Steckline Gallery will present “She Cast Her Gaze” by Amanda Pfister and April Pameticky during a First Friday exhibition from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 7, at Newman University.
Pfister is a visual artist who earned her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Kansas and her Master of Fine Arts in photography from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville.
Pameticky, a poet, shares her time between her high school English classroom and the local and state art communities.
The duo first began working together informally through Instagram.
According to a statement given by the artists, “the project began when (Pfister) was looking for a way to continue her artistic practice after having her third child in May of 2018. She took a photo a day and posted on Instagram starting June 25, 2018, and ending 365 days later on June 24, 2019.
“This allowed her an opportunity to explore Instagram as part of a studio practice, and what it means to be a practicing artist while in the midst of motherhood and her day-to-day life.”
Pameticky began writing Ginsberg sentences, a variation of a haiku, in response to some of Pfister’s posts.
“What unexpectedly emerged for the 17-syllable format was a central voice that’s both fictitious but also a little of us together,” they wrote in the artists’ statement about their work.
“The poems can be read as ‘stand-alone’ or sequentially. The relationship between the two, image and word, encourages a greater dialog about motherhood and art, and the extraordinary in the everyday ordinary.”
The exhibit will feature 365 photographs and 55 17-syllable poems.
“She Cast Her Gaze” will be on display Feb. 7-28. An Art for Lunch event, which includes a discussion with the artists, will take place Feb. 11 from noon-1 p.m. A light lunch will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees may also bring their own lunch. All events are free and open to the public.
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, email Director of Steckline Gallery Shannon Johnston at [email protected].
