Arts + Literature Laboratory presents Gifts from the Dark, an exhibition by Jessica M. Gutiérrez on display from Tuesday, November 19 through Saturday, December 21, 2024. This exhibition is part of the Bridge Work Madison program.
Exhibition statement:
In Gifts from the Dark, Jessica M. Gutiérrez, brings her worlds together as an artist and mental health therapist, exploring identity and healing through the lens of Gutierrez’s personal history. Drawing from her trauma healing background, she travels through time, creating transformational portals that illuminate her inner world. She reveals colorful and shadowy landscapes of inner children supported by floral configurations. Connecting with her intuitive process and the spirit of collage, she brings fragmented memories into new realities depicting moments of clarity, power and moments in process — all revealing what is typically hidden behind closed eyes. Each piece becomes a container, a prayer, an externalized memory infused with sacred symbols of healing. Through her art, Gutierrez brings gifts from the present into the past and retrieves the gifts left behind, once hidden in the dark.
An opening reception for current exhibitions by Jessica M. Gutiérrez, Issis Macias, Nastia Craig, Matthew Braunginn, and Karen Laudon, will be held on Friday, November 22, from 5:30pm to 8:00pm. Issis Macias will deliver a Spanish-language artist talk at 5:30pm in the first floor performance gallery. Macias and Jessica M. Gutiérrez will deliver English-language artist talks starting approximately 6:30pm in the first floor performance gallery.
