ArtScene at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art: Meditative Surfaces

Deanna Krueger, "Otekaike", Mixed Media, 54x72"

In just a few weeks, the Fort Wayne Museum of Art will be hosting "Meditative Surfaces"—a three-person exhibition comprised of work by Deanna Krueger, Maggie Meiners and myself. The exhibition will be presented in the Contemporary Regional Gallery from November 9 through January 19. Meditative Surfaces presents work created with both traditional and experimental techniques—yet all of the pieces explore unique personal content. The diversity of inspiration includes: X-Ray and MRI diagnostic imagery, mixed-media, self-analysis through photographic childhood contemplations and the prehistoric megaliths of Great Britain.

 

Maggie Meiners, "Slick" C-Print, 40x40"

On Friday, November 15th, Krueger, Meiners and myself will be in Fort Wayne to take part in the ArtScene lecture series. ArtScene is a dynamic program featuring living artists and curators discussing their work in contemporary life through diverse topics such as motivations, struggles, influences, life experiences, and artistic inspirations.

ArtScene: Meditative Surfaces will be presented on November 15 at 6:30pm. The event is free to FWMoA Members. There is a $5 fee for non-members.

The Fort Wayne Museum of Art is located in downtown Fort Wayne on Main Street next to the Arts United Center at the corner of Main and Lafayette. The Museum offers convenient parking behind the building, and is fully handicap accessible. The museum is open: Sunday, 12-5 pm, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 am - 6pm, and Thursday 10am-8 pm.

 

 Charles Gniech "Wave Watching" acrylic on canvas, 40x60"

 ---

Born and raised in Michigan and currently living in Chicago, Deanna Krueger is an Instructor at Northeastern Illinois University, teaching courses in painting and design. Krueger holds a Master of Fine Art degree from Eastern Michigan University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Michigan. She has been a Visiting Artist at various Colleges and Universities around the mid-west, including The University of Michigan, Portland College in Champaign, Illinois, and Robert Morris College in Chicago. Krueger’s work has been exhibited nationally as well as internationally with exhibits in Berlin and Rome. A Solo exhibition of Krueger’s work will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, during the 2010 exhibition season.


Born in Chicago, IL, Maggie Meiners had a suburban upbringing, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from University of Colorado-Boulder, and a Master of Education degree from De Paul University in Chicago, Illinois. She now resides outside of Chicago. Although Meiners is primarily a self-taught photographer, she devours books on art and photography, has taken workshops with Diane Kittle, Lauren Henkin, and Norman Mauskopf, and relies on a number of mentors to help her hone her creative and photographic skills. Meiners tends to find interest in objects that most people would overlook… and presents those subjects in her photography. It doesn’t necessarily matter what the subject is, but whether or not it is open for interpretation. Her compositions are direct, to the point of appearing minimal, while her subject matter, conversely discloses significant complexity. Meiner’s work appears in numerous private and public collections, including: The Illinois Institute of Art, Harrison Street Lofts, and Wheaton College. Additionally, she has been the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, including the 2009 Ragdale Prize. Among other bodies of work, Meiners continues to produce pieces for her large scale “Childhood Contemplations” imagery. This abstract work—comprised of random color patterns—invites the viewer to enter into a meditative environment. This series was exhibited at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, in September 2008 and is currently touring with the work of Deanna Krueger and Charles Gniech.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Charles Gniech is a Professor of Art at The Illinois Institute of Art- Chicago. He holds a Master of Fine Art degree with an emphasis in painting and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in illustration, both from Northern Illinois University. While teaching, curating, consulting and freelancing, Gniech continues to paint and exhibits at the national level. His paintings focus on the meditative qualities of the stone circles found throughout Great Britain. Having explored many megalithic sites over the past twenty years, Gniech embraces the peaceful serenity of the mystical structures—a serenity that is reflected in his work. Images of his paintings may be seen on the web site: gniech.com The paintings of Charles Gniech have been included into various gallery and museum exhibitions. His work has been exhibited at The Rockford Art Museum, The Fort Wayne Museum of Art, and The Quincy Art Center. Represented by ZIA Gallery [Winnetka, IL] and Gallery H [Three Oaks, MI], Gniech’s paintings have been acquired for numerous public and private collections.