Maude Kerns Art Center Presents “Seen: A Regional Figurative Exhibit” Opening Reception

The Maude Kerns Art Center is proud to present Seen: A Regional Figurative Exhibit, featuring an array of figurative work by 54 artists from throughout the Willamette Valley, opening on Friday, February 21 with a public reception from 5 – 7 pm. “Seen” is on view through March 21.

This unique exhibit showcases artists who explore the human figure to tell a story using a wide variety of two- and three-dimensional media, from painting and mixed media to sculpture and photography. Through diverse approaches to the subject matter, the participating artists highlight the stories and bodies of those who have not historically been portrayed and probe the narrative qualities of the human figure. “Seen” was juried by artist Jeff Leake, a professor at Portland State University.

Sue Gallego, a self-taught artist of Lakota ancestry, shows two of her acrylic paintings that are rich in symbolism. Gallego says that her identity as an Indigenous woman has shaped her development as an artist. Because of this, she “feels a responsibility for depicting the emotional values and story of [her] people and culture.”

Rogene Mañas displays an evocative mixed media work called Erased Without a Trace depicting a Native American woman whose dripping, red, raised hands and unwavering gaze demand recognition of the victims of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis.

Nancy Pobanz exhibits Together Against All Odds, a sensitive portrait of two strong lesbian women who have been together for 47 years, but who, despite multiple attempts and changing laws, were only allowed to legally marry in 2014.

Anja Wesik presents a more abstract image that alludes to inner states in her large, untitled painting on paper. She says that her piece “focuses on interior experiences expressed through the outer shell of a human.” Wesik's distorted, abstract figures portray with raw honesty themes of vulnerability, anxiety, depression, sensory disorders, trauma history, feelings of powerlessness, body dysmorphia, and a sense of not belonging.

The Maude Kerns Art Center, located at 1910 E. 15^th Avenue at the corner of 15^th and Villard, is Eugene’s first non-profit community center for the visual arts. Gallery hours are from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm, Monday – Friday, and noon to 4:00 pm on Saturday when exhibits are on display. For more information about “Seen: A Regional Figurative Exhibit,” contact the Art Center at 541-345-1571 or visit mkartcenter.org.