Cameron Zebrun; and guest artist, Abby Mouw, Nature’s Way is available to view ONLINE as well as in person in the gallery.
Nature is a theme and a passion shared by Pryor and gallery co-founder, Anita Sue Kolman. “Every few years we revisit this theme,” Pryor says, “as it brought Anita and I together. Through our shared passion for nature-inspired work, we selected the gallery artists we’ve worked with for the past 10 years. We’re thrilled to show fresh work by our artists through the lens of nature.”
Jil Evans’s new abstract works, Kolman says, “are infused with found light, whether the light has streamed in through her windows or she’s experienced light and shadow shifting while on a walk. The work is bright and light-infused.” In contrast, Kelly Jean Ohl’s sculptures, made with such natural elements as clay, water, and fire, “resemble something you might pick up on a beach, or in a forest like pinecones, seedpods, or sticks.”
The small conceptual sculptures assembled by Kate Casanova “express our connection to nature and our physical bodies, with a combination of synthetic and biological materials,” Pryor explains. Teetering between the abstract and the representational, with shapes bulging and flowing with color, the work of Betsy Ruth Byers may be “rooted in the tradition of landscape painting,” he continues, “but addresses the materiality of paint to examine how our relationship with water and ice is changing.”
Other gallery artists in the exhibition include Cameron Zebrun, who infuses layers of carved wood with images of northern Minnesota woods and water; and Julie Snidle and Jodi Reeb who work with beeswax.
In addition to enjoying individual artworks, visitors to the exhibition “can look forward to experiencing the ways in which these works will connect with each other,” Pryor says. Adds Kolman, “The works are in dialogue with each other, not overtly, but through a shared sensibility grounded in the artists’ gratitude and appreciation for nature.”