Baber Room Exhibitions

MARCH 11 - MAY 11, 2008:   THE SEEN AND UNSEEN, AN IMAGINED REALITY, PAINTINGS BY SHELLEY NEWMAN STEVENS    Opening Reception:  Park Library Baber Room 6:00 p.m.  Gallery Talk by the artist at 6:30 p.m.  Free and open to the public.  Shelley Newman Stevens received her MFA in painting from Kendall College of Art and Design in 2004.  Since 2005 she has been a working studio artist at her own Golden Apple Studio in Mt. Pleasant, MI, and has participated in solo and juried exhibitions across the country.  Newman Stevens creates large scale, dramatic figurative compositions that position her detailed and life-like figures amidst dreamlike scenes, in a visual representation of the psychological battle that rages between who we really are, and how we wish to be perceived.  In this series, Stevens focuses on the mask as a metaphor for the physical and behavioral facade that we construct in attempt to reveal and, or conceal only certain aspects of ourselves.  These paintings contain elements of the theatrical and the artificial even as they attempt to expose a truth.

MAY 14 - AUGUST 20, 2008:  The Art of the Clarke:  Selections from the Francis and Mary Lois Molson Collection of Children's Book Illustrations.  On loan from the Clarke Historical Library, these illustrative works have helped to inspire the imaginations of many, as they bring to life the characters and scenes of timeless children’s book stories.  A rich representation of the fine art of illustration, this exhibition will feature illustrations by award-winning illustrators such as David Small, Michael Hague, Willy Pogany, and Gennady Spirin, just to name a few.  The Molson Collection of Children’s Book Illustrations at the Clarke Historical Library was created by the donation of the Molson’s personal collection in 1999.  These fine artworks have not been exhibited since 2002.

AUGUST 21, 2008- NOVEMBER 2008:  "CLAUDENE", Contemporary Art Narrative in Painting by Deborah Friedman.
For more information on the artist please visit www.deborahfriedman.com. Reception date to coincide with the Opening Reception for the Michigan Story Festival 2008 (TBA).