What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 5, 2022 WHAT'S UP! 9 FAQ 'Extra/Ordinary': Artwork by Jo Stealey WHEN — Through March 11; gallery hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays WHERE — Windgate Art & Design Gallery, 5210 Kinkead Ave. in Fort Smith COST — Free INFO — facebook.com/UAFSWind- gateGallery; jostealey.com FYI — An artist talk will be rescheduled due to covid concerns. Email Matthew. Bailey@uafs.edu for more infor- mation. "Generations of women in my family have been seriously invested in textile processes," says Stealey. "As far back as I can remember, 'making' has been part of my identity." (Courtesy Image/Jo Stealey) "Some days I may only work a couple of hours, some days are spent entirely in the studio," Stealey says. "Studio practice is my primary work these days. However, my family, friends and community are as important to me as my creative practice, but like every phase of life, it requires a work/life balance." "Ceramics and weaving were the primary processes studied during college," says Stealey. "In the early 1980s, I took two workshops within a couple of months of one another — papermaking with Amanda Degener and basketry with Jane Sauer. These experiences launched a trajectory that I have followed since. Paper is similar to clay, while basketry techniques are off-loom processes. These processes were merged to begin a body of work that has been ongoing since." (Courtesy Image/Jo Stealey) "Depending on the day and life's demands, my studio practice incorporates cultivation of a few plants I use as material in the papermaking process as well as research and studio time," says Jo Stealey. "Exactly what may occur in a day is dependent on the pieces being executed. Some days are spent making pulp, pouring sheets of paper and/ or casting wet paper onto forms. Some days are dedicated to weaving permanent armatures or creating temporary armatures. Yet other periods of time are dedicated to weaving forms in waxed linen or other materials or executing hand stitching to embellish a piece." (Courtesy Image/Jo Stealey) A. Generations of women in my family have been seriously invested in textile processes. My grandmother made all the clothes for her children as well as herself: she was a master at reinventing and altering wearables. One of my aunts created inventive stitched works for department stores. Another designed and made square dance costumes. My mother, a tailor, taught me to sew, knit, stitch starting at a very young age. As far back as I can remember, "making" has been part of my identity. Q. Did you think you'd pursue art as a career? Or was there something else you intended to do? A. I knew I wanted to pursue art since I was 10 years old. I just did not know how that would happen until I was in college. Q. If viewers could only see one artwork in the exhibition, which one would you choose and why? If I must choose a single work, it would be the 'Forest.' It is about the life- death-life cycle and the natural order of the world. Each time it is shown, some pieces are eliminated, and others added to reflect that life is in constant change — never stagnant. There are elements of birth, growth, maturity and death throughout the installation, a metaphor for all life. Q. What do you hope viewers learn from the exhibition and take home with them? A. An appreciation for their everyday life and the objects that surround them.