Local painter Alice Blessing will explore motherhood and the impact children have on the lives of their mothers in an exhibition of her work, called “Motherhood,” at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s Talley Gallery.<\/p>\n
The show will open on April 7 and run through May 8. Blessing will host an opening reception in the gallery from 2-5 p.m. on April 7. All events in the Talley Gallery are open free to the public.<\/p>\n
Blessing, a Bemidji State graduate, is a finger painter known for her whimsical, yet accurate, portraits. “Motherhood” is her exploration of the ways children impact their parents’ lives, often in unpredictable ways. The paintings explore the many-layered relationship between mother and child, and their process reflects a unique collaboration between the two. Blessing completed the portraits, and then left her daughter Azalea to change or embellish them as she wished.<\/p>\n
“By allowing her free reign to paint on my paintings, I struggled to overcome my own perfectionism,” Blessing said. “It is the same with mothering. I have to give up a lot in my own life for her — but look at what happens when I do.<\/p>\n
“I would do a lot of things differently if it were up to me, including these paintings,” she said. “But I am glad for her changes.”<\/p>\n
Blessing lives in Bemidji and her work is held in private collections all around the country. She works as a commissioned portrait artist and also as a gallery artist who has exhibited around the country. Her personal work usually stems from feminist concepts.<\/p>\n
“Motherhood,” like all activities at the Talley Gallery, is supported by Bemidji State’s student body through the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee.<\/p>\n
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ the Talley Gallery<\/strong> Contact<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nLocated in Bridgeman Hall room 140 on the campus of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, the Talley Gallery is barrier-free and open at no charge to the public. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.<\/p>\n