MONROE - Monroe Art Center's Frehner Gallery will host the new gallery exhibit "Babylon in Heart and Mind," which will be on display from Friday, March 21 through Friday, May 2. The exhibit showcases mixed media artwork by Milwaukee artist Barbara Kohl-Spiro.
Jewish culture has a strong influence on Kohl-Spiro's work, as she kept a home in Israel for 20 years. She is interested in art made by common people of various cultures where the art is a reflection of their belief system. Inspired by the concept of Shiviti, fabrics often hung in synagogues as a graphic aid for contemplating the divine presence of God, Kohl-Spiro looks to various cultural textiles to create her own interpretation of the Shiviti Fabric of Prayer. Instead of fabrics, Kohl-Spiro uses the medium of handmade paper to create her own interpretation of Shiviti.
At first glance in a photo or on a computer screen, the intricate detail of the pieces might lead one to believe they are viewing tapestries. However, while inspired by fabric creations from India, Russia, Israel and Brazil, these large-scale pieces are actually hand-painted on paper.
Kohl-Spiro notes that in many cultures, art is not separate from the lives of its practitioners. Quilts, amulets, blankets, and tapestries, which are usually created by women, are used as part of daily life or during milestones such as funerals and weddings. These anonymous women do not make these pieces for the purposes of displaying in a museum, thus creating some of the most honest artistic representations of their cultures in the process.
After becoming inspired by Indian textiles, Kohl-Spiro wanted to "bring part of them and womanhood, and put them in a new context." She was first called upon by Highland Park High School in Chicago for a Focus on Art Project where she worked with students to install the work in a non-permanent installation. Several strips were then combined to create larger pieces and were exhibited in the Golda Meir Library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Kohl-Spiro's work has spanned five decades and has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. Her work is in the collections at the Whitney Museum of Art, the Albright Knox Museum in Buffalo, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Israel Museum of Jerusalem, and in numerous private collections in the U.S. and Israel.
On exhibit in MAC's Wesley Hall is the work by artists participating in the 27th annual Wisconsin Regional Art Program Competition. Kohl-Spiro will serve as judge for the competition. An opening reception for both exhibits is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 21 in MAC Frehner Gallery. A brief gallery talk by Kohl-Spiro will begin at 5:30 p.m. The free event is open to the public.
Monroe Arts Center exhibits have been made possible by MAC Corporate Underwriter: Colony Brands, Inc., and Season Media Underwriters Monroe Publishing, LLC and Big Radio, with additional support from Michael and Shelley Muranyi, Kevin and Chris Callahan, Lee and Chris Knuteson, and an anonymous donor.
Jewish culture has a strong influence on Kohl-Spiro's work, as she kept a home in Israel for 20 years. She is interested in art made by common people of various cultures where the art is a reflection of their belief system. Inspired by the concept of Shiviti, fabrics often hung in synagogues as a graphic aid for contemplating the divine presence of God, Kohl-Spiro looks to various cultural textiles to create her own interpretation of the Shiviti Fabric of Prayer. Instead of fabrics, Kohl-Spiro uses the medium of handmade paper to create her own interpretation of Shiviti.
At first glance in a photo or on a computer screen, the intricate detail of the pieces might lead one to believe they are viewing tapestries. However, while inspired by fabric creations from India, Russia, Israel and Brazil, these large-scale pieces are actually hand-painted on paper.
Kohl-Spiro notes that in many cultures, art is not separate from the lives of its practitioners. Quilts, amulets, blankets, and tapestries, which are usually created by women, are used as part of daily life or during milestones such as funerals and weddings. These anonymous women do not make these pieces for the purposes of displaying in a museum, thus creating some of the most honest artistic representations of their cultures in the process.
After becoming inspired by Indian textiles, Kohl-Spiro wanted to "bring part of them and womanhood, and put them in a new context." She was first called upon by Highland Park High School in Chicago for a Focus on Art Project where she worked with students to install the work in a non-permanent installation. Several strips were then combined to create larger pieces and were exhibited in the Golda Meir Library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Kohl-Spiro's work has spanned five decades and has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. Her work is in the collections at the Whitney Museum of Art, the Albright Knox Museum in Buffalo, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Israel Museum of Jerusalem, and in numerous private collections in the U.S. and Israel.
On exhibit in MAC's Wesley Hall is the work by artists participating in the 27th annual Wisconsin Regional Art Program Competition. Kohl-Spiro will serve as judge for the competition. An opening reception for both exhibits is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 21 in MAC Frehner Gallery. A brief gallery talk by Kohl-Spiro will begin at 5:30 p.m. The free event is open to the public.
Monroe Arts Center exhibits have been made possible by MAC Corporate Underwriter: Colony Brands, Inc., and Season Media Underwriters Monroe Publishing, LLC and Big Radio, with additional support from Michael and Shelley Muranyi, Kevin and Chris Callahan, Lee and Chris Knuteson, and an anonymous donor.