Madison Watercolor Society

media release: Overture Galleries’ summer exhibitions delve into aspects of the vast natural world and beyond—from insights into the animal kingdom, to emotional portraiture and journeys to the mystical and surreal. Summer exhibit media include complex layers of photographs, intricate detailed embroidery, vintage-inspired and metal collage, recycled skateboards, watercolor and more. Let the artworks guide you into flights of imagination, alternate worlds and deep intimacy.

Exhibitions in Galleries I, II and III run through Sunday, Aug. 27. “Dreamscapes” in Playhouse Gallery runs through Sunday, Aug. 20. To connect and learn more, join us for a reception on Friday, July 14 from 5-8 p.m. in the galleries; artist talks at 6 pm.

Overture Galleries are always free and open to the public, with most artworks available for purchase.

GALLERY I: UNNATURAL SURROUNDINGS Lisa A. Frank and Sarah Stankey explore how we interact with the natural world and the various ways in which we depend on animals. Frank reflects upon confinement and displacement through her creation of digital dioramas. Stankey examines her coexistence with animals through performance and self-portraiture.

GALLERY II: SOFT SPOT Alyssa Ackerman and Selia Salzsieder explore concepts of intimacy and anonymity through their figurative artwork. Ackerman focuses on moments of affection and vulnerability, illustrated through embroidered images of skin, physical touch and nakedness. Salzsieder uses collage to investigate the body’s relationship to gender, sexuality, censorship and nature.

GALLERY III: COLOR: THE LANGUAGE OF NATURE AND MAGIC Joseph Taylor and Logu Ramasamy speak the language of color in both the mystical and the earthly realms. Ramasamy’s pieces are heavily influenced by village traditions, myths and ritualistic practices in South India. Taylor discovered a new palette of colors in the veneers of broken skateboards that he uses in his woodworking. Taylor’s children book, “The Walking Tree,” is presented in the exhibit.

PLAYHOUSE GALLERY: DREAMSCAPES By the Madison Watercolor Society, this collection explores the peculiar reality of dreams using surrealism. Dreams are a portal to our subconscious and may reveal our inner desires. Dreams allow us to process events and intuit solutions. Freed from the physical, everything is possible.

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.