Jessica M. Gutiérrez: Gifts from the Dark | Arts + Literature Laboratory | Madison Contemporary Arts Center

Jessica M. Gutiérrez: Gifts from the Dark

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. Gutierrez, 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 Braungin, and Karen Laudon, will be held on Friday, November 22, from 5:30pm to 8:00pm.

Artist Jessica M. Gutiérrez

Jessica M. Gutiérrez is a self-taught Nicaraguan-American Watercolor and Mixed Media Artist residing in Madison, WI. The daughter of a Nicaraguan immigrant and born in Central Wisconsin, she studied psychology, philosophy, creative writing and social work. She now works as a licensed mental health therapist who integrates her visual and creative nature into her therapy practice and her healing focus into her art practice. 

Faced with a chronic pain disorder in 2011, Jessica discovered art as a healing tool, giving her the space to slow down and find new ways to process emotions. She reconnected with her creative spirit and flourished with art and creativity as a resource. Jessica’s colorful watercolors and mixed media collages are emotional, enchanting, magical and vibrant. Her work covers the whole range of human experience and often feels joyful, even while exploring themes related to identity and healing generational trauma. In the end, Jessica’s soulful... Read More

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Arts + Literature Laboratory is located at 111 S. Livingston Street #100, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703.

Our galleries are open Tuesday through Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday noon to 5pm, and other programs take place throughout the week. Please check the events calendar and education section for details.

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