Wednesday, October 03, 2018

Stephanie Harvey will present Spilt Water, an exhibit of embroidery, paintings and more created during her Idea Studio summer residency. The exhibit at the Fond du Lac Public Library Langdon Divers Gallery will run October 3 to November 6. The public is invited to a reception 6-8 p.m. Thursday, October 11. The reception is free; no registration required. Refreshments will be served.

The theme of her exhibit sprung from imagery she discovered in her reading.

“I once read that Chinese traditionally believe daughters are ‘spilt water’ … a waste,” Harvey said. “And in Barbara Kingsolver’s ‘Poisonwood Bible,’ the main character’s father tells his teen-age daughter that ‘sending a girl to college is like pouring water in your shoes. It’s hard to say which is worse, seeing it run out and waste the water, or seeing it hold in and wreck the shoes.’ That image of wasted, spilt water kept twisting around inside of me as I created this art.”

The works in Harvey’s exhibit include several vibrant and densely detailed works of embroidery, crochet, acrylic painting and photography – often blending the media.

Harvey was selected among a field of applicants for the paid maker in residence position, which ran June, July and August, during which she worked on original art in the Idea Studio and conducted public workshops.

Wisconsin-born Harvey has her professional artist’s fingers in many pies. She’s working with artists, art organizations and community members on public art installations, workshops and casual art happenings to promote the arts in the Fox Valley. The UW-Oshkosh Fine Arts grad is owner of Boomerang Photography and lives in Kimberly with her best friend and two children.

The library’s gallery is a showcase for local and regional artists. The space is curated by volunteer artist Mel Kolstad, who can be contacted at mel@kolstad.net. Follow gallery exhibits and events at facebook.com/langdondivers.

Pictured: Strange Chemistry by Stephanie Harvey