Stephanie Barenz and Stacey Steinberg

media release: Overture Galleries’ 2023/24 winter exhibitions open this week, and this new season brings with it a captivating array of visual experiences. Galleries I and II will transport you to the heart of architectural marvels, the serenity of water, the pulse of the city, the tranquility of lakes, and the transformative forces of destruction and resurrection, while Gallery III highlights the world of little wonders just beneath it all. Meanwhile, the Playhouse Gallery displays the raw beauty of natural elements, humanity and the shapes and patterns that weave our world together, inviting you to reconnect with the earth, air and water that sustain us.

Galleries I, II and III exhibitions run Tuesday, Dec. 12 through Sunday, March 10. “Nature’s Kaleidoscope: Patterns of Fragility and Resilience” in Playhouse Gallery runs through Sunday, March 3. To connect and learn more, join us for artist talks at the reception on Friday, Jan. 19, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Overture Galleries are always free and open to the public, with most artworks available for purchase. Note: Overture closes after the final Nutcracker performance on Dec. 24, and is closed through Jan. 1

GALLERY I: Un/Inhabited, Stephanie Barenz & Stacey Steinberg: “Un/Inhabited” is the intersection of habitation and self. Barenz explores the link between our external surroundings and inner landscapes inspired by her daily walks near water. Meanwhile, Steinberg depicts homes that are in flux, embodying resurrection through destructive forces. Together, these artists evolve boundaries where water and fire merge.

GALLERY II: Water and Bricks, Mary Westring & Jay Handy: Journeying from gritty Brooklyn streets to Madison’s serene lakes, Westring and Handy unite in a captivating exhibit. They intertwine water’s transformative power and tales of urban origins through vivid paintings, evocative imagery and timeless aquatic connections.

GALLERY III: (W)understory, Brian M. House, Susan H. Kaye & Michael Koppa: Beneath the thick canopy of our everyday awareness, a realm of fascination unfolds. House, Kaye and Koppa explore worlds of wonder built from familiar components, inspired by what is and imagining what could be.

PLAYHOUSE GALLERY: Nature’s Kaleidoscope: Patterns of Fragility and Resilience, Heather Baker, Amanda Langer, Michelle Schwengel-Regala, Cassandra Smith, Max Sorenson & Francis Stanton: Through a variety of media and artistic disciplines, these six artists explore a deep connection with the natural world and human systems through texture and pattern. Their work aims to illustrate visual rhythms in nature and contrast ephemeral and delicate aspects of existence and the remarkable ability to adapt, endure and thrive.

Drawing A Land Ethic – Saturday, March 2 from 3-6 p.m. in Playhouse Gallery: Join us for a reception and presentation exploring Aldo Leopold’s “Land Ethic,” which describes the responsibility to care for humans, the land and the interconnectedness of the entire ecosystem. Hear from Aldo Leopold Foundation’s Visiting Artist Max Sorenson and Executive Director Buddy Huffaker on the land ethic, prescribed fire and communal land stewardship. The presentation will be from 4-5 p.m. in Rotunda Studio. To RSVP and for more information, visit overture.org. This event will be live streamed for those unable to attend.

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.