Monday, December 11, 2017

Chiaroscuro; Casting Shadows in Mosaic Exhibit

In 2012, a group of Pacific NW mosaic artists gathered at the home of Richard Davis on Whidbey Island to discuss hosting one of the conferences for the Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA) in our area. Over the weekend, we brainstormed, ate, drank and worked on mosaic projects that we had brought along. This was the first time SAMA members in WA and OR coalesced as a regional group, and it was the beginning of a great friendship.

We did host the American Mosaic Summit in Tacoma in 2013, which was a huge undertaking headed by Richard Davis and Kelley Knickerbocker, but others were involved and the group began to take shape. Additionally, we held our first regional mosaic art exhibit to coincide with the conference.

Over the years, each of us has collaborated and intersected with others in this community, which spans both Pacific NW states, and last year, a few of us began planning a group exhibition with the theme: Chiaroscuro; Casting Shadows in Mosaic. Having worked together and knowing that each of us is committed to our work at a professional level, we trusted each other to submit the size and number of pieces that felt appropriate and fitting to the theme, without setting parameters.

Everyone except for Jo Braun.

Joanne Daschel

Karen Rycheck

Kate Jessup

Kelley Knickerbocker

Lynn Adamo

Jennifer Kuhns

Scott Fitzwater

December 8th was the opening reception for the first exhibit of the Northwest Mosaic Art Alliance (NMAA) at the Chessman Gallery in Lincoln City, OR. The show was hung perfectly by the gallery director, Krista Eddy and everyone brought their A-game to the show. The work was so compatible, yet varied, it was remarkable to me how well it came together. The turnout for the opening was huge! All but one of the artists (Jo Braun) was able to attend and the energy in the room was so enthusiastic!

If you are near the central coast of Oregon, go visit the show, which will be on display through January 9, 2018. But if you miss it, we have another show scheduled in March that I'll announce closer to the dates. For the moment, my head is still spinning from this weekend.

*All of the individual photos above were taken by Deane Ingram.

My current public art project:

City of Bellingham Project

In recent emails, I've highlighted some of the smaller projects I've been working in this year. But this is my largest public art project to date!

Last March, I was selected for a public art project by the City of Bellingham. They are improving the Birchwood neighborhood, adding sidewalks and lights to create a safer, nicer environment, and they needed some artwork that would engage local residents, but had not chosen a specific location, theme, or type of project. I had a unique opportunity to work with the committee from the very beginning, creating a proposal from scratch.

Mandala Sidewalk Inlays

The first stage of the project will be two 4'-8" sidewalk inlays. I created several design proposals, which were voted on during a community event and finalized by the Arts Commission. I've been fabricating the designs using matte glass tile on mesh, which temporarily holds the mosaic together until it can be set into mortar on site. Each design is a mandala featuring Pacific NW species. One includes blue herons, salmon, skunk cabbage and birch trees, and will be located on or near Birchwood Ave. The other includes otters, eagles, sword ferns and maple trees, and will be located on Maplewood Ave. I began work on the mandalas in August, and I expect to have them ready for installation in December, though construction schedules and weather will determine when they are installed. It is likely to be spring of 2018.

"Kid Garden" Light Post Bases

Part two of the project is a community engagement component. For two days in June, I rolled out giant craft paper at Squalicum Creek Park and invited local kids to help design a garden with their faces on the flowers. They did a great job and I returned to my studio with the three 9' x 3' designs that I needed to create vertical installations that will go on concrete light post bases along Maplewood Ave, between the two sidewalk inlays. My goal was for kids in the neighborhood to see themselves in the artwork and to feel a direct connection to it. Through summer, I fabricated the drawings in mosaic, and I've been slowly filling in the backgrounds between other projects. I expect to have this component ready for installation in January, but again, it will depend on construction and weather.

To follow my progress:

Last year, I learned how to use Instagram, and I really like it. It's easy to upload images from my phone, so I use it regularly to post progress pictures, shots of the studio, snippets from my life, etc. You can find me at jenn.kuhns.

I also have a business page on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferKuhnsMosaic
I'm even on twitter! Honestly, I haven't gotten comfortable with twitter. It's just too much. Usually, I just let my posts on other platforms share automatically on twitter. But if that's your preferred way to get updates: https://twitter.com/jkmosaic

And if you're more of an in-person person, feel free to schedule a studio visit. Be warned that I work in chaos, but I have an eclectic house, full of mosaic projects, and a lot of available work on my walls and stashed in suitcases. I live about 30 miles from the Westside of Olympia, WA. 360-482-8024