“Nature is where my mind and soul live.” This quote from artist Marie Essenberg captures the spirit of our annual Expressions – “en plein air” exhibition. This is our fourth annual open call to West Michigan artists of all ages to share how they celebrate the practice of creating outdoors and all things nature. The exhibit opened to the public last Friday and will be on display until August 31 with a free public reception on Friday, August 23 from 5:00pm – 7:00pm. We extended the deadline this year, giving artists four extra days to complete artwork for the show and they responded enthusiastically. This is our largest plein air show to date! The open call attracted West Michigan artists working in a wide range of mediums. Viewers will experience art made from felt, video, photography, grass & leaves, traditional painting mediums, and even re-purposed cedar branches from the recent powerful storm that swept through White Lake.
From top left, clockwise: Marie Essenberg's "Mystic Beach", Esther Kae's "Eating Corn in the Backyard on July 15", Gemma Lorson's "'Fowl'iage Chicken", Charity Gribbin's "A Long Lake Day"
Why do these artists choose to leave their controlled indoor environment to brave the unpredictability of working outdoors? Artist Linda Busse summed it up beautifully, “The color is more vivid. Light is the driving force. Creation that you see, feel, smell, and hear pushes your feelings as you create to an over-powering level.”
We invite you to stop by the ACWL-Nuveen to experience this uniquely diverse show. We are open Tuesday – Friday 11:00am – 5:30pm and Saturday from 11:00am – 3:00pm. And don’t forget to mark your calendars for the opening reception on Friday, August 23 from 5:00pm – 7:00pm where we will be announcing the winners of this year’s ACWL-Nuveen awards in the Adult and Youth categories and serving snacks and beverages. We are super grateful for the award sponsorship we received from Blick Art Materials for two $50 gift cards which we will award in both the Youth and Adult divisions. For more information about this exhibit, check out our website and social media posts on Facebook and Instagram or call 231-893-2524.
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