Jim Barnard & Chele Ramos

Consistently some of the most stimulating Madison art shows are found in Galleries I, II and III of the Overture Center. The winter exhibits feature 32 local and regional artists. Gallery I pairs an artist known as The Artist with painter Christopher Sweet for a show called “Healing Journeys: Heritage and Resistance.” Gallery II pairs artist book-maker Barbara Justice and photographer Chris Chanson for “Fictive Artifacts and Intimate Kinship” and Gallery III pairs photographer Jim Barnard and watercolorist Chele Ramos for a show focused on portraiture called “See Me: Expressions of Identity.” The Playhouse Gallery features Madison Contemporary Fiber Artists in “Roots, Our Foundation,” through Feb. 26.

Expand

Jim Barnard

A photograph by Jim Barnard from the collection "The Rich Tapestry of Gender," part of Overture Galleries winter exhibits.

media release: Overture Galleries’ winter 2022 exhibitions are now on display in Galleries I, II and III through Sunday, March 5. Plus, a new exhibit opens in Playhouse Gallery on Tuesday, Dec. 13 and runs through Sunday, Feb. 26. The exhibits feature 32 local and regional artists.

Exhibits in Galleries I, II and III display a range of human identity and history, from Ho-Chunk traditional lifeways and the African American civil rights movement to sibling relationships, gender expression and artist portraits. Visit Playhouse Gallery to explore a multitude of roots, from biological to cultural and symbolic, through works by Madison Contemporary Fiber Artists. To connect and learn more, join us for artist talks at the reception on Friday, Jan. 20 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. in the galleries.

Overture Galleries are always free and open to the public, and most artworks are for sale by regional artists.

GALLERY I: Healing Journeys: Heritage and Resistance | The Artist & Christopher Sweet

The Artist uses his life experiences to inform civil rights portraits and events to bring liberation movements to the forefront of our attention. Inspired by traditional regalia, storytelling and spiritual connectedness, Christopher Sweet’s paintings capture traditional native ways of life, both past and present, setting intentions of healing and unity.

GALLERY II: FICTIVE ARTIFACTS AND INTIMATE KINSHIP | Barbara Justice & Chris Chanson

Artist Barbara Justice and photographer Chris Chanson expose intimate moments of humanity and reflection. Justice’s handmade artist books reference memory and personal history through artifacts of the past, found photographs and fictive narratives. Through his black and white photographs, Chanson captures his sons’ present growing up together as a personal reflection of his lonely childhood without siblings.

GALLERY III: SEE ME - EXPRESSIONS OF IDENTITY | James Barnard & Chele Ramos

James Barnard and Chele Ramos’ expressive portraits convey the unique and personal identities of their subjects. Barnard's compelling photographs portray the rich tapestry of individual gender expression. Ramos' illuminating watercolor portraits depict artists and artisans in their element, doing what they love.

PLAYHOUSE GALLERY: ROOTS, OUR FOUNDATION | Madison Contemporary Fiber Artists

Roots provide nourishment and support for plants. As people, we are also nourished and supported by our roots. Our families of origin, our culture, the people who have taught and inspired us, and nature are all parts of our foundation as people and as artists. Members of the Madison Contemporary Fiber Artists will display new works that explore and celebrate our own roots.

Fiber Arts Community Workshop – FREE

Saturday, Jan. 14, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Wisconsin Studio

You can be a fiber artist. Madison Contemporary Fiber Artists (MCFA) will supply all you’ll need to create a butterfly or other garden creature, using a variety of techniques: embroidery, appliqué, embellishment, weaving, coloring. Art created in the workshop will be hung with the MCFA exhibit in Playhouse Gallery. All ages are invited. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Overture Galleries are sponsored by The Arts Access Fund, a component fund of the Madison Community Foundation, Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison, and by contributions to Overture Center for the Arts. Overture is grateful for this community support that helps make these experiences possible.

OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS in Madison, Wis., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and four galleries where national and international touring artists, nine resident companies and hundreds of local artists engage people in nearly 700,000 educational and artistic experiences each year. With the vision to provide “Extraordinary Experiences for All,” Overture’s mission is to support and elevate our community’s creative culture, economy and quality of life through the arts. overture.org