The Springfield Arts Commission is pleased to present an exhibition of papercuts and drawings by artist Vicki Idema. The show will run from July 1-31, 2019 with an opening reception from 5-7 p.m., Friday, July 12. The reception, which is open and free to the community, includes light refreshments and live music by Bob Ragan.
Many of the papercut pieces in this exhibition, according to Idema, are part of a series depicting individual tales of suffering which many women and children in the world experience on a daily, widespread basis. The works convey struggles ranging from water shortages in Niger, the refugee crisis in Syria, and mental illness in our youth. Together, these pieces capture fear, worry, and sorrow, but in contrast to this series, Idema’s exhibition will also feature papercuts that are influenced by ancient Asian philosophies of inner peace and optimal health. The contrast between the two signals a belief that meditation and breathing, and simply being in nature can help ease stress, worry, and allow for self-reflection. In addition to Idema’s intricate papercuts, Idema will also display a series of charcoal and conte drawings on topographic maps.
Vicki Idema’s turn to creating detailed papercuts came after working with yarns and textiles for more than 40 years, and the influence from her work with fiber has shaped her current practice. After graduating with a degree in fiber arts, Idema went on to take workshops exploring surface design techniques. One of these techniques, Katazome or stencil dyeing, is a Japanese method of dyeing fabrics. Through the many steps of Katazome, she found stencil cutting the step she enjoyed the most. Leaving textiles for paper and knife, Idema again took classes at Oregon State University, Linn Benton Community College (LBCC), and abroad in Florence, Italy where she learned to draw the human form. With her past artwork in textiles, Idema weaves international fabric motifs into her cut paper designs, as seen in many of her pieces. Her artwork has been in solo and group exhibitions throughout Oregon, received Best of Show in a LBCC juried exhibit and was part of a two-woman invitational show.
The gallery reception is an opportunity to meet the artist and enjoy live music by Bob Ragan. After a career as an award winning high school band director and music supervisor, Bob moved to Oregon and is following his love of jazz improvisation on a variety of woodwind instruments. He has performed with numerous big bands and university ensembles as a featured soloist.
City Hall Gallery is seen by approximately 3,700 visitors each month. Since 1989, the gallery has featured monthly shows by regional artists chosen by the Springfield Arts Commission. The Commission issues a public call to artists each year. More information is available on the website, springfieldartscommission.org.
About Springfield Arts Commission
The Springfield Arts Commission promotes artistic and cultural richness and diversity in the City of Springfield and assists in the preservation of the cultural heritage of the community as expressed through artistic endeavors. The Commission seeks to support opportunities for artistic creation, exhibits, performances and events, and to facilitate awareness, communication, education and collaboration to increase the accessibility of the arts and art-related resources in the community. The nine-member volunteer Commission manages City Hall Gallery, administers the Heritage Arts Grant program, maintains Art Alley, a collection of outdoor murals, and supports youth arts programs in collaboration with the Springfield Public Library. The Commission is funded by City of Springfield room taxes. More information is available at springfieldartscommission.org.