Newman University’s Steckline Gallery will present “Silent Conversation” by ceramic sculptor Michaela Valli Groeblacher. The exhibit, which begins with a Final Friday reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28, will be on display through Nov. 18. Both the reception and admission to the gallery are free and open to the public.
An “Art for Lunch” presentation by Groeblacher will be held Tuesday, Nov. 1 from noon to 1 p.m. in the gallery. A light lunch will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests may also bring their lunch. This event is also free and reservations are not required.
Groeblacher was born and raised in Austria, where she worked as a physical therapist for 10 years. She emigrated to the United States in 1989. In 1995, she received a degree in landscape design, which allowed her to combine her love for nature and art. Her most notable achievement during this time was winning a design contest for the Soest Garden, a prominent public garden at the Center for Urban Horticulture at the University of Washington.
In 2000 she moved to Kansas, and in 2005 earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from McPherson College. She now combines ceramic work with acrylic painting. She has exhibited in numerous galleries throughout Kansas in solo, group and juried shows. Her artworks are part of multiple private and corporate collections throughout the United States, Austria and Germany.
“I express internal depth through external features,” Groeblacher said. “In creating three-dimensional canvasses and subsequently painting them, I satisfy my artistic hunger on multiple levels. My work is as much about the human psyche and perception as it is about color, composition and form. My desire is to express the inner truths of the human psyche; I want my gaze to penetrate beneath the external appearance of the world; to explore this realm under the surface of ‘regular’ people, celebrate the truth in everyday moments without getting fixated on the extreme or grotesque.”
The Steckline Gallery is located inside the De Mattias Fine Arts Center on the Newman campus, 3100 McCormick. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment. For more information, call 316-942-4291, ext. 2199.
