Tag Archive: abstract art

  1. Ubiquitous Artist Talk

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    Solo exhibiting artist, Emily Quandahl and moderator Russ White converge for an intimate conversation into the mind that created Ubiquitous

    We invite you to join us for an evening of conversation with Ubiquitous artist Emily Quandahl, and moderator Russ White of MPLSART. The vision of Ubiquitous (meaning, “present, appearing, found everywhere”) has transformed the gallery space into an ethereal sanctuary of textures and colors that Emily has created in an effort to find comfort in the changing seasons of her life, as well as her evolution as an artist. 

    Emily’s process throws away preconceived notions of what her work should be and instead leans into what is – trusting her intuitive instinct to lead her in the direction necessary to express herself in the moment. The result is a body of work born out of trust, experimentation, and constant evolution throughout her practice.  Quandahls background in classical music reveals itself on the canvas; there is a melody of relationships in the movements. Instinctual marking and planned line-work absorbs and records the space and events in and around her. Emily has also lent a nod to domestic handicrafts regarded as women’s work, creating masterpieces that intertwine hand stitching into many of her paintings and has used found materials to create mosaic columns that sit front & center in the gallery.

    UBIQUITOUS- ARTIST TALK:
    Thursday, October 26th // 7pm
    Russ White will lead a multifaceted conversation and a look into the mind, process, and inspirations of Emily Quandahl. Ubiqitious is Emily Quandahl’s first gallery-represented solo show. Emily may be an emerging artist, and her audience is largely local, but she also has a presence nationally and internationally, recently completing an artist residency in Lisbon, Portugal. Quandahl is an artist you definitely want to follow as her career grows. 
    • $5 presale available
    • $10 day of the event
    • Free for Gamut Gallery Members

    GALLERY & GIFT SHOP OPEN HOURS + CONTACT INFO
    FREE open hours: Wednesday – Friday, 11am – 6pm; Saturday 11am – 4pm. Please note we will not have open hours on Saturday, November 11th. 

    View all of Emily Quandahl’s paintings featured in her solo exhibition, Ubiquitous through November 16th.

    ABOUT THE ARTIST
    Emily Quandahl (b. 1994) is a mixed-media painter and muralist based in Minneapolis.  Her compositions utilize bold palettes and textures, starting intuitively on the floor with a base of diluted acrylics.  From there, she draws from experience and impressions of her life through an abstract lens to build up layers until a balance is found, creating a world of its own.  With a background in classical music, her compositions are inherently melodic in their movements, creating an ethereal world that transports the viewer through layers of paint.

    ABOUT THE MODERATOR
    Russ White is an artist, writer, and editor living in Minneapolis. After growing up in the Carolinas and Mississippi, White received a BA in Studio Art from Davidson College and has maintained a studio in the Casket Arts Building in Northeast Minneapolis since 2014, where he works primarily in colored pencil and mixed media. He has exhibited his work regionally and nationally (including a 2016 solo show at Gamut), is the recipient of two Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative grants (2018 & 2020), and works as the editor of written content for MPLSART.COM.

  2. Astroturf

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    ​​FEATURED ARTISTS: Genie Castro, Human Shaped Animal, Neal Breton, Nicole Mueller, in partnership with Blu Dot. Envisioned by Siobhan Mulloy and curated by Cass Garner.

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    Installed in place of grass from as early as the 1950s, AstroTurf™ forgoes naturally growing grass for the carefree ease of owning an evergreen front lawn. In mid-century America, the synthetic material was marketed to homeowners as a means of signaling status to their neighbors through perfectly manicured landscaping year-round. Mirroring our current consumer culture of filtered images and branded content, Gamut Gallery’s first show of 2023, AstroTurf, plays with the idea of appearances vs. authenticity through the iconic influence of SoCal architecture, pop art, and post-painterly abstraction. Astroturf peers over the neighbor’s hedge to sneak a peek at how the Joneses really live. 

    Gamut’s multimedia exhibit, in collaboration with Blu Dot , features local MN artists, Genie Castro and Nicole Mueller, along with returning SoCal artists, Human Shaped Animal and Neal Breton. Embracing bold and vivid colors, hard-edge lines, and geometry, this selection of work celebrates the resurgence and influence of the mid-century movement and pop-culture Southern California suburbia. 

    Genie Castro’s renditions offer a nod to the midcentury design through her vibrant mono-prints and nine accompanying pieces from her 2022 collection, Lily. While Human Shape Animal incorporates tropical foliage with post-painterly abstraction to produce sculptural, yet functional, wall fixtures that incorporate living plants. Nicole Mueller’s potent images from her annual pilgrimages to Palm Springs highlight mid-century modernist architecture, with the quiet stillness of manicured lawns and majestic palms. Also lending a nod to the leisurely lifestyle, Neal Breton’s works from his Strange Paradise Collection reveal inviting pool scenes we all long for during these cold winter months. Blu Dot’s selection of locally designed furniture elevates the modern aesthetic, immersing the viewer in the movement’s all-encompassing influence on art, design and culture. [/bscolumns]

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    MEMBER PREVIEW NIGHT
    Thursday, February 16th// 5-8pm
    Don’t miss the first dibs on your favorite pieces!
    Not a Gamut Gallery member? Become one today.
    • Must be a Gamut Gallery Member to attend

    PUBLIC OPENING:
    Friday, February 17th // 6-9pm
    $10 day of the event / $7 pre-sale / FREE for Members
    Featuring Genie Castro, Human Shaped Animal, Neal Breton, Nicole Mueller & showroom pieces from Blu Dot.

    GALLERY & GIFT SHOP OPEN HOURS
    Please note: Gamut Gallery is closed on exhibit opening days
    FREE open hours: Wednesday – Friday, 11am – 6pm; Saturday 11am – 4pm[/bscolumns][bscolumns class=”clear”][/bscolumns]

    ABOUT THE ARTISTS

    Genie Castro is a community leader in the arts. She creates unity with projects she is involved in by connecting with people. She encourages students and clients to get into the creation process and learn through that exploration. Castro is director and owner of a printmaking studio in the Casket Arts Building in Northeast Minneapolis called SuperCharged Printmakers. It is there she and other printmakers create an inviting space for artists to create freely in the medium of printmaking and have showing opportunities. Her artworks hung alongside artists Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Frank Stella, Robert Longo and Donald Sultan. Castro’s art is featured in the homes of many private collectors and in public and corporate collections.

    Human Shaped Animal a.k.a Rachel Barnes currently resides in Santa Cruz, California. After receiving a B.A. in Painting and Digital Design from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania, she relocated to Upstate New York for some soul searching. Completely enamored by the ever-changing landscapes and energy that came from West Coast, she soon relocated to Santa Cruz, California in 2016. Expanding in multiple directions from her experience as a painter and muralist, Human Shaped Animal creates a striking bouquet of multimedium pieces. By cross-pollinating her original designs with digital fabrication and live plants she has reaped a mind-bending garden of complex form and moving stillness.    

    Neal Breton, orginally from New Hampshire, has been a professional artist for over twenty five years. He studied painting at Pasadena City College in the 90s, and has curated and shown his own work all over the United States. After living in the suburbs of Los Angeles, he now resides on the Central Coast in the quirky beach community of Los Osos.

    Nicole Mueller is a Minneapolis photographer, printmaker, and real estate agent with a penchant for modernist design and architecture.  Her most recent body of work was inspired on holiday in Palm Springs, California.  Nicole’s photographs are color-saturated, timeless portraits of the homes that line the streets of Palm Springs’ iconic neighborhoods. Shot at eye level from the road, they seem almost like a view from a window of a neighboring home.

  3. Suyao Tian Artist Talk

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    With limited availability, reserve your seat early by purchasing your pre-sale ticket early. 

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    We invite you to join us for an evening of conversation with exhibiting solo artist, Suyao Tian, moderated by fellow local artist and MPLSART art writer Russ White. Together the pair will discuss In Your Own Words, a collection of Suyao’s most recent works hosted by Gamut Gallery in downtown Minneapolis.

    As temperatures rise in the Midwest, Suyao’s organic pools of vibrant color welcome viewers to dive in and explore a world beneath the surface. Her whimsical compositions capture our imaginations uniquely, connecting audiences to In Your Own Words through the lens of their individual experiences, memories, and creativity. For the first time in her career, collectors will have the opportunity to actively partake in her creative process, sharing their interpretations and naming the piece they purchase. 

    During this Art Talk, Suyao will speak about the significance of that connection while uncovering her painting techniques, inspiration, and the future direction of her work. We look forward to sharing this interactive experience with you! With limited availability, reserve your seat early by purchasing your pre-sale ticket early. 

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    ARTIST TALK:
    Wednesday, August 10th //6:30 pm
    A multifaceted conversation and a look into the mind of Artist Suyao Tian hosted at Gamut Gallery.
    Moderated by Russ White of MPLSART, followed by open Q & A
    • General admission: $10 day of the event/$7 pre-sale
    • Members: $5
    • Capacity limited to 30 seats

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    Suyao Tian began her studies in Music Education at Qinghai Normal University and Xiamen University in China. Following graduation, she began teaching Music Education as Assistant Professor at Guangdong Tianhe Technical Normal College in Guangzho, China. She later came to the US in 2011, where she began her studies in art and design. She started with her BA in Fine Art at the University of Central Arkansas. Afterward, she completed her MFA in Design and Branding Identity from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2017. From her MFA studies, she developed and established her company Modern Cover™ where she designs and sells playful outerwear, which has been sold across the US.

    While curating, painting, running Modern Cover™, and raising her son, she continues to be a strong and active member across organizations within the art and creative communities of the Twin Cities. She currently serves on the Executive Board of Art Buddies and is passionately engaged with multiple galleries and organizations across the state. Her works have also caught the eye of local and national companies, like Room & Board, with her designs being applied and sold across various product types.

    Russ White is an artist, writer, and editor living in Minneapolis. After growing up in the Carolinas and Mississippi, White received a BA in Studio Art from Davidson College and has maintained a studio in the Casket Arts Building in Northeast Minneapolis since 2014, where he works primarily in colored pencil and mixed media. He has exhibited his work regionally and nationally (including a 2016 solo show at Gamut), is the recipient of two Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative grants (2018 & 2020), and works as the editor of written content for MPLSART.COM.

  4. In Your Own Words – A solo exhibition by Suyao Tian

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    June 22nd – August 20th, 2022  // a solo exhibition by Suyao Tian, embracing the intimate relationship observed between her work and the unique experiences of her collectors.

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    This July, Gamut Gallery is pleased to welcome nationally recognized artist, designer and independent curator residing in the Twin Cities, and adjunct faculty at Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) Suyao Tian for her latest interactive solo exhibition, In Your Own Words.

    The intimate relationship Suyao has observed between her work and the unique experiences of her collectors is the inspiration behind the upcoming exhibit. Through the liberal use of water in her painting application, Suyao embraces the spontaneity of shapes as they organically unwind across her composition. “My inspiration comes from my childhood memories. I try to think like a child, without the constraints of space and time.” Her choice of vivid color strengthens this notion, illustrating whimsical scenes full of life and movement. In doing so, she encourages the viewer to embark on an exploration of their inner world, interpreting the path her paints take through the lens of their own childlike imaginations.

    During the exhibition, visitors are encouraged to share their favorite pieces from the collection online, along with a few comments about their individual interpretation of her art. “I don’t try to force viewers to understand my work, more importantly, I hope my work can inspire viewers’ curiosity and new understanding of themselves and the world.” Meanwhile, buyers will be offered the opportunity to name their piece upon purchase. In doing so, In Your Own Words sets out to weave together a narrative echoing Suyao’s recognition that we each autonomously navigate events, demonstrating how experiences colors our interpretation of the world around us.[/bscolumns][bscolumns class=”one_half_last_clear”]

    MEMBERS ONLY PREVIEW NIGHT:
    Thursday, July 21st // 7-9pm
    Meet & greet with Suyao Tian
    • Memberships required, become a member today!!
    • RSVP Required

    PUBLIC OPENING NIGHT:
    Friday, July 22nd // 6-9pm
    $10 day of event, $7 presale
    • Pre-sale tickets available
    • Entry will be available at the door

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    About the Artists:
    Suyao Tian began her studies in Music Education at Qinghai Normal University and Xiamen University in China. Following graduation, she began teaching Music Education as Assistant Professor at Guangdong Tianhe Technical Normal College in Guangzho, China. She later came to the US in 2011 where she began her studies in art and design. She started with her BA in Fine Art at the University of Central Arkansas. Afterward, she completed her MFA in Design and Branding Identity from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) in 2017. From her MFA studies, she developed and established her company Modern Cover™ where she designs and sells playful outerwear which has been sold across the US.

     

    While curating, painting, running Modern Cover™ and raising her son, she continues to be a strong and active member across organizations within the art and creative communities of the Twin Cities. She currently serves on the Executive Board of Art Buddies, and is passionately engaged with multiple galleries and organizations across state. Her works have also caught the eye of local and national companies, like Room & Board, with her designs being applied and sold across a range of product types.

  5. NuAge Knight: In Between Finale

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    Gamut Gallery celebrates one more time our latest exhibition “In Between”. For the finale we welcome Gamut first time performer NuAge Knight. Knight’s elevated future dub creates the perfect backdrop to envelope “In Between”.

    “In Between” embodies that space between life and death, conscious and subconscious, pen and paper, form and transcendence. This joint exhibit features the art of James Zucco and Kim Heidkamp. Zucco’s work draws on existential questions about life, death, and transcendence. Heidkamp creates fluid paper sculptures that capture movement in a paused moment.

    ABOUT THE ARTISTS
    James Zucco spent many years creating award-winning work as an art director in advertising. Three of his commercials are featured in the permanent collection at MoMA, and his work has earned an Emmy nomination and other industry honors. In 2015 James shifted his focus to his passion for fine art. He now spends his days in the studio, drawing and painting across a variety of mediums. His art now resides in private collections across North America, Europe, and the Middle East and has been featured in The New York Times and The California Sunday Magazine.

    Kim Heidkamp graduated from the Bethel University. She has a 1 year post-baccalaureate certificate program at Bethel for fine art. After working as a graphic designer for seven years, the urge to create led Heidkamp to abandon her day job and focus on her art. Working out of her studio in the Casket Arts Carriage House, she has dedicated the last two years to developing and honing her paper sculptural works. She has completed several commissions and participates in the annual NEMAA Art-A-Whirl. This is her first major gallery show.

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    EXHIBIT FINALE
    Saturday, March 9th 7-10pm, $5
    Featuring NuAge Knight 
    + the works of Kim Heidkamp & James Zucco

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  6. In Between Art Talk

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    Join artists James Zucco, Kim Heidkamp, and curators Jade Patrick and Cassie Garner for an intimate discussion on Gamut’s current joint exhibition “In Between”. Zucco’s work draws on existential questions about life, death, and transcendence while Heidkamp creates fluid paper sculptures that capture movement in a paused moment.

    ABOUT THE ARTIST
    James Zucco spent many years creating award-winning work as an art director in advertising. Three of his commercials are featured in the permanent collection at MoMA, and his work has earned an Emmy nomination and other industry honors. In 2015 James shifted his focus to his passion for fine art. He now spends his days in the studio, drawing and painting across a variety of mediums. His art now resides in private collections across North America, Europe, and the Middle East and has been featured in The New York Times and The California Sunday Magazine.

    Kim Heidkamp graduated from the Bethel University. She has a 1 year post-baccalaureate certificate program at Bethel for fine art. After working as a graphic designer for seven years, the urge to create led Heidkamp to abandon her day job and focus on her art. Working out of her studio in the Casket Arts Carriage House, she has dedicated the last two years to developing and honing her paper sculptural works. She has completed several commissions and participates in the annual NEMAA Art-A-Whirl. This is her first major gallery show. [/bscolumns][bscolumns class=”one_half_last_clear”]

    CLICK to SHOP  the “In Between” Exhibition

    ART TALK
    Saturday • February 23rd, 11am-1pm
    $10 // Free for Members
    moderated by Gamut’s own Jade Patrick and with sparkly beverages, coffee & sweet treats – Thank you to our sponsor Blackeye Roasting Co.

    * This is a limited capacity event we recommend purchasing advance.

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  7. Atelophobia 3

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    FEATURED ARTISTS: Tara Costello, Nashana Reding-Tuomi, Jesse Matthew Petersen, BDD Downs, Lisa Pemrick and Christopher E. Harrison.

    Atelophobia is the original 2015 group show title of four abstract artists from the Twin Cities area. Artist BDD Downs curated the artists for this initial exhibition as a way to showcase his own body of abstract artwork. Downs discovered that when he broadens his focus beyond his personal artistic output to include the work of others, the process of creating art is strengthened by the dialogue within the collective. Through this practice, the group is able to create a more purely abstract art entity, rather than simply responding to a selected premise of an “abstract” art show.

    The name Atelophobia was selected by one of the founding collective members Jesse Matthew Petersen. Atelophobia is a psychological condition marked by a phobia of imperfection, or the fear of not being good enough. This anxiety for abstract artists stems from trying to achieve artistic perfection in a stylistic form which should by definition have no boundaries or rules.

    The first exhibition in 2015 at St. Cloud’s Gallery Vault included Tara Costello, Nashana Reding-Tuomi, Jesse Matthew Petersen and BDD Downs. The second installment took place the next year in Oneonta, NY and included the addition of Lisa Pemrick. The show included a mixture of collaborative and solo work. This next iteration at Gamut Gallery will include new work from all artists of the group along with newcomer Christopher E. Harrison. The artists of Atelophobia are not afraid to be absorbed by the abstract. Each artist’s works, while abstracted in form, maintain a different and distinct style unique to the spirit and intention of the individual. [/bscolumns][bscolumns class=”one_half_last_clear”]

    Opening Night
    Saturday  August 11, 7-11pm
    With DJ Neckbrace aka Jeff Mooridian Jr.
    $5 or free with Gallery Membership

    Exhibit Finale
    Thursday September 6, 7-10pm
    Comedy Night curated by Fletcher Wolfe
    $5 or free with Gallery Membership

    Work featured: Merman’s Birth by Christopher Harrison[/bscolumns][bscolumns class=”clear”][/bscolumns]

     

     

  8. Bright Side

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    FEATURED ARTISTS: Laura Bennett, John Foster, Hilary Greenstein, Barret Lee, Derek Meier, and Erin Nistler

    For Bright Side, Gamut Gallery welcomes six artists exhibiting works which share a connective mood and harness kinetic energy. Relying on the elements of line, color, contrast, texture and form within a space, the works are based in reality but result in a liminal experience. While the artists present different media – from figurative and representational to abstract and painterly – they exist in the spectrum of the whimsical and phantasmal, united through color and methodical expression. By attaching a visual context to an emotional state, the combined works create a dialogue optimistic in nature.

    In Hilary Greenstein’s collage and oil paintings, she uses found vintage photos to invoke quintessential scenarios capturing the art of familiarity. Often existing in the lacuna state, her works are open-ended poetic pieces intended as evocative vignettes attached to childhood memories. Merging fine arts with a street art aesthetic, Barret Lee’s fantastical character paintings and floating landscapes lend a utopian outlook. Through thoughtful use of color and space, he provides intimate moments of reflection and retrospection.

    Defying the misconception that abstract art is synonymous with chaotic design, artists Derek Meier, Laura Bennett and Erin Nistler create works which highlight the natural curiosity of the abstract movement with implied intention. Meier’s emphasis on color and texture rather than line or form conveys a sense of unpredictability, yet his use of small and large color fields is deliberate and intuitive. Through derelict symbols, crude geometry and found two-dimensional objects, he creates a visual dialogue inspired by the composition of a landscape. Using elements of scribble motif and playing with a light vs. dark color palate, Bennett’s paintings draw the viewer into a world where the focal points demand attention.

    Nistler taps into the more methodical aspects of abstract art with works inspired by architecture, geometric shapes, fashion design and storytelling. Similarly inspired by geometry, John Foster explores how people relate to objects and architectural design. Uniting the organic with the inorganic, Foster’s series of reversed pyramid cut acrylic hedrons are designed to reflect natural light, creating sparkling, prism-like visuals. Colorful and captivating, his pieces allow for an experience with a sculptural composition.

     

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    EXHIBIT OPENING
    Saturday, June 3rd, 3-7pm, $5
    Featuring NCC-17 (aka Necronancer) and BLEΔK ROSES

    OPEN HOURS
    Free during exhibit run
    Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 3-7pm
    Or by appointment

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