A Mindful Exhibition

An artist’s internal dialogue when crafting new artwork can be riddled with questions and decision making. Answers may lie in the formal elements and principles of art and techniques for rendering an image realistically – a trusted and accepted playbook. For other artists, the art fundamentals are intrinsic to what they create, but they go to a more personal source of inspiration and guidance - their intuition. Intuitive Abstraction, on display September 12 – November 1, is ACWL-Nuveen’s second guest exhibition of the year and is being sponsored by the Howmet Aerospace Foundation. The exhibition will feature mixed-media artist Adam Dahlstrom from Muskegon and Traverse City-based sculptor, Laura Korch. Both artists credit their intuition as the reliable guiding voice behind their accomplished artwork, and both interpret abstraction in their own unique way.

In the Upper Room, Laura Korch - work in progress

For the past six years sculptor Laura Korch has intentionally used her intuition as a launching pad for the creation of new artwork. Starting with a guiding mantra, she creates art with the clear purpose of enlightening the viewer by fabricating sculptures that make the unseen, seen. She has this to say about her creative process, “My work starts with an internal flash – an image, a feeling, or a profound message that arrives unbidden.” She doesn’t see these sparks as random but messaging from a higher source on how to communicate with viewers who experience her sculptures firsthand. These concepts may seem abstract to many but for Laura they are the essence of who she is as an artist, spiritual seeker and healer. Laura’s spiritual quest has led to her certification in the shamanic practices of the Inca shamans of the Peruvian Andes, the study of Reiki, pranayama breathing techniques, and a deep dive into A Course in Miracles and the Kabbalah. www.troutceramics.com

Above and Below, Adam Dahlstrom

At first glance Adam Dahlstrom’s mixed-media paintings may appear to have been motivated by formal exercises in color, pattern and non-objective abstraction. That would be accurate to a degree but when the viewer slows down and spends more time, they will become immersed in Adam’s obsession with dichotomies. His interest in finding balance and harmony by playing with opposing forces - contrasting colors, pattern vs non-pattern dark vs light - and how these opposite energies help define each other. To access this dynamic Adam, like Laura, relies on his intuition. Adam states, “I equate intuition with instinct, and as such most of the visual decisions I’m making are via intuition.”  He continues, “I would say that when most decisions are being made on the fly – that’s largely intuition. I may start with the seed of an idea, but 99 times out of 100 things grow and change in the moment and end up in a place I didn’t foresee.”www.adamdahlstrom.com

We invite the public to stop by the ACWL-Nuveen to experience this visually rich and thought-provoking show in person. We will be having a public reception for the artists on Saturday September 20 from 1:00 – 3:00pm. Starting at 1:30 both Adam and Laura will speak about their artwork and give insights into the role of intuition and what motivates them as artists. As always, this reception is open to all.

To coincide with this exhibit, we are offering educational opportunities with Laura and Adam. Laura, who is a Professor of Fine Art and the Director of the Ceramics and Sculpture program at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, will be offering:

• Personalized Mugs: A Custom Decal Demo at Terrestrial Forming on Friday, September 19 from 4:00 - 6:00pm.  

And Adam, who has been a professional picture framer for 25+ years, will be teaching a workshop entitled: 

• Picture Framing for Artists on Saturday October 10 from 10:00am – 12:00pm.

For questions on this exhibition or the workshops, please stop by our downtown Whitehall location – 106 E. Colby Street, call – 231-893-2524 or email – nuveen@artswhitelake.org.