Archway Gallery Exhibitions - 2023
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Tracey Meyer Shaped by Discovery February 4 - March 2, 2023 |
In Shaped by Discovery, Tracey Meyer returns to her love of hard-edged shapes. This exhibition contains works which employ various abstract optical elements, which Meyer uses as a reminder of what we can learn when we take a closer look. Each work asks the viewer to challenge and re-assess the initial perceptions that the piece evokes in them.
The last few years have been challenging, but they have also presented opportunities – to learn more about ourselves and others, and to re-examine some of our beliefs and attitudes, both individually and as a society. Tracey Meyer invites us into a conversation of discovery. How can I perceive things in a different way?
For Meyer, it has meant reconsidering her beliefs, and questioning why she believes what she does. It has meant really listening to others and accepting the discomfort of having her belief systems challenged. For example, she had never fully realized the entrenched social and economic systems that serve to actively disadvantage people of color. Nor did she appreciate the burden her use of plastics placed on the planet, even though she is a devoted recycler. Meyer now avoids using plastics wherever possible. Tracey Meyer’s journey of discovery has caused her to reassess her own place in the world, and humankind’s place in the life of this planet.
Meyer would like to suggest that now it is more important than ever to be observant and to try to develop new understandings and insights. Looking closely at something with an open mind to both observation and interpretation helps us to avoid assumptions and stereotypes. “Optical Art is a wonderful way to encourage us to take a second look,” says Meyer. “It’s a metaphor for how I, myself, want to approach and move through the world. I invite you to come along with me and be shaped by discovery!”
The last few years have been challenging, but they have also presented opportunities – to learn more about ourselves and others, and to re-examine some of our beliefs and attitudes, both individually and as a society. Tracey Meyer invites us into a conversation of discovery. How can I perceive things in a different way?
For Meyer, it has meant reconsidering her beliefs, and questioning why she believes what she does. It has meant really listening to others and accepting the discomfort of having her belief systems challenged. For example, she had never fully realized the entrenched social and economic systems that serve to actively disadvantage people of color. Nor did she appreciate the burden her use of plastics placed on the planet, even though she is a devoted recycler. Meyer now avoids using plastics wherever possible. Tracey Meyer’s journey of discovery has caused her to reassess her own place in the world, and humankind’s place in the life of this planet.
Meyer would like to suggest that now it is more important than ever to be observant and to try to develop new understandings and insights. Looking closely at something with an open mind to both observation and interpretation helps us to avoid assumptions and stereotypes. “Optical Art is a wonderful way to encourage us to take a second look,” says Meyer. “It’s a metaphor for how I, myself, want to approach and move through the world. I invite you to come along with me and be shaped by discovery!”
Tracey Meyer has always been making things. She started off making beautiful pies in her garden and then when taught how to crochet she made scarves and hats for her whole family. Meyer was immersed in craft, particularly at school and was head of the Pottery Room in year 12. Meyer studied Art History in college and studied art at MFAH’s Glasssell School of Art, where she received her Certificate of Art in Painting and Sculpture. Meyer loves to learn and is constantly taking classes wherever she is. Whether painting or sculpting, Meyer is always working with shapes. She loves creating complex designs from simple forms, and prides herself on her pristine edges and complex colors. Meyer cares deeply for the Earth and its future. Her works usually touch upon social issues that are relevant to our moment: pollution, racism, immigration, and over-population to name a few. Shaped by Discovery is Meyer’s fourth solo show, and her second at Archway Gallery. Her work is also featured in three Public Art projects in Houston, Sugar Land, and Corpus Christi.
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Susan Sheets Myths, Legends, and the Holy Spirit January 7 - February 2, 2023 |
Inspired by myths, legends, and the Holy Spirit, Susan Sheets invites us on a journey of the traditional storytellers of the past, creating a 21st Century view of tradition through her paintings. Encapsulating allusions to historical legends and ancient myths, including Helen of Troy and Lady Godiva, as well as exploring religious tenants from the Bible, her collection is symbolic and vast ranging. By fusing techniques and imagery, she brings to light the importance of the myths, legends, and spiritual beliefs on the human experience. Working with oils on canvas and unique layering techniques, Sheets manipulates the viewer’s perspective, focusing the experience on the illustrated stories presented and the individual’s interpretation of man’s explanation of the world. Her paintings compel individuals to look at their own understanding of the past, meeting them where they are, and taking them on a journey of reflective thought. Sheets turns standard notions of man’s understanding of the world into a uniquely expressive form, reaching beyond the borders of history, beliefs, and religion.
Susan Sheets is a contemporary western artist, known for her dynamic compositions of horses and cattle, as well as the cowboys who ride and herd them on the harsh Texas terrain. She gained her experience through years of working with cattlemen and horsemen across Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico. Her paintings pay homage to the animals necessary to work the land, and the interplay between riders and mounts. Her compositions express the bond between partners, including the trust and respect men and animals have for each other. They press the edges of the canvas, capitalizing on the tension created to bring the viewer into the moment. With her strong sense of texture, contrast, and color, Susan captures the iconic images of Texas. Her paintings are about the power and grace of the contemporary animal within the gritty and earthy essence of Texas.
Sheets holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Houston and a Master of Art Education from Sam Houston State University. In 2003, Sheets attended the Jentel Artist Residency in Sheridan, Wyoming. Her works have been showcased in countless exhibitions, including exhibitions at Philmont Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico, the Butler Longhorn Museum in League City, Texas, and the prestigious American Academy of Equine Art in Lexington, Kentucky.
Susan Sheets is a contemporary western artist, known for her dynamic compositions of horses and cattle, as well as the cowboys who ride and herd them on the harsh Texas terrain. She gained her experience through years of working with cattlemen and horsemen across Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico. Her paintings pay homage to the animals necessary to work the land, and the interplay between riders and mounts. Her compositions express the bond between partners, including the trust and respect men and animals have for each other. They press the edges of the canvas, capitalizing on the tension created to bring the viewer into the moment. With her strong sense of texture, contrast, and color, Susan captures the iconic images of Texas. Her paintings are about the power and grace of the contemporary animal within the gritty and earthy essence of Texas.
Sheets holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Houston and a Master of Art Education from Sam Houston State University. In 2003, Sheets attended the Jentel Artist Residency in Sheridan, Wyoming. Her works have been showcased in countless exhibitions, including exhibitions at Philmont Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico, the Butler Longhorn Museum in League City, Texas, and the prestigious American Academy of Equine Art in Lexington, Kentucky.
In 2008, Sheets was accepted into a six-day national photography seminar concentrating on western equine images at the Heart Six Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She was juried into the Women Artists of the West 41st Annual National Exhibition. She has also been published in Ex Arte Equines III, International Equine Art Competition 2010. In May 2011, Sheets was a highlighted artist appearing in the “Women Artists of the West” article published in Southwest Art Magazine and Western Art Collector Magazine. Most recently in 2018, she attended a six-day equine art workshop, called Figure of the Horse in Art, with Jill Soukup at Zapata Ranch, Mosca, Colorado.
Sheets invited Inspiration Ranch to be a community partner for this exhibition. Inspiration Ranch exists to strengthen children, youth, and adults striving to overcome their physical, emotional, and social disabilities with therapeutic riding and equine-assisted therapy and activities.
Sheets invited Inspiration Ranch to be a community partner for this exhibition. Inspiration Ranch exists to strengthen children, youth, and adults striving to overcome their physical, emotional, and social disabilities with therapeutic riding and equine-assisted therapy and activities.