Abel Contemporary Gallery Exhibits

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courtesy Abel Contemporary Gallery

A work by Kate Hudnall.

Three new shows come to Abel Contemporary, one of the most interesting galleries within a stone's throw of Madison. Illinois artist George Shipperley creates transformative large scale works with oil pastels, the creamy drawing medium that may look like crayons but was elevated to fine art by the Sennelier company specifically at the request of Pablo Picasso. Shipperley will talk about his work from this show, called Impressions, at 2 p.m. on June 18. And two faculty members from UW-Madison's fine furniture design and woodworking program, Katie Hudnall and Tom Loeser, have a joint exhibit called Boxing Match, which will surely transform your concept of wood boxes. They'll talk about the show at 3 p.m. on June 4. A group exhibition, The Aviary, is curated by Craig Clifford.

media release: June 3 - July 17, 2022, Abel Contemporary Gallery presents George Shipperley- Impressions, Group show: The Aviary, and in no. 5 

Boxing Match - Katie Hudnall and Tom Loeser 

Opening Reception Friday, June 3, 5pm-8pm open to the public

Shows open online Saturday, June 4 at 10 AM CDT

Artist Talks:

George Shipperley – Saturday, June 18 2pm

Katie Hudnall and Tom Loeser - Saturday, June 4, 3pm

 (check abelcontemporary.com for updates)

These talks will be live in the gallery, open to the public, and recorded for later viewing.

George Shipperley: Impressions

Aurora, Illinois artist, George Shipperley creates dreamlike landscapes and still lifes exquisitely rendered in oil pastel. Though these scenes often seem to recall real places, Shipperley is driven purely by imagination and improvisation, creating harmonious compositions with rhythmic design. Shipperley has been featured in numerous publications including the Pastel Journal and the Artist Magazine, and garners a prestigious first place award from the Oil Pastel Society.

The Aviary: Group Show Guest Curated by Craig Clifford 

Artists have often turned to the wonders of the avian world for inspiration. This show is guest curated by Craig Clifford, a ceramicist, educator, and avid birder, who has shown his sculptures both nationally and internationally. This exhibit will showcase works in variety media that use imagery referencing birds. Artists in this exhibition include: Kendra Bulgrin, Alanna DeRocchi, Barb Donovan, Kelli Hoppmann, Kathryn Hunter, Hiromi Iyoda, Debbie Kupinsky, Glynnis Lessing, S.V. Medaris, John S. Miller, Peter Morgan, Ryan Myers, Allan Servoss, David Scott Smith, Mikey Walsh, and Jonathan Wilde. 

In no. 5: Katie Hudnall and Tom Loeser: Boxing Match

Katie Hudnall is an illustrator, sculptor, woodworker, furniture maker, educator, and current head of the Woodworking and Furniture Department at the University of Wisconsin- Madison. Hudnall creates furniture and furniture-like sculptural objects from discarded bits of wood, sketching together smaller components into sculptures which reveal the processes used to assemble them. Often precariously balanced or otherwise reveling in their own absurd frailty, Hudnall’s work forms visual metaphors for relationships and social structures through playful imagery. Hudnall received her BFA in Sculpture from Corcoran College of Art and Design and her MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in Furniture Design and Woodworking.

Tom Loeser is a woodworker, furniture maker, designer, and the former head of the Woodworking and Furniture Department at the University of Wisconsin- Madison. He holds a BA from Haverford College, a BFA from Boston University, and an MFA from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Loeser has received many prestigious grants and awards including four Visual Artist Fellowship Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Loeser’s work explores unconventional furniture forms and invites imaginative and playful interactions intended to highlight the distinction between functional and formal considerations. 

This show in no. 5 will feature boxes made by Loeser and Hudnall.