Featuring artworks by:
Marina Cano
Rayanna Crites
Pam Gainor
Phil Gresham
Kelsey Hammond
Kailyn Hill
Hope Martin
Sophie Pickering
Lindsay Pict
Mary Sandbothe
Sara Schaefer
Stacia Schaefer
Jennifer Slouha
Khia Thompson
ON EXHIBIT IN THE SOUTH GALLERY: NOV 1 - NOV 28
“Re-purpose, Re-engineer, and Relocate”
As a production potter, clay offers me the challenge of transforming a lump of mud into something useful through the utilization of the spinning wheel and my own dexterity and coordination. It makes me think ten steps ahead so that I may be successful in that transformation. Clay is a continuous tactile adventure that is full of challenge and constant learning.
In 2017, I challenged myself to create one piece per day, every day. These pieces were small and functional, but forced me to learn new techniques and explore a variety vessels in order to stay engaged and disciplined. Pieces were finished in multiple firing methods with eventual additions of legs, wings, wheels, etc. Once that challenge was complete, it was time to consider the next project that would incorporate all that I had learned.
The premise of the current body of work is creatures taking found objects and “MacGyver-ing” them into escape vehicles. As much as possible of each found object is made from clay, from the vintage camera to the tricycle to the vacuum cleaner. Once each piece is fired, a cold finish of acrylic, enamel, and resin is used. Final details come in the form of plastic, glass, wood, and small finding. The end result is a balance between a realistic recreation of a recognizable object and the whimsy of the critters, always sporting goggles, leaving their current habitats for a variety of reasons.
I have found a way to combine my love of clay and paint to push my own boundaries in an exciting direction. In fabricating every day objects out of clay and cold finishing them with paint, I have joined two worlds and opened up endless possibilities. Each completed piece sparks a new idea with fresh challenges full of problem solving and exhilaration to start the next one. Working sculpturally forces me to not only think ten steps ahead, but outside of any box.
My initial love in art was paint. I love the ability of paint to be manipulated to create color and texture on a flat surface that draws your attention and makes you want to reach out and touch it. I left an incredible art department in high school and headed to a university setting where I developed an ugly case of burnout. I took a break, got married, changed careers and achieved my first Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources.
What I failed to notice was that in every job I held, in every company, I managed to do something creative. I always found myself in charge of the bulletin boards or the newsletters. I painted backdrops or designed company specific artwork. I even painted murals in a local daycare as a favor to the owner. I may have taken a break from art, but it never quite took a break from me.
After years of “no art,” I took a local pottery class for therapy. I was hooked. I found myself in the local community clay center several days a week and wanted more. I went back to school for my second Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art. Finishing what I started right after high school was a personal goal that meant more to me than I ever imagined it could.
Clay is my way of thinking outside of the box and outside of my comfort zone while having some fun playing in the mud. I have found that clay offers me things that paint cannot. Clay offers me the challenge of transforming a lump of mud into something useful through the utilization of the spinning wheel and my own dexterity and coordination. It makes me think ten steps ahead so that I may be successful in that transformation. And, it gives me what I consider to be a bonus. Once I am done with the creation process, I can still revert back to my love of color and texture with slip and glazes. I not only have my useful platter, but a canvas to paint on as well. For me, this is the best of all worlds.
I mostly work with functional pieces, though I make a point of creating a hang-able foot ring on my larger pieces. It is a great thrill to me knowing that my works are being enjoyed, sometimes every morning by the coffee pot, rather than just gracing a wall and collecting dust.
I also challenge myself in ways I did not have the courage for before clay. I make a point to take regular breaks from my functional works to create pieces for stimulating exhibits. These challenges push me in new directions and force me to re-imagine my day-to-day shapes and forms. Teapots and cups take on new meaning as they go from everyday items to creative, inspired, and inventive pieces. I look to answer the questions of what else can clay do? Does it have to be glazed? Why can't it hang from the ceiling? These questions force me to consider all of the possibilities clay, color, fabricating, and assembly have to offer. I'm not just thinking outside of the box, I've cut it apart, removed all expectations, and celebrated the joy of discovery.
The 3rd Annual Patrons’ Party is part “art auction,” part raffle, all fun, and with a twist. Here’s how it works: our talented community of artists will donate original artworks worth $150 or more. There will be one ticket available for each work of art. On the evening of the Patrons’ Preview Party, ticket holders will have the chance to scout their favorites and make their Top 10 Most Wanted lists. On the night of the event, Patrons will enjoy music and refreshments in the Missouri Theatre lobby.
Here’s how it works:
Artists donated artworks valued at $150+.
Artwork on display at CAL from October 25th-November 4th.
Preview Art Party: Tuesday, November 1st 6-8PM - live music, food + wine, desserts from Pasta La Fata.
Select your artwork via Zoom: November 5th or 6th during your time slot.
The twist: you will be assigned a randomly generated number and you will select your artwork in order of the number you receive.
This fun event celebrates the creativity and generosity of our talented local artists and the enthusiastic patrons who support the arts in Columbia. This is fun and important FUNdraiser for CAL!
Tickets are $150 that includes the Preview Art Party AND an original one-of-a-kind Artwork!
On the evening of Friday, October 7th, I was one of dozens of volunteers who helped turn the Central Bank of Boone County into an art gallery for a weekend. Before I get too far into it, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Riley, I’m studying art history at Mizzou and interning at Columbia Art League (CAL) this semester.
For those who don’t know, every year CAL partners with the Central Bank of Boone County to put on an art show that exhibits local artists, professional and non-professional. This year, I got the opportunity to work behind the scenes, helping to arrange and hang almost 200 works of art. This was my first time helping to set up a large exhibit, so I was incredibly excited and equally nervous. However, those nerves were quickly calmed after I got the rundown of how show setup goes. I was warned by some veteran volunteers that the first half hour was the most chaotic, and they weren’t wrong. Once the doors opened for artists to drop off their artwork we were working non-stop. As a volunteer, I had the job of transporting the art from check-in to its designated section in the show. (I definitely reached my step goal that day). I learned that in the beginning, the most important thing is keeping up with the intake of art. My favorite part, hanging and curation, came later.
After we received a majority of the art, we could start to arrange and hang it. The first step was creating an order and flow to the show as a whole. Since I was a newbie, for the most part, I watched the pros brainstorm and plan. It was so interesting to see how their brains worked and what decisions they made. I realized how much of a collaborative project curating is. After a plan was established I put myself to work. Knowing what I did about hanging a show, I knew that the location of pieces were subject to change. When putting together a show, you can’t get attached to where you put a piece because it might fit somewhere else better. What I didn’t know is what this actually looked like in the moment. People were constantly moving back and forth, trading artwork, changing concepts, and even reverting back to the first idea. There was an electricity in the room. I loved the lively energy and amount of off-the-cuff thinking that setting up requires. I discovered how much I thrive off of that type of environment.
With two hours, many bodies, and twice as many hands, the bank was a gallery, ready to be filled with art lovers. The most satisfying part of this experience was getting to see the show as a whole. I had a sense of pride and accomplishment when I could look at all of our work and say to myself, “we did it.”
As an art history student who is interested in pursuing museum curation, this show gave me great hands-on experience. Since working at CAL I have learned that I not only love putting a show together but also physically handling and hanging the artwork. In addition to being an art history major, I am also minoring in studio art, so my appreciation for an artists work stems from understanding how tasking creating art can be. When dealing with art work I like the idea that someone spent time, money, and love to make what I am holding. Helping to set up this show reaffirmed my interest in working in this field, and made me eager for the next show I get to work on.
Here are a few of my favorite pieces from the show (left to right):
Ashlee Selburg, The Beekeeper
Rheanna Flynn, The Ghost of My Flora
Jen Gigler, Nourish 2 Flourish
Cristina Nuñez, Nuances, Santa Monica II
The Columbia Art League and the Central Bank of Boone County are proud to present a community favorite exhibition: The Extended Boone County Art Show.
Visit Central Bank Downtown during their regular hours to see the several of the artworks from Boone County Art Show through November 18th!
The Following is a list of a few of the winners, their work can be seen above from left to right:
1) 1st Place in Non-Professional Painting: Bass Jazz by Benjamin Schwartz
2) 2nd Place in Professional Painting: Nuances. Santa Monica II by Cristina Nuñez
3) 3rd Place in Non-Professional Painting: Finding the Source by Kay Foley
4) 3rd Place in Non-Professional Other Media: Tri-Color Guiro by Charles Moreland
My name is Natalie and I am a current intern here at Columbia Art League. I had the honor of helping out with the setup of the Repeat show alongside the wonderful Hannah Reeves from the Sager Reeves gallery, and I discovered quite a lot while doing so. The Repeat exhibition highlights the importance of repetition and precision that makes art so aesthetically pleasing. This same precision and attention to detail was also needed for setting up the show in a manner that highlighted each piece’s personal brilliance correctly. During the setup of this show, there were several challenges we came across. There is a heavy emphasis on color theory and interior design knowledge one must obtain to set up art pieces in a gallery successfully, which I learned quickly. The composition of the exhibition can completely alter the mood or theme of the pieces, so setting up pieces that fit well next to each other is absolutely imperative. Additionally, the size and medium of the artwork also posed a challenge because while aesthetic is important in the setup of the show, adequately using our amount of space is just as important. These two challenges often clashed with one another, for some pieces looked great together, yet did not fit in the space well together. The method of set up that was most successful came down to a happy medium between aesthetic and space, with pieces of similar color or styles placed together most often.
As a current art student at Mizzou, it was fascinating to see how the artists’ work and the work of the gallery went hand and hand. I had no prior knowledge of how a gallery show set up was executed, and helping with the setup of this show taught me a lot about how I as an artist need to consider the work of the gallery more when creating pieces. I learned how crucial it is to create a proper backing to your artwork, for even the label on your piece is a huge part of what makes your art identifiable. Additionally, creating an efficient way to hang your pieces is necessary. The way you assemble the wire onto the backing of your piece can completely change how the piece will hang in the gallery, making it vital to do so adequately. It is these very small details that I as an artist had no idea were essential before being a part of this exhibition. Overall, the set up of this show taught me so much about how to excel as an artist along with giving me the proper knowledge of how to set up a successful gallery space. Being a part of this show will be an experience I will never forget!
STATEMENT
In September we held our first multi-day Plein Air event in Rocheport, MO. It was a gorgeous weekend with warm weather (not too hot), a nice breeze, with a couple of dramatic foggy mornings. Over 30 artists gathered in the tiny historic river town of Rocheport to paint and draw in an attempt to capture a little piece of its magic on paper. At the end of the weekend, we hosted an art reception to celebrate our adventurous experiment with much success!
These artworks represent the work of several artists, chosen in part due to skill, medium, and feeling of the weekend. Some of the selected artists participate in Plein Air events throughout the region and others tried it out for the first time. This event really brought home our mission at the Art League which is to support artists at every step of their artistic journey.
One of the ways we support artists is to show their work in our gallery (and hopefully facilitate sales), but we also work with artists in our community to teach classes and workshops. One of our favorite teachers and exhibiting artists, was Richard Dutton who was a brilliant Plein Air painter. Richard was planning on having a show in the South Gallery this month, but sadly he passed away earlier this year.
Richard was an incredibly kind and talented person. He was a wonderful teacher who encouraged the most trepidatious student and provided constructive feedback to the seasoned professional. Richard was humble and unassuming and made people feel at ease by really listening to them when they talked. We were very lucky to get to display his work in many shows at the Art League – always vibrant and full of life, his work was a pleasure to look at. We will miss his easy way and lightness and the way he was able to capture the life force of his subject matter in two dimensions.
We aim to extend our summer art adventure for a few more weeks and to honor our dear friend, we are so glad you’ve come to visit us and see “In Honor of Richard Dutton: Rocheport Plein Air”.
The rhythm of repetition is a fundamental part of visual language used to create movement, stillness, confusion, or to keep order. Repetition shows up all over our art and in the art world through imagery, process, series, color stories, themes, subject matter, and more, often adding deeper and nuanced meaning to the work. Where and how does repetition show up in your work, and which of your artworks highlight repetition visually and in your own practice?
Juror’s statement:
I find the Repeat exhibition to be both an exploration of the literal definition of the title as well as a nod to the repetitive gestures and marks of the artists on display. Repetition is inherently about multiples and objects that repeat. This is evident in many pieces—as a shape, a pattern, an object is seen in multiples.
Along with the obvious element of design comes a reminder of the repetitive actions and movements an artist must make to create the works of art on display. Time and attention is seen and felt in the works. Repetition is observed in the stitches, brush strokes, carvings, layers—reminding us that the making is repetition in and of itself. Many pieces also remind us of the repetitions of daily life—from a depiction of a busy downtown street, to a hair salon, to a plate of breakfast.
It was an honor to spend time with the multitude of entries and I congratulate all who participated.
Lisa Franko, MFA
First place: Dave Walker, Baggage Transfer
Second place: Ira Papick, Diamonds are Forever
Third place: Nate Berman, Breakfast
Honorable Mentions:
John Fennell, Secret Rhymes
Elizabeth Bergstrom, Together
Nancy Gause, 33 Hours
This exhibit is entitled “Time To Take Time.” It is a reflection of my age and the passage of time. I began with the four digital color photographs of sunflowers. I had the images printed on silk. I placed a thin layer of silk batting beneath with a backing and embellished with hand-dyed old lace, beads, silk threads and embroidery floss. My intent was to explore ways to combine photography with stitchery...a marriage of light and thread. I began the four pieces in November of 2019. By the time I finished the sunflowers, the world was engulfed in a pandemic. Locked down and isolated I decided to make more art.
I looked around my studio for inspiration in my many drawers of whatnots. I found a stack of vintage women’s hankies from childhood. I decided to use the hankies as tiny canvases for more art. From other drawers, I found scanned and photographed items printed on fabric I had not used in other projects, buttons, old lace, scraps of old fabric. My goal was to avoid going out into the world and attempt to stay sane, safe and busy during the pandemic. I set out to create playful images, fun little stories that would make me and others happy.
I would like to thank a few people who helped me with this project:
• Mary Sandbothe for unveiling a style of contemporary embroidery I didn’t know existed.
• Jeff Berg, who printed the sunflower images on silk.
• Russ Sackreiter, who handcrafted the cherry and walnut frames for the sunflowers.
• Mike Trial who donated the cherry and walnut wood for the frames.
• Yola Ciolli for professionally photographing the images.
Deb Roberts lives in Columbia, Mo. She works primarily in photography and fiber. Inspired by her Grandmother Myrtle, she began sewing at the age of 9. Needles and thread have been a constant in her life. Nine was also the year she was given her first camera, a Kodak Instamatic camera. Sewing and photography have always been interests. It is in recent years she has experimented with combining the two mediums.
Woven into the art of photography and fiber is a wide assortment of objects, such as: buttons, bugs, stamps, sticks, stones and fabrics that she has collected over the years. Recently she began adding to her childhood collection of women’s vintage hankies.
Since moving to Columbia in 2001, Deb has been active in the Columbia Art League. She won the Les Bourgeois collector’s series wine label competition in 2003. In 2014, Deb’s art story quilt, entitled “Cooper’s Landing” was selected for the City of Columbia’s Commemorative poster. The piece was the first and only fiber work ever selected for the poster.
Aug 23 - Oct 6
Abstract Atmosphere, paintings by Ramsay Wise
Working primarily in spray paint and acrylic, Wise’s paintings fit somewhere between abstraction and representation. He avoids proper paint brushes, paints only on canvases laid flat on a table, and mixes mediums. He is motivated by an empty canvas, broad archetypal subjects such as landscapes and weather, and unconventional application techniques. His paintings have shown locally at the Columbia Art League, Sager Reeves Gallery, Teller’s Gallery and Bar, DogMaster Distillery, the George Caleb Bingham Gallery, and the Reynolds Journalism Institute. His works have shown regionally at The Frank and Billie Railton Gallery in The Etta and Joseph Miller Performing Arts Center in Jefferson City, the formerly Fayetteville Underground (now Art Ventures) in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Pierre Laclede Honors College at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Leach Theatre in Castleman Hall on the campus of Missouri University of Science and Technology (MS&T) in Rolla, Art Saint Louis, and at the Underground Gallery, Vanessa Lacy Gallery, and Jones Gallery in Kansas City. He has one painting on permanent display on the campus of MS&T.
Ramsay was spotlighted for his artwork in the Ovation section of The Columbia Daily Tribune in 2017 and his paintings can be seen in publications such as Mud Season Review, The Sonder Review, Prick of the Spindle, Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, Columbia Journal, 3Elements Review, The New England Review, Bellerive, Duende, and The New Territory.
Ramsay is Instructor of Film Studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
In the fall of 2021, members of the Columbia Weavers and Spinners’ Guild were invited to collaborate with another member to create two pieces that incorporate elements of both members’ areas of fiber interest.
Guild members study in one or more areas of fiber arts including spinning, dyeing, knitting, crocheting, paper making, felting, weaving on different types of looms, and more. We encouraged collaborators to work with someone in an area different from their own.
These are our collaborations.
There’s a reason galleries around the world are filled with so many landscapes, seascapes and fantastical dreamscapes: at some point in our daily lives, we all crave an escape. We invite you to submit work that explores the world we live in and worlds beyond, from the prosaic humdrum scapes of daily life, to inspirational views and escapist fantasies.
Brett Butler, Dave Walker, Desiré De Los Santos, Haley Padilla, Janet Elmore, JD King, Lana Costanzo, Levin Garson, Madison Tasker, Pamela Sisson, Pamela Gruer, Philip Peters, Richard Hoeppner, Rodney Burlingame, Sara Estrapala, Shea Stewart, Stephen Evans, Thomas Herbst, and Tom Stauder.
On exhibit at Central Bank of Boone County
July 12 - August 26
Quilting started it. From the beginning, the act of cutting up beautiful fabric into small pieces and then putting them back together again has always held a special interest to me. Over the years, that magical process has led me to create what I call “fabricscapes”. None of it was intentional - it all developed and evolved over time.
Growing up in rural Missouri and drawing from my life-long love of nature, I have begun my creative journey with fiber. The colors, patterns, and creative use of fabric are endless. Fabric frees my imagination and provides many opportunities for happy accidents and inspiration. My art is accomplished using a “cut and glue” or “hold and sew” technique of raw edge machine appliqué, textile painting, and tread- work. Each “fabricscape” is completed using free-motion machine quilting that compliments the design and adds interest or shading and they are matted and framed under glass.
Each work depicts a story of travel, a record of time, or an impression from nature, either real or pictured in my memory. My fabric art was born by accident, but my current work is grounded in values and real-life experiences.
BIOGRAPHY
Dave Walker is a Missouri native and lives in Columbia Missouri with his wife Julie. He has three grown children. Dave received a BSE in art education from Northeast Missouri State University (now known as Truman State University).
His “fabricscapes” have been well received by the public and have been accepted into several galleries for special showings. His “fabricscapes” are currently displayed in patrons’ homes from Florida to Alaska. He has had a one-man solo exhibit at the Conservation Center, The Bernard Gallery, and the Southeast Artist Guild Gallery in Cape Girardeau. He has won first, second, and third place at two different shows at the Sikeston Depot Museum; First, Second, and Honorable Mention at the Margaret Harwell Art Museum in Poplar Bluff; and Best of Show and Juried Award at the “Art for the Heart of It” Southeast Hospital, Cape Girardeau Show and Honorable Mention at the Cottonboll Art Show in Kennett, Mo. He has won Honorable Mention, third place and second place at the Annual Boone County Art Shows, Columbia, MO. He had a fabricscape accepted into a National Art Show in Tulsa Oklahoma and has completed three commissioned pieces for a Cancer Hospitals--one in Cape Girardeau and two in Orlando Florida. His work is featured in shops and galleries throughout Mid-Missouri.
Each January, selected student artists (the mentees) are paired with a working professional artist (the mentor) in their desired media category. With the guidance and support of their mentor, each student develops a small portfolio of work which reflects their exploration of a concept or theme. This exhibit is the culmination of student works completed during the 2022 Mentorship Program.
In honor of the Stonewall Uprising in June of 1969–heralded as a catalyst of the pro-LGBT movement in the United States–LGBTQ* Pride Month is widely celebrated in June, including here at CAL. Artist and writer Brandon Wint defines Queer as “escaping definition…like some sort of fluidity and limitlessness at once…like a freedom too strange to be conquered. Queer like the fearlessness to imagine what love can look like and pursue it.”
And that’s what to expect from this show highlighting local queer artists and art: Art that escapes definition; art that’s strange and soft and strong and unconquerable; art courageous enough to imagine what the world could be, and bold enough to create and share it with us.
The Queer Show is a juried show open to all queer artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.
*Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer
First place: Tobi C. , Sweet Dreams
Second place: Madeleine LeMieux, Draped Pair
Third place: Savannah Calhoun, Grid Disruption
The Queer Art Show is sponsored by
Our Members’ Summer Show is a great opportunity for the public to get to know our member-artists! The show is unthemed and unjuried: just bring in new work for our community to enjoy.
Congratulations to all of our Members' Summer Show award winners!
1st: Anna Drake, Plastic Feelings
2nd: Cheryl Hardy + Mark Baltzer, Dark Warnings
3rd: Diane Epstein, Portrait of a Lion
Honorable mentions: Cristina Nunez, Curtis Hendricks, Wendy Yelton, Tom Stauder, Kristen Lyle.
Juror: Chris Daniggelis
On exhibit at Central Bank of Boone County
May 21 - July 12
In my photography practice, which is informed by my background in theater, I like to
stage objects in direct sunlight to create a drama of reflections and shadows. The
photos in this exhibition are created with colored plexiglass blocks, construction paper,
textured colored paper, cardboard packing material, paint samples, a rubber washer,
and a scrap metal dowel. It is always interesting to me to see how the sun impacts the
objects on my “stage," and how quickly it alters the look of my temporarily constructed
set as its position in the sky changes, causing me to make adjustments. Working in this
way with the sun, I'm constantly reminded that nothing is permanent.
For me, creating photos is like a meditation. It leads me to let go of the everyday world
for a while and to connect with a force much greater than myself. It nourishes and
energizes me. I hope you will come away from this show with a similar, positive feeling.
— Cynthia Richards
Abstract photographer, Cynthia Richards, has had her work presented in national juried
exhibitions at galleries in North Carolina and Massachusetts. Her work has also been
shown in regional juried exhibitions held by such organizations as The Columbia Art
League, Art St. Louis, and The St. Louis Artists’ Guild. Her work has been given
several awards in exhibitions held by The Columbia Art League (CAL): her photo,
“Lapse of Memory,” was awarded first place in CAL’s “Monochrome” exhibition in
2020; her photo, “The Blue at the Top of the Stairs,” was given an honorable mention
in CAL’s Winter Members’ Show that same year; and in 2021 her photo, “Hiding in
Plain Sight,” was awarded third place in the CAL Members’ Summer Show.
Cynthia grew up in Northern Virginia. Her adult years include many spent in New York
City, and then many more in St. Louis, where she earned a Ph.D. in comparative
literature with an emphasis in drama at Washington University. She now lives on a
small farm outside of Columbia with her husband, two big dogs, and a studio full of
inspiring light.
Good Mother
Artist Statement:
My son and I often collide into each other as we navigate our evolving relationship. We also rest in moments of tenderness & stasis. Good Mother is about the emotional and psychological labor of raising my son. These images depict my efforts to shape and mold him into the man I think he should become. In spite of this, he pushes against my control and asserts his own position in the world.
In these photographs, we reenact and imagine moments of tension or affection in front of walls and spaces in our home. I direct our performance in front of the lens. Additionally, I use still life objects and isolated gestures to symbolically reference our relationship. Through my attempts to manipulate my son, he barricades himself from me or exerts physical aggression in defense of my encroachment. Yet, our bond is evident in moments when we cling & attach to each other. I bathe in anxiety about the future, as there are no definitive directions on how to mother. In earnest response to our cultural climate, I am attempting to avoid failure, for I have one child & one chance to get it right. This work is an expression of a need to be a good mother.
www.angelareneeshaffer.com | @angtakesphotos
Bio:
Angela Shaffer is a photographer working to bring visibility to hidden aspects of mothering. In doing so she explores the psychology, vulnerability, and banality of motherhood. Angela was recently shortlisted for the Palm Photo Prize 2022. Her work has been featured in exhibitions with Woman Made Gallery (IL), Spilt Milk Gallery (UK), The Artist/ Mother Podcast (TN), Arts Mill (WI), The University of Iowa (IA), and Art Saint Louis (MO). She was a 2021 Critical Mass Finalist with PhotoLucida and she has shared work through an Instagram Residency with DearArtists. Angela (b. 1983, Pennsylvania) received her B.S. in Art Education from Asbury University and was a High School Art Teacher for five years in Garrard County, KY. She currently lives in Columbia, MO where she is in her third year as an MFA candidate and Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Missouri’s School of Visual Studies.
Q & A with Artist Angela Shaffer & CAL Director Kelsey Hammond
Read more about Angela’s work below.
Kelsey: How did you get interested in photography?
Angela: I have been surrounded by art my entire life. My father was my elementary school art teacher and my parents owned an art gallery in the small town that I grew up in. I followed in my father’s footsteps and became an art teacher, but considered my medium drawing/painting.
When I started to attend SPE (Society of Photographic Educators) conferences with my husband, who was studying Photography as an MFA candidate, I was exposed to imagery that I was entirely unfamiliar with. I saw Kelli Connell and Lori Nix give artist talks at the first conference I attended and I was blown away by the content they were documenting with their cameras. I had only considered a camera as a way to photograph “reality”, much like Ansel Adams’ work. I always struggled with drawings and paintings becoming what I envisioned. The result never met the expectations of my imagination. It was after this conference that I realized photography can live up to the original idea and that images can be fabricated or manipulated.
In 2013, we moved to Columbia, MO for my husband to teach Photography in the School of Visual Studies at MU. I became acquainted with his colleague, Joe Johnson, and asked if he would allow me to audit his Large Format Photo class. I wanted to learn how to develop and print in the darkroom. It was during this class that I latched onto photography permanently. I am now in my 3rd year as an MFA candidate at MU focusing in Photography as my medium.
Kelsey: What led you to this series of photographs - specifically working with your son?
Angela: When I became a mother in 2013 (right after moving to Columbia), I was faced with more than I could handle in my new role. I was in a new place without a social support structure and feeling completely overwhelmed with the responsibilities of being a new mom. All of the women in my family had been stay at home mothers and seemed to fit into this role with ease. The amount of struggle I was having with it made me feel like a failure. At the same time, I was frustrated with how little knowledge was passed on to me about the weight that caretaking for an infant would require. I was struggling with bi-polar emotions of contentedness and joy and resentment for what it actually involved.
The class I audited with Joe Johnson happened in the Fall of 2015 when my son was two years old. This opportunity became a place of sanctuary and respite for me to connect with my former self. We were given a tableaux vivant assignment and I decided to photograph some mom friends that were also staying home to care for their children. I photographed them with their kids and when I hung the work up for the class critique, the feedback impacted me so deeply. It was as if the feeling of invisibility in my role was dissipating in the moments that my peers were discussing my imagery. I applied to the program at MU with this work, which I continued after I left the Large Format class.
I started the Graduate program in the Fall of 2019. As I began to make work, I continued to photograph mothers with their children. Yet, as the pandemic started in the Spring of 2020, I was forced to pivot, as it seemed unsafe to continue entering peoples’ homes. Without a lot of options, I started to point my camera towards my son. As I first started to make new work, the images were doting and quirky representations of him. Yet, as the work grew, I realized that the imagery I was trying to make with other mothers, could be done between the two of us. It started to feel natural and more authentic. I realized that as I turned the camera on us, I was able to achieve images that I was straining to make with other women and their children. This work became my focus for my 2nd Year Review in the Graduate program and evolved into my “Good Mother” series.
Kelsey: What is your process - how do you find the images to make... are they based on interactions? Do you see the image in your head and recreate it?
Angela: When I first started making photographs, especially of mothers and their children, I think I relied heavily on the inspiration of painters, like John Singer Sargent and Mary Cassatt. After I discovered more photographers, I leaned on the formal quality of Joel Sternfeld’s portrait work, which lent itself nicely to my using a large format 4 x 5 camera on a tripod. When I eventually switched to a digital camera, I started to be inspired by Elinor Carucci’s “Mother Series”. The images in her work were so palpable and tense. I wanted to bring this type of tension to my new work with my son and I. So, I began to write down image ideas in a list and walk my son through my ideas before we would start a session together. I would use events and circumstances that we had gone through in the past and recreate them for the camera. I would also stay open as much as possible to the moment happening before me and follow inspiration when it seemed important to do so.
Kelsey: What does your son think about the work you're doing? In other words how is the process for him?
Angela: Photographing my son at first was easy and he was a willing participant. However, as the work began to build and I was feeling the pressure and time table of 2nd Year Review and having this work be resolved, my son became a bit more disagreeable to the demands I was placing on him. I would have to beg him to participate at times. We both have shed a lot of tears during the making of this work. There were a few times where I thought I would have to give up and start something new.
At one point, I agreed to give him a break and after the break we wrote up a contract that we both signed. The contract was photographed and became a part of the series. It defines the amount of time his is willing to work and for what reward. It also states that he is allowed to say “no x number of times.” It became a boundary for us to both work from. I do not think this contract would have been necessary outside of the constraints of my Graduate program. I was also making this work during the Pandemic and my son was in Virtual Learning for the year. So, we were consumed with one another during this process in a way that makes the work even more emphatic for the two of us.
The work is not only about our relationship to one another but it was also this secondary association of collaborating in front of a lens. This “Good Mother” series has come to a pause, yet I am still making work with my son. I believe he is starting to understand the role he plays in my work. He recently saw himself in the images hung on walls and said “I’m famous!” I am not sure how our photographic relationship will evolve over time, but this work has become incredibly precious to me.
Kelsey: How do you decide what work is in color (like in this selection for the CAL show) vs. what work you show in B&W?
Angela: Originally, I never saw myself becoming a color photographer. I loved working with black and white film. Also, when I entered the Graduate program, I was learning everything about Photography as medium for the first time. So, the control of working with just black and white film was helpful at first. Switching to color became a bit trickier with editing and maintaining a steady palette in the work. The “Good Mother” images seem to function well in color though. There is a playful and humorous tone with some of the images and the color lends well for this purpose. I am now making new work with my son and it is all in black and white. This work is more somber in tone and the black and white film is helping to steer the imagery in this direction.
Kelsey: And lastly… Do you think this series of work will ever be “done"?
Angela: To be honest, I am not sure. After my 2nd Year Review, I was so exhausted by the making of “Good Mother.” I needed a break and so did my son. Then rather than continuing on with it in the next semester of Grad school, I started new work. This work was inspired by an image I made in the “Good Mother” project. It was of my son wearing one of his father’s suits. He is swimming in it. It prompted me to think more about my fears of the future and my sadness for him growing up so quickly. At this point in time, I feel artistically compelled to make work about motherhood. However, I have many other photographic ideas constantly spinning around in my head. I write them down so that I know I can always come back to them if I want to. Most important to me is the freedom to follow whatever creative pursuits are tugging on me and just will not let me go.
Great news!
Donations from the Postcard Pop-Up brought in just over $1,000 for our Scholarship Program for students entering college to study art!
Thank you to all of the artists who made postcards and to the folks who purchased / donated to the fundraiser! It was such a fun community event!
If you’d like to hear our director, Kelsey Hammond speak with former director, Diana Moxon about the show, click here to listen to Speaking of the Arts on Spotify.
We invited the community to participate in the show - no age limits, no media limits… the only stipulation was that it had to be 4”x6” and be able to send through the mail. We then hung the show and posted the following directions:
-see a postcard you like?
- take it off the wall and give a donation of your choosing
- all funds raised go to our scholarship program to help high school artists with their art supplies in college.
Thank you all so much!
On view: May 3 - June 9
Reception: May 13, 6-8pm
What does it mean to be on the inside? In our new gallery show, Interior, we invite artists to explore their own understanding of the interior: interior design, interior thoughts and feelings, interior to our bodies or minds or buildings and spaces, inner circles of trust and community, and more. The interior pertains to that which is within, and we want this show to highlight that which is within you, whatever that means to you.
Juror, Pazia Mannella, spent over 2 hours looking carefully at all 98 artworks submitted before making her final decisions. Please find her statement below.
Juror’s Statement
C. Pazia Mannella
Each artwork included in the Interior exhibition engagingly responded to the inquiry, “What does it mean to be on the inside?”
Vibrant colors, dark shadows, and brilliant flashes of light radiate from the collective artworks in the Interior exhibition. Artists interpreted the theme of Interior along spectrums of real and imagined, public and private, and figure and architecture.
These three award winning artworks are excellent contemplations of interior.
The watercolor painting by Mary Redders, Lucy + JayJay Patiently Waiting on the Deck, depicts two black dogs viewed from the interior of a home through a sliding glass door. Brilliant blue highlights the deep black of their fur and palpable movement is rendered, suggesting slow pacing and tails wagging, passively waiting...
The mixed media work by Madeleine LeMieux, Pendulant Curtains, is a two-dimensional color pencil and acrylic painting of elongated breasts partially obscured by a potted plant. The piece is framed by hot pink, teal, turquoise, and yellow three-dimensional stuffed spandex, containing, binding and extruding from the interior.
Lindsay Picht’s watercolor and pen painting, Comfort Zone, depicts a young woman shrouded in a coral blanket, wearing white slouchy socks. Prominently displayed behind her is a bulletin board pinned with photos and other memorabilia, posters of ads, and artwork. The bedroom wall is a soothing shade of powder blue, and the bedding and carpet are cream. The figure appears at home, surrounded by material comfort, gazing from within the room past the viewer.
It is an honor to jury the Interior exhibition at Columbia Art League and I wish all the artists sincere congratulations.
C. Pazia Mannella
Artist and Assistant Professor
School of Visual Studies
University of Missouri
Congratulations to all in the show, and especially to the following:
Lindsay Picht - 1st Place for Comfort Zone
Madeleine LeMieux - 2nd Place for Pendulant Curtains
Mary Redders - 3rd Place for Lucy & JayJay Patiently Waiting on the Deck
Honorable mentions for:
Jason Stephen - Invasion
Lina Forrester - The Stone Giver
Ira Papick - Interior Equals Exterior
Brandy Tieman - Monster Inside
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