Overture Galleries

Join us for a reception and artists' talks celebrating the 2024 exhibits THIS Thursday, July 11 from 5:30pm-8:30pm. Artists' talks start on Rotunda Stage (Overture Center, lower level) at 6pm – hear from the talented artists currently displaying work this season. See you there!

Learn more >>> https://www.overture.org/tickets-events/2024-25-season/overture-galleries-summer-2024-exhibitions-reception/

Now on display in the Rotunda Gallery: "Celebrating Madison's Sister Cities."

Since 1986, the Madison community has supported lasting and meaningful relationships worldwide through its sister city programs. This exhibit celebrates that long-standing legacy. Join us for a look into the windows of our sister cities through these images.

Learn more >>> https://www.overture.org/engage/galleries/

(Photos by Carol Hoffman, Rahel Desalegne, Salvador Carranza & Madison-Obihiro Sister Cities, Inc.)

Explore Gallery I: Echoes of the Mind featuring work from artists Beki Borman, Nastia Craig and Katie Schutte!

Navigate the intricate landscape of perception and memory as each creator explores the evolving narratives within, unveiling the echoes of personal experiences that shape and reshape one’s understanding of self and place. In this introspective exploration, the mind becomes a canvas saturated by color, where perceptions weave a rich tapestry of individual and collective stories.

On display now through Sunday, August 25. Learn more >>> https://www.overture.org/engage/galleries/

On display now in the Playhouse Gallery!

“For the Time Being” combines glass and neon works from the 2023/24 academic year’s UW-Madison neon and glassblowing courses. It speaks to current works created by the active student body and acknowledges how creativity within a communal environment is constantly changing.

Our summer exhibits are open now! Learn more at https://www.overture.org/engage/galleries/

Installing this month! Explore our summer exhibitions in all five galleries at Overture Center. Plus, save the dates for two artist receptions in July - July 11 & July 28.

Learn more at overture.org/engage/galleries

Whispers of Worlds 
Rotunda Gallery (Main floor) 
Audifax & Joe Landis

I brought some of my LARGEST canvases for you all to see. There’s only a month left to catch the exhibition, ending on June 16th. 

Ephemeral - 10ft x 12ft - Spray & Acrylic Paint
This was created for my exhibition and residency at Garver Canvas Gallery. Trust me, you’ll want to see this in person… it’s huge! 

IMMORTAL - 8ft x 8ft - Wall, Spray and Acrylic Paint
She was created for a show at the MOWA / Museum of Wisconsin Art

Creation - 6ft x 6ft - Oil Paint
This was my first oil painting!

I’m also doing an artist talk on May 18th, 1pm here at Overture. Join me!

 

Hello everyone! Audifax here.

What is my art inspiration? YOU! I started painting on the street in Europe before it was popular in the U.S. Murals were mostly advertisements at that time so I had to pave my way by doing what I love and not giving up. I feel my reason for creating is to help humanity listen to their hearts. Mine told me to paint on the street, which was crazy at that time, but because I did, it grew into murals and community projects. The ripple effect of positive action is powerful. That voice inside knows exactly why you’re here. Are you listening? 

To see more of my projects, and hear my story, please join me for an Artist Talk
Saturday May 18th
1pm 
The Wisconsin Studio
Overture Center for the Arts
Love to see you there!

Image 1 - by
Image 2 - Madrid Spain
Image 3 - Mural with LGBTQ BIPOC Leadership Group at Jefferson Middle School
Image 4 - Workshop with
Image 5 -
Image 6 - Sculpture & Painting in for

 

⭐️Mary Gill Artist Talk⭐️
This Sunday, April 28th at 4:30PM in Gallery II
Join us for a special afternoon in Gallery II with the talented artist Mary Gill. She will be telling the incredible stories behind her life and art, shaped by her upbringing in Trinidad and her experiences in America. Through engaging conversation and a display of her vibrant artwork, Gill will offer insights into her unique journey and cultural influences. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with a local artist and explore the rich tapestry of her artistic expression.

We are delighted to introduce our new Overture Galleries director, Stephanie Barenz! You may have seen her work as one of the exhibiting artists in Gallery I's "Un/Inhabited" this past winter.

Stephanie joins Overture with over 20 years of artistic experience, having studied visual art in the U.S. and Italy and received her MFA from Washington University in St. Louis. She has taught art at several schools, including Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and Concordia International School in Shanghai, China, and completed artist residencies around the country.

Stephanie's mixed-media paintings explore the profound relationship between one's external surroundings and internal landscapes, be they mental, emotional or spiritual. Along with recently exhibiting at Overture Galleries, she has shown work at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Musem of Wisconsin Art and John Michael Kohler Art Center, among others.

"As the new Galleries director, I'm eager to work with our artistic community and curate exhibitions that highlight the work of local artists, provoke thought, and celebrate the Wisconsin art scene. I look forward to welcoming you to our galleries and sharing this journey with each of you," said Stephanie.

We look forward to the great work Stephanie will bring to Overture Galleries!

Read more about Stephanie and her work in Overture's blog here: https://www.overture.org/blog/2024-january-stephanie-barenz/

(Photo by Emily Alyse Photography)

Introducing a new way to browse and purchase artwork from Overture Galleries! ⭐️

Check out OvertureStore.org on your phone or computer to browse all the available work currently displayed in our galleries.

This exciting new platform allows guests to revisit a piece that caught their eye while visiting Overture Center for a show and purchase to reserve it right away!

Artwork purchases from Overture Galleries directly support local artists and the greater Madison area arts community.

We are excited to be a part of Leopold Week 2024! 🌿 ‘s Leopold Week is an annual event exploring conservationist Aldo Leopold’s tenets and essays on the natural world.

On March 2nd, Max Sorenson , who served as an Aldo Leopold Resident Artist and is now an exhibiting artist in the Playhouse Gallery, and others will speak on Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic, conservation efforts like prescribed burns, and the process and significance of this body of artwork.

Check out the new blog post and register for this free event (in-person space is limited, but virtual options are available) and the rest of Leopold Week events the with the links in our story! 🌾

See you TONIGHT for our winter galleries reception and artists’ talks. All are welcome to peruse the four exhibits on display, but make sure to join us on Rotunda Stage by 6pm to hear from our exceptional artists!

From 3-6pm Friday January 19 (✨TOMORROW✨) one of our "Nature's Kaleidoscope" artists will be offering a drop-in activity corresponding with her work in the exhibition. Inspired by ice fishing on Madison lakes and an expedition to Antarctica, Michelle Schwengel-Regala has developed the Ice Core Crochet Project. Join her for this free stitching and talk story session! All materials provided; no crochet experience necessary

The Winter Exhibitions Reception is 5:30-8:30pm tomorrow at Overture Center for the Arts. Explore the stunning art, listen to the artists talk about their processes and passion starting at 6pm, and maybe choose a piece to purchase and add to your home. We hope to see you there! ❄️

Thanks for today’s fun takeover opportunity ! All of the artists in all four galleries thank the public for supporting the arts. We look forward to meeting you at the opening Jan 19. signing off.


.story.house

Hello! Artist takeover in progress! I’m Susan Kaye. Ceramic sculptor in the Gallery III exhibit called (W)understory
I’m lucky to be showing with two other very talented and interesting artists Brian House .story.house and Michael Koppa.
Our opening reception is Jan19, 5:30-8:30 Please come.

Open through March 10.

Explore the shapes and patterns that weave our world together! On display now in the Playhouse Gallery - Nature’s Kaleidoscope: Patterns of Fragility and Resilience.

Learn more at overture.org!

Introducing Overture Galleries' Winter exhibitions!

Experience the raw beauty of natural elements in our newest Playhouse Gallery Winter exhibit: Nature’s Kaleidoscope - Patterns of Fragility and Resilience.

Learn more at overture.org!

It’s in the details…

Thank you to our incredible Galleries I, II & III artists for sharing their stories and brilliant work with us this Fall. This weekend is the final wrap up of these vibrant and multi-layered exhibitions!

We love these photos of the artists and respective Wisconsin Hispanic Leaders being celebrated in the Rotunda Gallery ! Last Saturday was a vibrant celebration of the exhibit and Hispanic Heritage Month. Thanks to everyone who joined us in the festivities!
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📷 by Martin Jenich

My name is Heather Rasmussen and I live and work in Los Angeles.
I have a studio practice that has been evolving for over a decade now. I create and
photograph still lifes which then also become sculptures. I’ve made scans and casts of my legs and feet and included them in photographs and videos. I interact with objects- mirrors, found chairs, giant or moldy vegetables and textures such as packing blankets or towels. These objects have become a cast of characters that play different parts throughout my practice. As a dancer and a mother, I’ve seen my own body change, grow and even become a food source for my son and I’ve attempted to convey these changes through images. Although my work may feel very formal, I’m interested in the documentation of deterioration, movement and experimentation that comes together in my space.
Recently my practice has begun including other people for the first time. In 2021 I created a ‘mirror room’ where I could make photo-multigraphs. Normally two mirrors are used to create 5 subjects from one sitter, but I wanted to make these reflections of my whole body. Throughout the process of working in this space, I began to invite
family and friends into my studio, and over the last year I’ve made portraits of others as well as myself. Sometimes I’m hidden or completely out of the frame, but sometimes you can see me making an expression that the subject is reacting to, or we are even sitting together in this confrontative but intimate space.

Hi! I’m Heather Rasmussen and I’m posting today about our show “Burning at Both Ends” with Jennifer Bastian. —- Jennifer Bastian and Heather Rasmussen are both mothers and have been friends for nearly 15 years. Both artists make work related to labor: making family, making community, working with the body, birth and domesticity. Themes of discomfort and comfort-seeking emerge from both artist’s work in the form of
textures, fabrics and colors used in their photographs and
installations. A color palette of reds, purples, dark blues and
greens runs throughout their work. A formal pattern appears as pairs: a pair of coconuts held in front of a pregnant woman, a
mirror reflecting a pair of boots or a pair of feet. Both feature
breastmilk as subjects in photographs as well as their children.
Parts of the body that evoke care and labor hold the work of
Bastian and Rasmussen together. Bastian’s soft sculptures of red drops hang throughout, interspersed between works, making the viewer think of blood drops or rain drops. This work, made in the recent years throughout the pandemic gives the viewer a glimpse into the lives of two artist mothers, trying to make sense of what artmaking means during such a frightening and alienating time.

It’s again! Tonight I wanted to share a little more about myself, why I make what I make, and what I’m making right now!

I've always had challenges writing an artist statement, but once I started working more in community with folks that also had mental health and disability struggles, building infrastructure toward equity in my community, that I learned all of the ways in which I was considering my work were through a lens of neurodivergence. I use the art making process to regulate my nervous system and feel safe in the world.

All of my current bodies of work focus on grief, love, self discovery, and ritual. Since the death of my second mother in January of 2022, I have had revelations around repressed trauma from my childhood and found words for neurodivergence. I have explored these two issues as facets of my grief over the past year through quilt work and an obsession with candle-lighting and melted wax. Through these processes, I have given purpose to my time and the love and pain I wish to express.

Rituals as a part of my life have always felt inaccessible. I was raised within the Catholic church but felt disillusioned by it from a very young age. It did not give me solace from loneliness or pain then, but I have returned to it to mine for useful rituals now. When my second mother died, I felt the horror of being truly without my life’s guide. I realized that only by creating my own rituals - some based on religious experiences from my youth - would I pull myself out of despair.
Through all of my processes of making, I want to create objects and experiences that resonate with the human yearning for safety and acceptance.

See more in stories tonight and tomorrow about our exhibition from 💜

Hello! here, doing a takeover with today and tomorrow! Our show 🔥Burning at Both Ends🔥 is in Gallery I right now. Head over and take a look if you’re in Madison!

Heather and I have been friends and supporters of each others work for yearrrs and it is thrilling to be in an exhibition together again. In the images you can see the first couple shows we were in together, and other work we were doing around that time. Our first show together was in 2009 at in Seattle, WA and the second was at in Glendale, CA.

During those years, both of us were working through big evolutions in our practice, and both of us have been consistently lens based artists since our younger days.
Images in post are as follows:

• Untitled (Antique mall 1) - Jennifer Bastian
• Untitled (Getty Villa) - Jennifer Bastian
• Untitled (Neighbors) - Jennifer Bastian
• Train Accident - Heather Rasmussen
• After Hurricane Rita - Heather Rasmussen
• Heather, photographing in her studio
• Heather & Jennie (on our flight to Seattle to install Curious Silence at Soil)
• View of Soil Gallery during Curious Silence installation
• Heather’s work at the Brand Library
• Jennie’s work at the Brand Library

As artists, mothers and friends, being connected to others through our art process has been essential. I’ll be sharing more about my own practice later today…and keep an eye on stories cuz we’ll be posting lots more there today!

xx Jennie & Heather

Have you stopped by to see our Fall Exhibits yet?

If you’re going to an show, make sure you come early to make time for these incredible installations, featuring all women artists in Galleries I, II and III!

Our fall shows are up and we are so proud of these artists!Which gallery are you most excited to see? 🤩

Another successful install ~ Last Friday our Galleries I, II and III artists came to set up their fall exhibits. Excitement, unpacking, ladder climbing, hammering and loads of deliberation on the perfect placement ensued!

With that, Fall Galleries are officially open for all to enjoy!

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Immerse yourself in a journey through the artistic wonders as Galleries I, II and III showcase artworks created by women artists. From powerful self-reflections and narratives to multimedia installations, these exhibitions offer a diverse range of perspectives and unveil the realms of creativity and expression. In the Playhouse Gallery, investigate your relationship with garbage. "Garbology" breathes new life into discarded objects and explores our collective and individual waste.

Learn more at Overture.org.

In July, Overture Galleries had the privilege of hosting field trips from Northport Community Learning Center, with approximately 10 young artists in each group. Led by Linda Hang, these visits offered a dive into the world of Joe Taylor's art (which is showing for one more week in Gallery III!)
 
With Joe as their guide, they explored his artworks, enjoyed his book reading, and then let their imagination flow by creating their own compositions using recycled skateboard wood, a signature element of Joe's art. 🛹
 
Their insightful questions sparked conversations about Joe's art and the creative process behind his children's book, The Walking Tree. 🌳

Copies of the book can be purchased for $20, and for more of Joe's artistic endeavors, check out
 
A big thank you to Northport Community Learning Center and Joe Taylor for joining us in this artistic journey!

Join us tomorrow evening for our Summer Galleries reception!

This free event is 5-8pm, July 14, with artists’ talks from 6-7pm on Rotunda Stage (lower level Overture Center). Light refreshments will be available.

Hear from our incredible artists and enjoy an evening celebrating fine arts!