Her Art

media release: HER ART, a powerful new art exhibit featuring 16 jury-selected, female-identifying teen artists, opens on September 10, 2024, at the Overture Center for the Arts Rotunda Gallery. The exhibit runs until November 10, 2024. Curated by Shay Roy-Lewis, a junior at Middleton High School, Her Art responds to the ongoing mental health crisis among teen girls by

empowering them to celebrate their strengths, voices, and creativity. The exhibit is the focal point of Shay’s Girl Scout Gold Award.

Selected by a jury of art professionals, the 16 artists tell their stories through a vibrant collection of media, including painting, photography, mixed media, and sculpture. Their works address themes of self-discovery, resilience, and personal history.

Shay has long been interested in art as a means of personal and creative expression. “Her Art celebrates young women not for what they look like, but for who they are,” she says. “These incredible artists show us that strength and self-confidence come from being true to yourself.”

Her Art opens with a reception on Tuesday, September 10 from 6:00-8:00 PM, with a curator’s talk starting at 6:30 PM. The All Galleries Overture Reception is on October 3 from 5:30-8:30 PM.

The Overture Galleries are free and open Monday-Saturday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Sundays from 12:00-6:00 PM, with extended hours on event days.

More from Shay Roy-Lewis about her experience of curating this exhibition:

“I began the 'Her Art' exhibit as a rising sophomore in high school with zero curation knowledge, a lofty goal and the passion to make a difference. Never did I imagine that this exhibit would be on display at Overture Center.

Art has been a lifelong love of mine in many ways. Creating a show composed of my own work was a possibility I briefly considered, but I decided to instead dip my toes into an aspect of the art world I had never experienced firsthand: curation. And looking back now, I am so grateful that is the choice I made. Working with professionals in the field and getting hands-on experience throughout the process has been nothing short of life changing.

I am especially honored to have curated an exhibit that encourages teenage girls to focus on their strengths and a positive self-image. I believe a juried art exhibit with such a strong message is so impactful because viewers can see that same message portrayed in several ways. This deepens understanding and conveys the complexity of the problem, allowing the viewer to peer into the perceptions of each individual artist. Such multifaceted comprehension is only possible due to the perspectives and ideas of these talented artists.” – Shay Roy-Lewis

more info on other exhibits:

Overture Galleries are always free and open to the public during regular business hours and before and after performances. Most artwork in our exhibitions is for sale.

Tuesday, Sept. 3 – Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024

Gallery I: Abandoned Abundance: Erin Liljegren and Christina Ruhaak create tactile environments enhanced by their vivid and complex use of color. Liljegren investigates the deprivation of natural resources and the over-consumption of consumer goods using paint and repurposed materials. Ruhaak amasses and layers the remnants of domestic life as commentary on global frictions and the consequences to families and communities.

 Gallery II: Masks & Mirrors: Hideki Suzuki and Jolynn Reigeluth's joint exhibition blends observations, imagination and humor in our everyday lives. Suziki's allegorical masks and Reigeluth's satirical portraits explore myth, history and human absurdities, igniting introspective laughter and peculiar emotional revelations.

Gallery III: A Place of Whim and Wonder: This collection of vibrant, whimsical and multifaceted works by Sydney Berkeley and Poornima Moorthy embody the magic of life and allude to notions such as the fanciful experience of childhood, the hidden beauty twinkling within each moment and the intense human experience of being alive.

Playhouse Gallery: In Search of Awe by PhotoMidwest, Tuesday, Aug. 27 – Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024

Photographic images capable of evoking a sense of awe possess a distinctiveness that makes them stand out from the ordinary. They have the power to evoke emotional or visceral reactions. This juried exhibition highlights the awe-inspiring photography created by members of PhotoMidwest.

Join us for our Artist Receptions

Hear directly from the artists before you browse the galleries.

All Galleries: Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Rotunda Stage. Artist Talks start at 6 p.m.

Rotunda Gallery : Tuesday, Sept. 10, 6-8 p.m. Rotunda Gallery. Artist Talk begins at 6:30 p.m.