New Work from Lee Malerich at Stormwater Studios -- September Dates for Reception, Presentation, and Viewing

A Message from Visual Artist Lee Malerich:

I put down my textile work some time ago. My stories were told; my problems dealt with and tied in a knot.

But that was not the end of the artmaking.  An artist walks through life absorbing, digesting, responding, and commenting. We are trained to do this.

I moved a house from three miles away to its current location. I stripped it down to its bones and started it over. I used new tools, learned new processes, and found new materials. I was hooked.

My question was, could I make art with these new skills having neither criticism nor teacher? Could I make sculpture without knowing its cumulative history from the beginning? Could I even work in three dimensions? The experiment was that basic.

In the end, I found that I could and learned a lesson from my personal history. I will be present during all the following times:

Opening Reception: Thursday, September 14, 2023, 11- 8 PM with the reception, 5-8 PM

Artist Presentation:  Saturday, September 16, 3:00

Viewing Hours: Wednesday, September 13, 2023, 11-3 PM

                            Thursday, September 14, 2023, 11-8 PM

                             Friday, September 15, 2023, 11-3 PM

                             Saturday, September 16, 2023, 11-5 PM

                             Sunday, September 17, 2023, 11-3 PM

I will be showing my most recent work and bringing examples of intermediary work which will show how I got from there to here. It is not really a surprising evolution. 

Potential: Quilted Abstractions by Janet Swigler

By Eden Prime,
Jasper Graduate Intern

On June 8 a new show is coming to Stormwater Gallery on Pendleton Street. Janet Swigler is a quilter and music educator located in Columbia. She is a student of Smithsonian quilter Nancy Crow and an avid creator, learner, and abstract thinker.

Nothing Stays the Same V

Time and memory fold into eachother in Janet Swigler’s work. As a quilter and professional music educator Swigler’s art is full of detail and exacting imagery. Her quilts are crafted deftly and with intention, exploring the synthesis of childhood impressions with experiences leading to the present–each piece carries forward a definitive picture of a passionate life devoted to creation.

Swigler lived on an airforce base in Japan as an adolescente. Her parents were intentional about teaching Swigler about the culture that surrounded them in Japan.

“The sensibilities and aesthtics of Japanese culture trained my eye,” said Swigler, “Their use of lines and wabi-sabi–I don’t think I realized it all at the time but looking back I think it influenced me a lot.”

Renowned quiltmaker Nancy Crow, who is a major influence on Swigler, encourages quiltmakers to dig into childhood memories. Studying under Crow is how Swigler discovered that she could bring organic beauty into the world, it was like she had opened a box of crayons and every color was hers to create with.

Repetition, balance, and form are disciplines that Swigler learned from being a music educator for elementary school children. She channels these balancing forms in table-like motifs depicted on her quilts. Like the Torii Gates in Japan, an architectural structure that has become a theme in Swigler’s work, they demonstrate balnce and harmony.

Swigler hopes that people come to her show ready to reach out and take the opportunities given to them to think creaitvly, look for memory portals of their own, and see the light through the cracks.

You can find Swigler’s work at Stormwater Gallery at 413 Pendleton Street. The show opening is Thursday June 8 from 5:30-8:00. The quilts will be on display from June 8-June 18 and there will be other events during that time. On Sunday June 11th there will be a gallery talk at 1:30pm and on June 18 there will be a “Pop-In for Pop-Corn” from 1pm-3pm to close the show. Come view Janet Swigler’s work any time the gallery is open Wednesday-Sunday 11am-3pm.

LAURIE MCINTOSH, GATHERINGS: MY WORLD IN LINOCUT at Stormwater Studios

Visual artist Laurie McIntosh will open a new showing of work called Gatherings: My World in Linocut at Stormwater Studios, 413 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC, March 8 through March 18, 2023 from 11am -5pm each day. An artist reception will be held on Friday, March 10 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm. The exhibition is a collection of more than 30 images created using linocut reduction and multi-block processes.

Laurie McIntosh is an accomplished South Carolina artist and painter known for large bodies of thematic work inspired by her specific interests and life experiences. She is the owner of Laurie McIntosh Art in Camden, SC, a working studio she founded in 2016. She was previously a member of Vista Studios/Gallery 80808 in Columbia, SC.

Linocut reduction is a relief printing process in which the artist carves a reverse image in a block of linoleum. The image is inked in a single color and printed on paper. The artist then carves an additional layer, applies a different color, and prints again. The process is repeated until all color layers are applied. Because the process does not allow an artist to adjust a prior layer, the process is sometimes referred to as “suicide printing.”

“Gatherings is a result of navigating the isolation of the past three years and celebrating our coming out of it,” said McIntosh. “My family enjoyed being together during that time, spending time gathering crabs and fish, growing tomatoes, and doing the things outdoors that we love. It kept us busy.”

McIntosh notes her family’s most treasured times are sharing that bounty with dear friends, which is reflected in the collection. “Being able to gather with people again and enjoy homegrown and home-caught food, tell some tall tales, drink a cold beer, and have a laugh is what my family is all about. I hope that love of people and the land comes across in this body of work.”

Laurie McIntosh is a South Carolina native who earned a BA in Fine Art from the University of South Carolina. She went on to train at the Center for Creative Imaging, the Penland School of Crafts, and other prestigious studios. Previous noteworthy exhibitions include All the In-Between: My Story of Agnes, which served as the inspiration for an annotated art book authored by McIntosh in 2012; the South Carolina State Museum 30th Anniversary Juried Exhibition in 2019; and numerous juried and invitational, solo and group exhibitions throughout the state. In 2019, McIntosh was commissioned to create public art for the “Art Bus” for Comet Public Transportation in Columbia, SC. She exhibited a solo show, Beautiful Swimmers, in 2020 at Stormwater Studios in Columbia, SC.

For more information on artist Laurie McIntosh please visit lauriemcintoshart.com. To learn more about Stormwater Studios, see stormwaterstudios.org

From https://www.stormwaterstudios.org/event/laurie-mcintosh-3