“Queen Moonlight” by June Brooks
Join us on Friday, November 7 for our annual Fall Gallery Night! The event will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. at our offices at 754 Williamson Street in Madison. This year, we are showcasing the work of eleven artists from across Wisconsin who are blind or low vision. Their work ranges from paintings to photography to ceramics to artisanal chainmail.
This year’s artists are Elizabeth Fryseth, Illana Dehoyos, Mark Weber, June Brooks, Nancy Preuss, Linda Higdon, Janae Nell, Richard Berkholtz, Chamomile Harrison, Amy Allan, and Mia Zutter.
Medford resident Mark Weber has always considered himself an artist. “It was always my favorite class in school!” Mark says. “I went into business, but was always doing art on the side.” Whether he was painting, drawing, metalworking or even landscaping, Mark’s artistic journey has evolved over time even before he began losing his vision. Work by Mark we will be showcasing at this year’s Gallery Night include two ink drawings and a wooden end table.
Mark says his vision is “like a lava lamp,” but that has not stopped him from creating. He uses touch and high contrast to make his art. For his two ink drawings, he used either black and white or high contrast colors so that he could more easily see the lines. Mark says he’s slowed down his woodworking in recent years, but was able to feel the pieces of wood to create his end table. “That kind of hardscape has made it easier to work with,” Mark says. “I had all sorts of ideas, but I really wanted to incorporate both slab wood and driftwood together to give the table a natural feel.”
Former Board Member Chamomile Harrison of Edgerton says her journey as an artist began in high school. A self-described “nerd,” Chamomile wanted to create medieval armor. She has been making chainmail art ever since a friend showed her the process. “I love making chainmail,” Chamomile says. “It was a great distraction from everything that happens in high school. I started by making armor, but after a few years I was making jewelry for my friends.” Chamomile’s pieces on display at Gallery Night will include several pieces of chainmail jewelry as well as an armband made of silver scales.
Chamomile was diagnosed with an optic pathway glioma in high school, which caused her to lose her vision. Making chainmail was one of the ways she could continue express herself without sight. “It was kind of an escape from all the things I was dealing with as a teenager,” Chamomile says. “It’s very repetitive and almost meditative – open ring, insert ring, close ring – and the fact that it’s a tactile art was really important for me to realize that I could still do things.” Most of her work can be done by feel without the need for any special adaptations. Still, she does occasionally have to turn to a friend to make sure that she is still using the correct colors.
June Brooks of Madison started her college career as an art major before switching gears to become a veterinarian. She worked in that profession until she retired after being diagnosed with macular degeneration. It was then that she returned to her artistic roots. She has now been painting for years, but her art remains connected to veterinarian background. “I really like painting people’s pets, because every animal has their own personality,” June says. “It feels so good when the owner can see their pet’s personality come through in my painting, even if I don’t know the pet.” Three of June’s paintings will be exhibited at Gallery Night, including a landscape and a painting of her sister’s cat Moonlight.
As her vision has declined, June says she struggles to see fine details. She uses acrylic paints, which she says not only helps show the emotion of the subjects she paints but also creates bold, contrasting colors. June also occasionally uses a magnifier to help her see the images more clearly and in greater contrast.
We’re grateful to this year’s Gallery Night sponsors for helping make it a great event: SVA Certified Public Accountants, the Marquette Neighborhood Association, Community Shares of Wisconsin, Lake Effect Human Resources & Law, Thrivent Financial, and Moses Altsech Consulting.
You can learn more about this year’s Gallery Night and check out the virtual galleries displaying pieces from previous years on our website at WCBlind.org/Events/Gallery-Night.