This content was published: September 23, 2008. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Helzer Gallery features art with Japanese paper
Photos and story by James Hill
Artist Lena McGrath Welker’s exhibit “Navigation [chart],” uses Japanese paper to craft artwork that gives the illusion of star constellations.
The show will appear at the Helzer Art Gallery (Room 122, Building 3) on the Rock Creek Campus, 17705 N.W. Springville Road, from Sept. 22 to Nov. 12. The individual works that comprise the show include folios and pierced drawings made with usuyo gampi, a translucent Japanese hand-made paper, as well as glass tablets stacked on the floor. Some of the folios and drawings are stained with indigo dye and sport tiny punctures that, when illuminated from behind, depict star constellations and clusters. Welker also will host an artist’s talk at 3 p.m., Friday, Oct. 3, in The Forum, Building 3 at Rock Creek.
“This is an intellectually and physically complex installation that investigates our responses in times of grief and loss,” said Prudence Roberts, gallery director.
This show eventually will be on display during a 2010 exhibition at the North Dakota Museum of Art. Welker, who has exhibited both locally and nationally, has a background in fiber arts, but has been working with a variety of media for the past several years. Welker received a $25,000 grant from The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, New York, and has also been awarded grants from the Regional Arts & Culture Council and the Oregon Arts Commission.
The gallery’s hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. For further information, call (503) 614-7118.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »