16 + 16, Visual Jumpstart to 2018

Oaks in fog, Yuba County, California :
platinum palladium print on handmade Japanese Gampi Torinoko paper :
4″h x 5″w :
by Eli Rush

The new year is always a time for reflection and resolution in our culture.  It’s a time when we settle into the winter, accepting that we’re in for several more months of cold ( at least here in Michigan) and darkness and we use our hibernation to rejuvenate and plan for great things in the spring. 

How She Broke and Turned Red :
fiber,double weave and hand hemmed corn silk, felting :
life size :
by Cassidy Moravy-Penchansky

Well, at WSG we like to do things a little differently.

January brings our ‘16+ 16’ show – a show where we double down on our resolve to bring great art to our Ann Arbor gallery.  Each January for the past several years we have shown the work of artists invited by the artist-owners of WSG gallery, in addition to the 16 owners and visiting artists.  Our holiday show always rounds out the busiest time of the year with a bang, but ‘16 + 16’ is a show that takes more risks, and 2018 is no exception. 

Overcome(ing)No.21 :
mixed media :
17″h x 25″w :
by Juliet Seignious

In a month that brings us Martin Luther King Day and the Women’s March, it makes sense to show some challenging and mind-opening work – something to start the year off with some thought-provoking conversation.  Art, the arts in general, but here we’re talking about visual art, should make us feel something.  You might go to an exhibit and feel awe or a sense of wonder….”How did this artist make the light come through those trees?”  or,  ‘’How did she make that reflection on the water?” 

Down the Road Apiece :
pastel :
10.5″h x 14″w :
by Jill Stefani Wagner

About the Line :
photograph, pigment ink on rag paper :
16″h x 20″w :
by John Lilley

Perhaps you see a piece of art that makes you mad or unsettled.  “Why did the artist say that?” or, “Is this what the artist meant by that?” 

Pussy’s Revenge :
latch hook cat scratch post :
23″h x 13″ diameter :
by Brenda Oelbaum

Maybe you see some work that provides solace or a sense of calm.  Hopefully you see some art that makes you see something differently than you ever have before.  Our time here is too short to feel nothing or not be moved in some way by the world around us. 

Stewards of Creation, La Palouse, WA :
iphone photograph printed on archival paper using pigment inks :
5″h x 7″w :
1/10 :
by Nina Hauser

PNW II (Dune Grass) :
woodblock, intaglio and watercolor on paper :
23.5″h x 35.5″w :
by Helen Gotlib

Our aim with “16 + 16” is to give you a little visual jumpstart to your new year.  Join us this month to see the show and give you a little mental nourishment for your hibernation.  Happy New Year!