This is the second of three blog posts that highlight each artist member that submitted work to our 2020 Members Exhibition. This, along with the online store and the window displays, represent our efforts to share with you, our arts community, the vision and talents of our creative membership.
This year, we challenged our members to look back on 2019 and define their work in a submission to this exhibition. Many of the artists took the time to tell us a little bit about themselves and where their creative focus has been in the past year, and we have shared those thoughts with you below.
You can look through the images by clicking on the thumbnails below the main image. If you are interested in purchasing any of the artworks for sale you can do that through our online store which is accessible via the “shop” button on the menu bar above, as well as by clicking on the image.
Jonathan S. Green
Jonathan is a printmaker that has been a member of the IGCA for the last three years. He took the time to tell us a little about his practice…
“My research and practice is concerned with climate crisis in the era of the Anthropocene. As of late, it has been focused on the human interaction with geology - specifically the relationships between them. Meaning, a relationship in which rock and human a/effect each other. This implies a boundary between animate life and inanimate life that is more permeable than we currently imagine.“
Find more information about Jonathan and his work on instagram - @jonathansgreen
Somer Hahm
A new member, Somer is a practicing artist based in Fairbanks.
“My most recent body of work, titled "The Painted Quilt" was exhibited January 2020 at FAA's Bear Gallery. A large series of acrylic on canvas, hard edge abstractions, these paintings are directly inspired by the timeless beauty of quilt block designs. Out of this recent body of studio work grew my new artistic endeavor called the Far North Quilt Trail Project (FNQTP), a comprehensive community wide public art project that will establish a distinctly unique barn quilt trail in Fairbanks, Alaska.”
Discover more about Somer, her practice, and this ambitious project online at somerhahm.com and www.thefarnorthquilttrailproject, as well as on Instagram - @somer.hahm and @thefarnorthquilttrailproject
Annekathrin Hansen
Annekathrin has been an IGCA member since 2013. When asked to share a little bit about herself and her practice, she says…
“Nature leads me to the creation of photos, paintings, mosaics, and mixed media pieces. The design of the mixed media picture "Musher - Heading North" is based on photographs of Iditarod mushers. The mixed media piece "Eisbear - 11:03am, 13 February 2019 AKST" (Polar Bear) was created in connection to the Aiviq and Nanuq Sea Bear community exhinition at the Anchorage museum last year. The picture was generated out of a collage of several photos.”
Discover more about Annekathrin and her work at…
artwork-by-anne.com
fineartamerica.com
David Hansen
David is a new member and this last year he has focused his artistic practice on “looking at the northern landscape for ideas about function and inevitability.”
Deborah Hansen
Deborah is not only a long time member, she is also a practicing artist and much appreciated volunteer.
Lesley Harrison
Lesley has been a member for about 12 years. When asked to tell us a bit about her practice, she shares…
“I like to experiment and work on a theme for some time. This includes researching a topic to help me get beyond the obvious. I enjoy combining images which are not typically seen together, to add interest and tension or a surprise which enlivens the resulting image.”
Find more information about Lesley and her work on her website, www.harrisonharrison.com.
Judith Hoersting
Judith has been a member and supporter of the gallery since the very beginning. She is a regular participant in group shows as well as a great volunteer. This last year she’s been busy prepping for 2020…
“Studio work is focused on my solo October 2020 exhibition at Alaska Pacific U. Global traveling to several will provide visual excitement & challenge! Stay tuned!”
Esther Hong
Rhonda Horton
Rhonda has been a member for the last 8 years. This last year she has focused on travel and learning some new processes…
“I am an artist-printmaker who works with various materials for construction of matrixes for printing. This past year, through an artist residency with Master Printmaker Maureen Booth in Pinos Genil, Spain, I had the opportunity to learn solar plate intaglio process and book art. My work focuses on discovering shorebirds of Palmer Hay Flats through the act of drawing, solar plate, monoprinting, and book art. The shorebirds I have chosen are vulnerable and currently on Audubon AlaskaWatch List.”
Discover more about Rhonda on her website, rhondahortonart.com and on Facebook - RhondaHortonArt
Margret Hugi-Lewis
Jody Jenkins
Jody is a long term IGCA member and shares a bit about what her practice and influences…
“I am ever in awe of where I live in this northern place and I am passionate about drawing. My art is created primarily for myself, documenting what I experience and think about. Though, I do like my art to tell a story of some sort, and I do at times want to share my work. I would like others to look carefully and try to figure out if there is any meaning to any of this.”
Dakota Jewell
Dakota is a new member at the IGCA and has been focusing on “impressionistic landscapes and representational abstract paintings” this year.
Melissa Kapelari
Melissa is a new member of 6 months, she is not only a practicing artist but a consistent volunteer as well. She shares with us what has been her focus over the last year…
“I have an experimental love for oil painting. Recently I've been dabbling in acrylic and come to love it's wild range of colors that I can't always get with oil. I’m mostly interested in bright colors, fantasy landscapes, and geometric shapes. This brings me to my current obsession with power lines. The wires form so many shapes and chaos from the cables which fascinates me.”
Discover more about Melissa and her practice on her website, melissakapelari.wixsite.com, or follow her on Instagram - @merlissak_art.
Amy Komar
Amy is a new member to the IGCA, and we asked her to share a little about herself…
“This past summer, my family & I moved from Fairbanks, my home of twenty years, to Homer. Since graduating from UT Austin with a BA in Studio Art in 2001, I have maintained a regular painting practice. I am no stranger to creating make shift spaces to sustain my practice, having a strong belief that consistently showing up for your work is the way to find your voice and direction as an artist. I’m currently working on a painting series exploring the intersection of self and motherhood.”
Discover more about Amy and her work by visiting her website - amykomar.com, or on instagram - @amykomar
Susan Lagrande
Susan has been a member of the IGCA for over 5 years. The last year saw a shift of focus and a new body of work to show...
“The two submissions are part of a new series which explores the notion that all things are connected by the space between. In the past year I have focused more on my painting than my wire sculpture works. This effort culminated in a showing this fall of my paintings at South Restaurant.”
Go to Susan’s website, SusanLaGrandearts.com, to discover more about her and her work.
Carol Lambert
Carol has not only been a member of the IGCA for the last 17 years, she volunteers her time to help run the life drawing sessions that we host in the back work area of the gallery. When asked what her creative focus has been over the last year and she shares,
“I have, over the last year and a half, changed my art practice from oil painting to printmaking, mainly etching on copper plates. Whereas my oil paintings were representational, my etchings are inspired by illustration, comics, and political cartoon traditions. My prints address environmental realities and areas of social conflict. I always depict human and/or animal figures, often in surreal landscapes. I use colors, characters, and unusual imagery to both amuse and provoke the viewer. “
Discover more about Carol and her work on instagram - @carollambertarts, and on her website, carollambertarts.com
Jonathan Lang
Jonathan has been a member of the IGCA for about 7 years, and we always appreciate his unique contributions to our Member’s Exhibitions. He took the time to share with us a bit about his focus over the last year…
“ In the last year I have focused more on video embedded in sculptural pieces of found and re-purposed objects. Projecting still images and video has remained a staple of my studio time with shop time devoted to making and assembling the sculptures as well as working out the (literal) kinks in the wiring and electronics.”
Discover more about Jonathan and his work on Facebook - Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain Films, or on Instagram - @AKFilmmaker
William Lee
William Lee, an IGCA member for the last 2 years, is an artist that creates computational artworks based on mathematical fractals. ”My work explores the creative abilities inherent to mathematics. It is my aim to provoke a renewed interest and passion in the audience for the wonder and joy that math and science bring.”
Find out more about William and his work on his website - www.ArtistryInEquations.com, or on his Facebook page - Artistry in Equations.
John Letourneau
Kristin Link
Kristin, a member of 2 years, does lovely work that blend science and art delightfully…
”I work with mixed media, collage, drawing, and cyanotype. My recent work explores watersheds and related ecosystems in Alaska. It looks at glaciated landscapes and rivers, coastlines, and ocean-scapes. I am interested in the multiple ways people come to understand the changing landscape through science, beauty, mystery, and magic. This work was completed during a recent artist residency at the Jenni House in Whitehorse, YT and as part of a collaboration with poet and writer Jeremy Pataky.”
Discover more about Kristin on her website, KristinLink.com, or follow her in instagram - @linkkristin
Petra Lisiecki
Petra has been a member of the IGCA for at least 10 years. She shares a little about her practice and inspirations…
“I am an Anchorage based photographer but have also lived and worked in London. My focus has been on portraiture and photographing in the theatre world, different disciplines, much behind the scenes. I love movement in images and unusual light, either very dark or very bright. My work is showing in the Cyrano’s Patrons Lounge Gallery at present, until March 11th. The title of my show is “All’s well that ends well.”
Discover more about Petra on her website, petralisiecki.com.
Linda Lucky
Lucky has been a member of the IGCA for at least 17 years, commonly participates in our group shows, regularly volunteers as a gallery sitter, and is a passionate supporter of the local arts community at large. Follow her on Instagram to see more of her work, as well as the work of many local artists - @aklindalucky
Linda Infante Lyons
Find more information on Linda and her work on her website, lindainfantelyons.com
Shiela Mahaney
Shiela, who has been a member for 3 years, has been incredibly busy over this last year! She has been in 12 juried exhibitions Internationally, including a museum exhibition in Massachusetts, magazine publication in Colorado, Fujifilm photo exhibit in Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central in New York City. Her artistic artwork received a Best of Show award and she also received another Honorable Mention award in the International Photo Awards. Last fall, she was invited and attended the Photo Gala Awards in Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Discover more about Shiela and her work on Instagram - @axleblu or by visiting her website, shielamahaney.com.
Enzina Marrari
Find more information about Enzina and her work on Instagram - @enzinamarrariart
Scott McDonald
Scott has been a participating artist and member of the IGCA for 18 years. He shares a little about his adventures over the last year…
“In 2018, my family and I took a year-long leave of absence from our Alaskan lives to live in Cuenca, Ecuador. There we immersed ourselves into Ecuadorian culture and I rented a small studio space. Although our home, and my studio, is in Anchorage, we also spend much of our summers in Homer, Alaska. Over the past 18 months I worked in these three locations, in three different studios, which has led to three distinct bodies of work.”
Find more about Scott and his work checking out his website, www.scottmcdonaldart.com or by following him on Instagram - @scottmcdonaldpaintingstudio
Amy Meissner
Amy has been a member of the IGCA for about 5 years and we asked her to share a bit about herself and the direction her creative focus has taken this last year…
”I have a craft-based practice that utilizes materials made by women who came before me, most of whom are unknown. This work considers their literal, physical, and emotional labor within the context of radically caring for their memory and marginalized skills. This last year I started an MA in Critical Craft Studies outside of Alaska, and locally have been engaged in the participatory practice of community mending through the Anchorage Museum's SEED Lab.”
Discover more about Amy and her work on her website - www.amymeissner.com, and on instagram - @amymeissnerartist
Diane Melms
Diane has been a member for the last 10 years. What has she been up to this last year?
“I have been busy in the studio… creating a new body of work for two upcoming solo shows. This new work is not yet ready for exhibit, but I am happy to be showing two other recent pieces. Focus and Gather are machine pieced compositions which I created using a line of commercial stripe fabrics. I particularly enjoy working with stripe fabric because of its potential for creating interesting patterns in a composition.”
We congratulate her on her solo exhibits and can’t wait to see the new work!
Discover more about Diane and her work on instagram - @dianememsartist or on her website, dianemelms.com.
