Fri 4/9 @ 5-8PM
Northeast Ohio artists Gail Crum, Jill Milenski and Gayle Pritchard are unique among area artists because of the way they create. The trio shares a studio, in which they work from a collection of materials found at flea markets and junk shops, culled from friends’ discards and picked up here and there. These things suggest layers of meaning to them which crop up in their mixed-media work, work also informed by the time, ideas and conversations they share (Their last show, at Lorain County Community College’s Stocker Center just as the pandemic was about to impact us, was called Women in Conversation.)
Their new show, which opens at BAYarts Playhouse Gallery Friday April 9, is called Uncovered Stories. As with their previous show, they embrace their identity and lives as women, using it as fuel for their creativity.
“The unbroken threads of decades-long conversations about their lives, relationships, families, and art and politics are woven into the work they present,” says their artist statement. “This artist group of women are bound together by sharing secrets and are comforted by the vulnerability and intimacy that arises from uncovering their stories through artwork.”
This new work was created during the various stages of the pandemic: some just as it was closing down the option for visitors to see their work still on display at Stocker, some during the shutdowns and some as the vaccine is giving us hope of gathering again, and giving the artists the opportunity to enjoy a new shared studio space.
“Viewers are invited to be collaborators in completing the circle from the birth of an idea to the magical process of turning that idea into an art object that is put on display for all to engage with,” they say, adding, “These three artists pull back the curtain on a variety of stories rooted in the processes and materials they use to conjure their narratives, inspired by daily life and the way these women skillfully and passionately navigate the multifaceted roles they play.”
They’ll be hosting a masked, socially distant opening on Friday April 9 @ 5-8pm; the gallery will then be open every Friday @ 5-8pm through May 14, and Saturdays April 10-May @ 1-4pm.
bayarts/1563-playhouse-gallery-uncovered-stories
5 Responses to “Three Artists Explore Shared Ideas about Their Lives as Women at BAYarts”
Gail Crum
Thank you for the wonderful, insightful article! We hope to see you at one of our gallery events.
Anastasia Pantsios
We’re planning to come!
Chris Pritchard
Thank you for this article; much appreciated. These three amigas are amazing artists.
Gayle Pritchard
Great article, Anastasia. Thanks so much. Look forward to seeing you!
Cynthia Eakin
I am really looking forward to the opening of this exhibit at BAYarts. These women artists create wonderful artwork as individuals and as collaborators.