The public is invited to the opening reception of the Crafting Nature exhibit at InLiquid’s Gallery in the Crane Arts Building, 1400 N. American St. in South Kensington, on Thursday, May 11, from 6-9 p.m.
“The 11 artists in Crafting Nature explore how humans interact with nature in their bodies of work,” said Megan Pollin Hernandez, exhibitions coordinator. “Whether collaborating, admiring, shaping and constraining nature, the artists ask us, what is our impact on the earth and how does it shape and change our own permeable selves?”
The opening reception will feature works by Francis Beaty, Patti Dougherty, Karen Hunter McLaughlin, Christy E. O’Connor, Mary Powers Holt, Michele Randall, Amy Sarner Williams, Kathran Siegel, Kimberly Stemler, Jeremy Waak and Barbara Straussberg.
The artists use natural materials, such as bones, flowers, seeds and wood, to create pieces that appear or are deconstructed, and mirror nature’s recurring cycle of growth and decay.
Philadelphia-based abstract painter and paper artist Barbara Straussberg embeds dried hydrangea in handmade paper (Hanji).
”In this series of paperworks, I’ve taken a contemporary approach to a traditional Korean paper-manipulating technique called Joomchi. I look to break down the boundaries between past and present, paper and paint. I hope that my work inspires the viewer to ask questions and engage with the abstract imagery and tactile materials in unexpected ways.”
Crafting Nature is open through Saturday, June 3. Gallery hours are Wednesdays to Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m.
InLiquid is a nonprofit organization founded in 1999 and committed to connecting artists and audiences in the Philadelphia region.
To learn more, visit https://www.inliquid.org/. ••
