Center of Gravity Residency and Exhibition

First Friday exhibition at The Gravity Gallery in North Adams, Massachusetts

This May I had the opportunity to attend the inaugural season of The Center of Gravity Residency in North Adams, MA. Run by the Walkaway House, the residency occurs in conjunction with their Tend Residency in a stand-alone space. I stayed in a studio apartment in downtown North Adams and had use of the former Gravity Gallery as a studio and exhibition space.

While in residence, I continued my daily drawing practice, completed a small-format painting of a dandelion (weeds are a thing for me right now); and got to thinking about my animations in a whole new way.

The First Friday exhibition allowed me to screen my in-progress animation, “Cultivate” for the first time. Filled with hand painted imagery that is infused with a myriad of animation techniques, the work places pollinators and invasive insects, poisonous and native plants in a sort of cosmic garden. The sound for the project was generously supplied by the Chandra Ray Observatory Data Sonification Project. For me, the sounds and imagery blend perfectly to create a sense of otherworldly intrigue. I am grateful I was able to use their work in this film.

I am back home settling into the studio and working feverishly to construct a set for a new animation project. Thank you to Carolyn Clayton and Ben Westbrook at the Walkaway House for being such gracious hosts and to fellow residents Jordann Wine and April Wright for such great companionship and support of the work. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the larger North Adams art community and am still digesting all of the thought-provoking conversations around the work.

Screening of the in-progress animation, “Cultivate”

One of our residency hosts, Ben Westbrook, and fellow residents Jordann Wine and April Wright at our studio visit.

Discussing the work with fellow residents April Wright and Jordann Wine

Biophilia at Hobart and William Smith Colleges

I’m pleased to announce a solo exhibition of my work, Biophilia, at the Solarium Gallery at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Biophilia uses painting, installation and animation to examine the natural world. Part careful biological observation and part wild imagining, the work in this exhibit celebrates a personal relationship with nature while calling attention to how it’s imperiled. 

On view until Saturday, November 6th.

“The First Spring”, silkscreen, animation, and drawing, 2021 - 22; 9 x 7 x 7 ft

“Nightshade”, Gouache on paper in acrylic enclosure, 2022, 12 x 20 x 22 inches

“Nightshade”, Gouache on paper in acrylic enclosure (interior view), 2022, 12 x 20 x 22 inches

Artist residency at The Sumac Project

This week I am in Ennismore, Ontario for a residency with The Sumac Project. Organized by artist, Elizabeth Sullivan, The Sumac Project provides an opportunity for artists to generate, and experiment during their self-directed residency, in a three-level saltbox style home. The residency is situated in the rural community of the Kawartha Lakes region of Canada. So far, I have wandered on wooded paths, admired the sweeping views and whiled away hours in the studio being extra productive.

I’ll be posting lots of updates about the experience. You can follow along on Instagram @claudinemarcel.

Senescence receives CNY Arts Grant

I am pleased to announce that my exhibition "Senescence" at The Other Side has been chosen by CNY Arts to receive an Individual Artist Commission grant.

This program supports the creation and presentation of new work by artists in New York state. I am honored to have the support and recognition provided by this award.

Senescence: solo exhibition

I'm pleased to announce an upcoming exhibition of solo work at The Other Side Gallery in Utica, NY. Senescence examines the processes of growth and decay abundant in the natural world. The exhibition includes drawing, painting, installation and animation; and will be on view until April 30th.

If you are able, please join me for the Opening Reception, Friday, March 4th from 5 to 7pm.

Juror's Choice Awarded at PaperWest

I am pleased to announce that my work in PaperWest was chosen to receive a prize by juror Sam Vernon. This work is part of a 2-year project memorializing the life of one of my dearest friends, and I am honored that it received recognition. Many thanks to the juror, Sam Vernon, and to the Gittins Gallery at the University of Utah for organizing this dynamic exhibition.

Reel Art, Short film exhibition, Cape Cod, MA

My stop animation film “A Melody From the Sky” is on view in the Vault at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod as part of “Reel Art”. This exhibition is the inaugural short film exhibition for the Cultural Center; and I am honored to be a part of it. The film is one of five on view by a group of very accomplished film makers from across the country. Stop in for a viewing before July 17th. Or if you’re further afield, you can enjoy the show through the Cultural Center’s online gallery.

Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition

I am pleased to announce the inclusion of my work in the biennial Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition. The show was curated by Rochester-based curator and artist, Amanda Chestnut. It will be on display at the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester this August, 2021.

I Bought These Flowers to Remember You

Install shot at the PrattMWP School of Art Gallery, November 2020

This fall I was afforded the opportunity to show a recent body of work at PrattMWP, the college where I teach. “I Bought These Flowers to Remember You” is a body of drawings, paintings, and statuettes commemorating the life of one of my dearest friends, Jane, who passed away in 2016.

At a time when so much is on hold and we are prevented from gathering, it has been a gift to see this project realized. I have posted more exhibition shots below.

Left; “A Relic for Jane”, charcoal on paper, brass box, ash and dried sunflower; Right; “They Reminded Me of a Song We Used to Sing”, charcoal on paper

Left; “I Bought These to Remember You”, oil on aluminum panel, gold leaf; Center, “After the Blossoms Faded”, charcoal on paper, brass box, dried petals; Left, “We Are Here Only Once”, oil on aluminum panel, gold leaf

Installation Photos, "Explore: Found Objects" at The Susquehanna Art Museum

The exhibition in Harrisburg PA opened yesterday and will be open this evening as part of the city-wide Third in the Burg event. The work looks fantastic! Here are some images of the install. Thank you to Lauren Nye, Director of Exhibitions, for including two of my pieces.

“Explore: Found Objects” in the DeSoto Family Vault at the Susquehanna Art Museum

“After the Blossoms Faded”, charcoal on paper, brass frame and box, and dried sunflower petals, 2019

“I Saw How the Seeds Gave You Hope”, charcoal on paper, brass frame and box, dirt from Jane’s garden, silver, 2019

Explore: Found Objects at the Susquehanna Museum of Art

Starting in January I will have two pieces on display at the Susquehanna Museum of Art as part of their exhibition about the use of found objects in fine art. Recently completed, the works are modeled on Catholic reliquaries and include miniature drawings of sunflower seeds and collected natural materials.

The sunflower seeds were handed out at a close friend’s memorial service to celebrate her life. I began drawing them in the winter of 2019 attempting to render them as realistically and as small as I feasibly could. The drawings are ornately framed and affixed to boxes inset with mother of pearl. Each box contains an object which was significant to my grieving process. One box holds the dried petals from the bouquet of sunflowers I bought to remember my friend, the other holds soil from the garden at her house and a casting of one of the seeds from her funeral.

Click here for more information on the exhibition.

“After the Blossoms Faded”; charcoal on paper, sunflower petals, brass box and frame; 2019

26th Annual Drawing Show at Boston Center for the Arts

I am pleased to announce the inclusion of my work in the upcoming 26th Annual Drawing Show at the Boston Center for the Arts. “Field Notes: Lovers, Teachers, and the Consciousness in Between” examines the role of the artist in society. Two pieces from my recent series of sunflower drawings will be on display at the Mills Gallery this November. The opening reception is Saturday, November 9th from 6pm to 9pm. Please join me!

“You Were Here, Then You Weren’t”, charcoal on paper, with brass frame and cast silver seeds, 2019

Sunflower ex-votos

I have been fascinated by Mexican ex-voto paintings since I first saw them twenty years ago at the Tucson Museum of Art. They are a type of folk art - a painting in oil on tin - thanking God for answering a prayer. Typically diminutive in size, they serve both as artwork and religious ritual.

I recently began my own type of ex-voto painting. They have less to do with prayer and are more about processing my grief over the loss of a friend. It has been a stretch - I don’t typically paint in oils; I don’t typically work on metal. But I kept an open mind and took out my very dear Old Holland paints for the occassion and I am finding it exciting.

Selections from this series will be on display in Massachusetts at the Dedee Shattuck Gallery this December. If you’d like to see more of these, I post frequent updates on Instagram @claudinemarcel.

Sunflower Ex-Voto #2, oil on aluminum. 4 x 6”

"Bloom" is open: Sykes Gallery, Millersville University

Here’s a nice review of an exhibition I am part of at Millersville University.

The opening reception is on Monday, January 28, 2019 from 5 to 7pm.

New Website is Live!

Hello and welcome to my new website! Redoing the old look has been on my radar for a while now and I finally bit the bullet and got it done this summer. This site is pared down and visually cleaner. I'm hoping it makes viewing the work easier.

I'll use this blog to post updates about the studio and exhibitions, and I'm sure this site will evolve based on my needs. If you are missing something or feeling nostalgic, you can visit the old content at www.claudine-metrick.blogspot.com