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Eight Alumni Featured in River Gallery Exhibition

Ceccio Martha Courmayeur Italy
Image: Martha Ceccio – Courmayeur, Italy 

Eight Stamps Alumni are featured in Reaching for the Light, a River Gallery exhibition open through Dec. 15 at Rackham with an artist reception on Thurs., Nov. 13.

Reaching for the Light” Rackham Exhibition — River Gallery

In August of 2014 an 80-year-old American Agave growing in the greenhouse of the Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor bloomed for the first and last time. The plant grew so tall that a pane of glass had to be removed from the ceiling of the greenhouse. After blooming the plant dies, it’s life cycle complete. Inspired by this event, River Gallery sent out a call-for-entries to regional artists asking them to submit artworks interpreting the theme Reaching for the Light”. Over 60 artists submitted, with 40 artists and 52 artworks being included in the fourth floor exhibit at Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan.

The show includes paintings (watercolor, acrylic, oil, and egg tempura), pastels, photographs (both film and digital including work utilizing a Holga camera), prints, drawings, collage, encaustic, textiles, mixed media (with petioles as subject and sumi ink paintbrush) and a stainless steel floral series.

Eight Stamps alums are featured in the exhibition, including Jill Wagner, Cathy Barry, Frederick Birkhill, Martha Ceccio, Judith Enright, Sue Moran, Leslie Sobel and Mary Tallman.

The exhibit is open through December 15, 2014. There is an artist reception on Thursday, November 13th, 6:00 to 7:00PM.