Welcome to State Street Gallery

State Street Gallery is located in beautiful downtown Madison, Wisconsin. On State Street just one block form the Capital, we house a large 2 story gallery with local, national and international Artists.

Litte Things Exhibition 2009

This December, the State Street Gallery is holding its second annual “Little Things” exhibition. This year, all work in the show will be no larger than 12″ x 12″. That means the pieces are small, intimate, personal, and make perfect gifts! The show officially opens with an artists’ reception on the first Friday of the month, December 4th. The gallery will be open from 6-9 for the event. Oh, and of course we will be serving wine! This exhibition is shaping up to be a spectacular and time-appropriate display. We will be displaying photography, sculpture, painting, illustration, collage and fiber pieces.

One artist whose work I am particularly excited about is Ben Pederson. Ben dropped off his work this morning and I must say that his pieces are very unique and impressive! We will be displaying both his free-standing sculptures, called “Forms”, and his wall sculptures, called “Mindscapes”.

Another artist I am excited to debut at the gallery is a friend of mine named Danielle Rizzolo. Danielle has made a name for herself up and down the coasts as one of the best illustrators in the business. Her work is on its way and I am happy to be sharing her work with Madison.  If you haven’t heard of her yet, I am sure you will soon.  Check out her website: www.danieller.com

Gallery favorites SamSarah, Leonard Nagler, Mary Jo Scandin, Ginnie Cappaert, Joel Harris, and Nicci Martin have also contributed fantastic pieces to the show which I am sure you will enjoy.

Finally, I am personally looking forward to this opening because it will be first exhibition as official Director of the State Street Gallery. I am looking forward to meeting those of you whom I have not yet met and getting to know the Madison art community!

We are all sad to see Christina leave, and it has been a pleasure to work with her for the last few months.  I am sure you all will join me in wishing her the best of luck in New York and with graduate school.  She will be attending the reception if you would like to send her off in style!

- Jennifer Simonelli

 

13 ON 13: FIBER ART AND WINE TASTING

13 ON 13

FRIDAY THE 13th NOVEMBER 2009

With November fast approaching it is time again for our annual fiber arts exhibition.  I really wanted to do  something different this year but October proved to be incredibly

Liz Enz, War on Secularism

busy  and I was stricken with the flu half the month so long story short we are leaning on some old favorites from last year to make this exhibit happen.

This is not a reason to miss this show. Baltimore artist Liz Enz, and local favorite Mary Jo Scandin are just two of the very talented artists to take part again.  Mary Jo never ceases to amaze me with her amazingly diverse and thoughtful work and Liz will once again ask us to think about the political with her elaborate printed fabrics.

The opening party will be held on Friday  the 13th along with a wine tasting That will include 13 wines for $13.00 and or a $13.00 fee to taste all 13 of the features wines.

Fall Gallery Night October 2nd 5-9pm

I’m really looking forward to Gallery Night this October. The gallery is featuring Eric J. Lee  a Wisconsin artist out of Eau Claire. His work is nothing short of amazing with the use of unique mediums such as ignited gun powder, ash, and sawdust, mixed with oil paint. Conceptually his work is very personal and consequently best described by him. 

My paintings are based entirely on my personal relationship with the rust-belt city of Superior, Wisconsin where I lived off and on throughout my twenties. It was a very difficult time, and for reasons I’m still sorting-out, I had come to identify with the town and had in fact come to see certain structures as embodiments, as personifications and models of my own thoughts at the time; to look at these structures was to look at myself. And so I walked, every day over every inch of that city believing I could solve the problems at hand. I work toward this resolution today, and while my interests have broadened and the scope of my concepts grown ever more encompassing, it is because of this personal association that I work at all.

Conceptually, my paintings are the archetypal images of post-productive America, of the American interior, of American voracity and anxiety. This is the American temperament realized in its starkest terms as spelled-out across the industrial Great Lakes. They are portraits of the American character. But at bottom, they are self-portraits.

- Eric Lee

For more images and information about Eric Lee check out his website at

http://eric-j-lee.org

Please Join Us For Gallery Night

October 2nd from 5pm – 9-pm

…the things that go unsaid

…the things that go unsaid

March Feature Exhibit

Opening First Friday March 6th

Reception 6pm – 9pm

Artists:
Danielle Drew
Samsarah
Irena Saparnis

This exhibit is conceptually founded on “the things that go unsaid”, meaning other methods & representations of communication through the multiple medias of visual art. It breaks down language to expose the emotional core of communication and in doing so speaks volumes. The works range from canvas, found objects, and batik and come in all shapes & sizes.

Lithuanian born Irena Saparnis has shown her works for over twenty years internationally. She uses batik to express herself; communicating through numerous layers of wax, photographic emulsions, and dyes that change naturally and sporadically creating hauntingly beautiful images.

Danielle Drew explores this concept by utilizing pieces of everyday life, enticing the viewer to read between the lines by evoking the way they personally relate to the images and objects presented. She has  incorporated many medias expressing the subtleties in exchange with compelling imagery ranging from surreal depictions, symbols, and found objects.

Samsarah has been an in-house artist with State Street Gallery for over two years and we couldn’t be prouder to be her exclusive Dane County representative. With her insightful composition and eye for color, Samsarah allows us to feel a full range of human emotions with the stroke of her brush. Her ability to communicate her own personal complexities still allowing the viewer room for their own interpretation is unique not to mention breathtaking.

The meaning behind the work can be translated in many different ways and we challenge you to come and decipher these works for yourself.

DRAWING U IN: Lead 2 Ink

State Street Gallery’s 2009 Drawing Exhibit

Opening February 6th 6:00pm

This amazing show will feature the drawings of

Nick Howard,

John Lyons, and Isaac Arvold