May Artists: Dennis DeHart & Rebekah Wilkins-Pepiton
EXHIBITION DATES: May 2nd – 31st , 2025
OPENING RECEPTION: 1st Friday Reception, May 2nd, 5:00 – 8:00, free and open to the public
GALLERY HOURS: Fridays 12:00 – 8:00 PM, except day of exhibit opening: Saturdays 12:00 – 8:00 PM
WEST GALLERY EXHIBITION DESCRIPTION: Dennis DeHart, “Fire and Ice: Kairos”
Dennis DeHart is a photographic artists, who is a photographic artist, whose interdisciplinary projects are formed by the connections, conflicts and intersections of the natural and cultural worlds. He is currently a Professor of Art and Photography at Washington State University. Fire and Ice encompasses various natural formations such as mountains, valleys, rivers, and distinct physical aspect of the landscape. Innately, Fire and Ice is a conceptual, philosophical and artistic approach that I am employing, to examine the complex layering of human and geological time. These works explore the beauty and complexity of geological structures such as rocks, minerals, and landscapes; while emphasizing geometric forms and structures. Fire and Ice also references deep time, while exploring the vast temporal scales of geological processes and the Earth’s history. The works seek to convey the immense spans of time through visual representations of geological formations, shifts, and transformations. Through artistic interpretation, Fire and Ice spans millions of years, highlighting the ever-changing nature of our planet. The prints are made on heavy Hahnemuhle matte baryta paper. In terms of process, the experimental works fuse multiple materials and techniques including digital stitching, tintypes, aerial imaging, (drone) & cyanotypes. Fire + Ice conceptually considers deep time through catastrophic geologic phenomena and water as a catalyst of formation. The works span 2020-2025.
EAST GALLERY EXHIBITION DESCRIPTION: Rebekah Wilkins-Pepiton, “Wildfire to Wonder: “Grow Like a Tree” Sparks a Journey of Nature, Curiosity, and Art”
Rebekah Wilkins-Pepiton (illustrator) is a multi-disciplinary artist, art educator, and lover of the outdoors. She lives in Spokane, WA, and teaches at Central Valley High School. For more, visit: www.bekawp.com
Lisa E. Silvestri (Author) is a writer, professor, and tree hugger. She lives in Pennsylvania, the only state named for its forests. Her other books include Peace by Peace and Friended at the Front. For more, visit: www.lisaellensilvestri.com
Exhibition events include an opening reception with the illustrator on Friday, May 2, 5-8p at Saranac Art Projects. A reading by the author with interactive land art activities with the illustrator for children of all ages will take place Wednesday, May 21, 5-7p at Saranac Art Projects. Illustrator Rebekah Wilkins-Pepiton and author Lisa Silvestri began developing this book in the summer of 2018 when wildfires raged in the mountains of the U.S. Pacific Northwest and Southwest Canada. Grow Like a Tree poses questions drawn from their lived experience as new mothers during that hot, smokey summer. Confined to their homes by a city ordinance that prohibited outdoor activities due to the dangerous air-quality, they considered how to answer their children’s inevitable questions. This book is that attempt to explain the complexity of the ecosystem and nurture a sustained curiosity about the interconnectedness of the living world. Each illustration is a collage of paper cutouts painted with foraged ink on watercolor paper. The foraged materials include copper, sumac, horse chestnut, chokecherries, and a railroad spike. The items were found on the forest floor and throughout the urban jungle. The goal for the book is to inspire readers to dwell in wonder at the lifeworld around them.
