52 Windows – An Evening of Art is the annual art auction and gala hosted by Columbia’s own Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc. (Mirci). Jasper has been proud to share the wonderous work that both Mirci and the artists invited to participate in the gala have done, and we are excited to share with our readers the great artists featured this year. The gala is from 6 – 9 p.m. on May 9, 2024, at 701 Whaley. One featured artist in this year’s lineup is Sonya Diimmler.
Sonya Diimmler is known or her dramatic use of color in her contemporary landscapes and bold abstracts. The largely self taught artist was featured at Columbia Metropolitan Airport in 2021 and has had several shows at Rob Shaw Gallery in West Columbia and High Noon in Ballentine. Last October Sonya was the featured artist for USC’s School of Music’s edgy Southern Exposure concert. Currently a dynamic collection of Sonya’s abstracts is on display at the new Soulhaus Gallery in Columbia’s trendy Vista district.
Sonya’s Artist Statement: “Painting is –regardless of subject– an emotional and physical response to the world. My process is an alla prima pouring out of paint and silenced emotions. Their escape onto the canvas informs my style, my voice. Whether painting colorfully exaggerated landscapes or abstracts, it is the energy of mark making – the full body engagement of line and gesture, that makes art making so exciting, so satisfying, providing some sort of elusive existential balm, a fusion of self and the cosmos. For this reason, I prefer to paint large and loose without regard for the details of realism.”
Interested in attending the 52 Windows Gala? Tickets are available through the Mirci website website. Early bird pricing for individual and couple tickets is enacted through April 17.