MONROE - The Monroe Art Center's Frehner Gallery will present "Interstitial Garden," an installation by Middleton artist Leslie Iwai, from Friday, July 12 through Friday, Aug. 23.
An opening reception for the exhibit is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 12 in Frehner Gallery. Iwai will give a brief gallery talk at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Iwai's art is a physical evidence of connections she finds through research, prayer, discussion and observation. She enjoys working within built and natural environments and forming structures through a variety of materials and constructions.
Finding herself in a new state, physically, locationally and relationally, Iwai concluded all her recent transitions resulted in "me not being quite landed, not quite rooted, and not quite at home." She realized that life has mostly been like that in both big and small ways, and made a conscious decision to start dwelling in this "in-between" and plant a "garden," and in her case, a garden with its own germination, pools of water, seedlings, trees, fences, architecture and the wayward bird or other creatures. Instead of seeing this transitional space as untended and barren, Iwai saw this as a rich place of growth. Most of the work is suspended, lines of sight vary, and there are multiple visual, material and contextual connections to discover and enjoy. Iwai incorporated the word "interstitial," which means "pertaining to or situated in an interstice; located or happening in an intervening space," into the title of the exhibit.
Iwai employs process-oriented methods - such as casting, sewing, folding, and melting - emphasizes the handmade quality crucial to her works' visual elements. The tactile nature of completed installations and pieces is very important to her, and she desires it to be taken as an invitation to inspire connections between concepts and the physicality of the artwork.
Iwai earned a Master of Architecture degree at Virginia Tech and has also studied in Switzerland. She has been widely commissioned for installations, public art and residencies throughout Nebraska. She has worked on local projects, such as the J. Doe project in Omaha, as well as a solo exhibition on her experiences in Sierra Leone, Africa. She has taught at the University of Nebraska in both Lincoln and in Omaha. One of her best-known public art pieces, Sounding Stones, is located at Elmwood Park in Omaha, Nebraska.
The exhibit has been made possible by Monroe Arts Center Corporate Underwriter Colony Brands, Inc.; and Season Media Underwriters Monroe Publishing, LLC and Big Radio; with additional support from Michael and Shelley Muranyi. For more information, contact MAC at 608-325-5700 or 888-596-1249, or visit www.monroeartscenter.com.
An opening reception for the exhibit is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 12 in Frehner Gallery. Iwai will give a brief gallery talk at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Iwai's art is a physical evidence of connections she finds through research, prayer, discussion and observation. She enjoys working within built and natural environments and forming structures through a variety of materials and constructions.
Finding herself in a new state, physically, locationally and relationally, Iwai concluded all her recent transitions resulted in "me not being quite landed, not quite rooted, and not quite at home." She realized that life has mostly been like that in both big and small ways, and made a conscious decision to start dwelling in this "in-between" and plant a "garden," and in her case, a garden with its own germination, pools of water, seedlings, trees, fences, architecture and the wayward bird or other creatures. Instead of seeing this transitional space as untended and barren, Iwai saw this as a rich place of growth. Most of the work is suspended, lines of sight vary, and there are multiple visual, material and contextual connections to discover and enjoy. Iwai incorporated the word "interstitial," which means "pertaining to or situated in an interstice; located or happening in an intervening space," into the title of the exhibit.
Iwai employs process-oriented methods - such as casting, sewing, folding, and melting - emphasizes the handmade quality crucial to her works' visual elements. The tactile nature of completed installations and pieces is very important to her, and she desires it to be taken as an invitation to inspire connections between concepts and the physicality of the artwork.
Iwai earned a Master of Architecture degree at Virginia Tech and has also studied in Switzerland. She has been widely commissioned for installations, public art and residencies throughout Nebraska. She has worked on local projects, such as the J. Doe project in Omaha, as well as a solo exhibition on her experiences in Sierra Leone, Africa. She has taught at the University of Nebraska in both Lincoln and in Omaha. One of her best-known public art pieces, Sounding Stones, is located at Elmwood Park in Omaha, Nebraska.
The exhibit has been made possible by Monroe Arts Center Corporate Underwriter Colony Brands, Inc.; and Season Media Underwriters Monroe Publishing, LLC and Big Radio; with additional support from Michael and Shelley Muranyi. For more information, contact MAC at 608-325-5700 or 888-596-1249, or visit www.monroeartscenter.com.