Join us at the Garrett Museum of Art, located at 100 S. Randolph Street in Garrett, on Friday, November 30, 2018 from 6PM – 8PM to celebrate the opening of our next exhibition, From It to Thou by photographer Jim Gabbard and Peter Bella.
This Opening Reception is free, open to the public, and all ages are welcome. The show will run through December 23, 2018.
The exhibit will include a Reflective Experience from 6:00PM – 6:45PM. This will be a chance for visitors to view the images, read the quotes, and listen to the audio quotes in a quiet setting. Viewers will have time to contemplate the meaning behind the words, images and audio and reflect on their relationship with nature.
From It to Thou, the new exhibit at Garrett Museum of Art, is based on Joseph Campbell’s 1988 book, The Power of Myth. The book consists of a series of discussions with Bill Moyers relating to the understanding of mythology and the quest for spiritual enlightenment. As a long time believer in the idea that everything around us is connected and that we should be good stewards of the earth, Jim Gabbard, the photographer, created a series of photographs based on a simple idea. The idea encompasses looking at things not as an it but as a thou. Several photos were taken on land considered sacred to the Native Americans.
Jim says,
“I have intentionally chosen to primarily photograph simple elements of nature to foster the idea that everything is connected. Trees, water, land and forests were all sacred to the Native Americans and believing this allowed them to live in harmony without destroying the world around them.”
The photos in the exhibit and the idea behind them are the artist’s attempt to showcase the sacred aspect of life around us.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
Jim Gabbard lives and works in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and has a BA in English from Indiana University. He works full time as an Instructor of Photography in the Department of Art and Design at Purdue Fort Wayne. In addition to his teaching, he also serves as director of Garrett Museum of Art. He regularly exhibits in galleries and museums nationally and internationally. He has self-published two books showcasing his work during travels to Italy. His new book, From It to Thou, co-authored with Peter Bella, Assistant Professor at the University of Central Arkansas, will be featured and available for purchase at the opening reception and the exhibit to follow. Jim has been published in Black and White, a magazine of acclaimed photography. His fine art photography can be seen at www.shadowsarefalling.com
Peter Bella is an artist, designer, and a design educator. Currently he is an Assistant Professor of Art and Graphic Design at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA). He has taught a variety of design curriculum ranging from branding and advertising to typography as well as packaging to graphic design history. Beyond his academic career Bella has accrued more than twenty years as a professional designer with design experience encompassing public relations, advertising, marketing, publications design, and freelance design.
Bella identifies the emergence of the handmade movement as it has slowly gained popularity over the last decade, which is fueled by designers, clients, and customers returning to the roots of craft. This humanistic revolution promotes aesthetics that values the spirit of human touch and human design with a fusion of phenomenology and experiential purpose at its core. For clarity, phenomenology focuses on sensory qualities from the first-person point of view—such as seeing, hearing, etc.—in the pursuit of meaning. These experiences empower and give value to human connections. If you would like to see more of his design, visit his website at: www.peterbella.com
Please join us for an Opening Reception on Friday, November 30, 2018 from 6PM – 8PM. The opening is free, all ages, and open to the public. The show will be on display until 4PM on Sunday, December 23, 2018.