The bi-annual Mid-States Art Exhibition is one of our favorite events here at the museum because it allows us to forge new relationships with artists from our surrounding six states while expanding upon our Mid-States art collection and bringing diverse artistic excellence to our patrons. This year’s show is special for a myriad of reasons: there are a variety of relationships represented from mother and daughter to husband and wife and teacher and student; artists represented in the show span nearly 800 miles geographically from Springfield, MO to Chardon, OH; materials used range from pine glue to troll fur to buon fresco. Out of 356 pieces entered, 44 were selected by our juror, Lauren O’Connell. This month’s blog is dedicated to one artist from every state represented in the 62nd Mid-States Art Exhibition.
Carmen Chami is an artist based in Chicago, IL and Mexico City, Mexico. She received her Master of Visual Arts from San Carlos Academy in 2009 and her Bachelor of Arts in Restoration from the National Restoration School in 1998. Chami studied 17th-century Mexican Baroque painting techniques through reproductions of works by Cristobal Villalpando and Juan Correa and continues to work in this style today. Her piece The persistence of memory when we are just able to forget (La persistencia de la memoria cuando solamente se puede olvidar) is on view at the 62nd Mid-States Art Exhibition. This piece features a figure lounging on a mound of books while a seated figure unravels thread from their embroidered gown. According to Chami, her “focus has revolved around the expansive universe of femininity, exploring emotional landscapes, grief, yearning, migration, the human form, sexuality, family dynamics, beauty, and the tapestry of everyday life.”
More of Carmen Chami’s work can be found at her website: http://www.carmenchami.com/
Kyle Darnell is an artist, educator, and writer based in Evansville, IN. Darnell earned his BFA from Culver-Stockton College in 2010 and his MFA in Printmaking in 2013. On top of teaching at Signature School and the University of Evansville, Darnell can often be found hosting live printmaking demonstrations and selling his artwork at various local events. His work is “deeply rooted in the traditions of linoleum and wood relief printmaking. His art is a fusion of craftsmanship and storytelling, drawing inspiration from regional folklore and urban legends … Through his work, Kyle seeks to preserve the stories of the past while inspiring new generations of artists to engage with the craft of printmaking.” Ritual of the Witch is a wood carving of a three-headed witch emerging from the forest, with foliage surrounding its face. Acrylic paint and ink adds vibrancy to the reds, purples, blues, and yellows of the flowers.
More of Kyle’s work can be found at his website: https://kyledarnell.squarespace.com/
Jarrid Scott is an artist, illustrator, sculptor, muralist, printmaker and tattoo artist based in Dawson Springs, KY. Scott received his BFA in Illustration at Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta and was accepted into the Governor’s School of the Arts in 2010. In his work, Jarrid “conveys the idea of conservation through the use of recycled and repurposed materials to emphasize visual storytelling. Many of his pieces encourage a dialog about the current state of our planet and focus on endangered species and their futures without the help of humanity. His sculptural execution of this idea began after receiving his first taxidermy deer many years ago as a gift. Tossed away, left in storage and covered in dust, it posed a curious question: how could a living animal that was once displayed as a trophy become a forgotten thing that was worthless to its owner? This out of sight, out of mind concept became a parallel to today's world views surrounding animal protection and the often-forgotten value that living creatures have to all of us. Scott attempts to restore honor and enlightenment to these discarded and damaged animals through decorative brilliances such as crystals, jewels, and gold leafed casts to preserve the animal's true opulence and to reflect their worth in our world.” In his piece Oculus V - Strength, Scott beckons viewers to align themselves with their inner beasts so that they may feel empowered as a force for this planet.
More of Jarrid’s work can be found at his website: https://www.jarridscott.com/
Natalie Baldeón is an artist and educator based in St. Louis, MO. She received her MFA in Studio Art from Washington University in 2012 and her BFA in Painting from the University of Central Florida in 2008. She states, “recent watercolor paintings explore the ways that events can embed themselves into our bodies, particularly experiences of prolonged stress. Loss of hair, sleep, autonomy, and the perception of time are contrasted with the gaining of new somatic masses and life created; thus, a new role that will forever change the landscape of your own. Yet, alongside the scrutinizing of bodily changes, there is a deep sense of connection to history, lineage, the earth, and the divine.” Reminders of Lossdepicts clumps of hair that resemble tendrils of darkness extending downward over a grimy background.
More of Natalie Baldeón’s work can be found at her website: http://www.nataliebaldeon.com/
Michael W. High is an artist based in Chardon, OH. He states: “As a queer artist living in Ohio, I find my artistic materials and personal journey travel together with a unique voice of strength and advocacy. My process evolves to integrate struggle and emotion that is fueled by revealing new expressions of the queer experience. I embrace the psychological side, using the imagery to elicit responses that would otherwise be disconcerting. By merging and embracing materials of clay, fiber, and textiles, the light and dark, thought and emotion, abstraction and process coalesce into vision, craft, and design. Clay and my journey travel together with a unique voice. Narrative and form reveal a journey of thought, emotion, and evolution. My process is fueled by revealing new expressions in the materials. The construction grows by hand to create layers, into volume, into a complex collage of emotions, evolution, materials and topics.” In Behind the Mask, a tall, anthropomorphic creature is holding a mask resembling a woman’s face in front of it, accompanied by a small person in a rabbit suit to its left.
More of Michael’s work can be found at: https://rivergalleryarts.com/michael-high
Sally Brogden is an artist and educator based in Knoxville, TN. Brogden received her MFA in Ceramics from the New York State College of Ceramics, a BA in Art History and a BFA in Ceramics from the University of Michigan. She says her work “focuses on simple abstract form. I am fascinated with the associations that we make as we interpret the world around us, and I hope to create objects with broad and ambiguous references, forms that are perplexing due to their many allusions … My current works reveal many imperfections. As I fill molds and refine surfaces, I no longer erase all records of the production process. Each piece takes on its own character as it is produced, and each in its own way defies the computer’s potential to impart uniformity. The pieces no longer embrace strict rigidity. Now they are softer and more vulnerable than my past works. The clay surfaces are pockmarked; they have tears in them and ooze at the edges. The glazes pool and drip. In the end, no longer aspiring to perfection, I create works that are more human.” Untitled (LgKcLp) is smooth yet gritty, shiny yet muted, and perfectly imperfect.
More of Sally’s work can be found at her website: https://sallybrogden.com/
We thank our generous donors John and Konnie Schlechte, Margaret Dennis, Steve and Susan Worthington, Mary and David Bower, Les and JoAnne Miley, Patricia Mitsos, and the Efroymson Family Fund for making this event possible. This show will run until March 23rd, 2025, so be sure to stop by to see these bewitching pieces in person!
