Kelly Neidig &
Shalene Valenzuela

June 25-July 28

 Kelly Neidig paints abstract landscapes.  She focuses more on color and less on shapes, presenting little information to the viewer. Neidig is more interested in the idea of these places than the details, and creates work from her memory and imagination. "My paintings reflect my perception and memories of these surroundings.  This allows the viewer to call on their memories of place and connect with the painting based on their experiences. The information I collect for my paintings comes from the place where suburban meets rural. I see a connection between my memories and these fleeting landscapes and imagination. My memories can be vague or vanish quickly and sometimes the only thing I have left is color”

 Pictured Left: "Landscape" oil on canvas

Shalene Valenzuela’s ceramic work consists of quirky pieces that reflect upon a variety of issues with a thoughtful, yet humorous tone. Much of her imagery is pulled from sources around the 1950’s era. Through advertising, common objects were embraced in the most royal fashion, and through television and print, images of the “perfect Americana life” were portrayed. The preciousness of clay as a medium helps transform her depicted common household item into something magical. To quote Shalene, “I am inspired by the potential of everyday common objects.” She reproduces these objects in clay through hand building, slip casting, or a combination of the two, and illustrates the surfaces with a variety of hand painted and screen printed imagery.

Pictured Right: "On Thin Ice" ceramic sculpture