With the temperatures heading toward ninety this weekend, it’s tough to remember that it was a cold and wet Friday night for the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art’s Spring Gallery Night on May 7th.  We were worried that the weather would dampen turnout – but the studio was full of people all night long.

This May, we again welcomed Nate & Hallie Evans of Allamakee Wood-Fired Pottery. They throw beautiful functional stoneware.  As ceramic enthusiasts, it’s fun to see their 3D work paired with the photography on the wall.  If you missed them here, they’ll most likely be back in town for the Museum’s Holiday Art Fair in November… or plan a visit to their studio in northeast Iowa or catch them at any number of art fairs this summer.  Check their website for more information.

For Dave’s work, we paired images that had been selected for national juried exhibitions (see previous blog entries) with landscapes including new works inspired by Dave’s time along the east coast of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico.  The two 50 x 50 canvas pieces hanging on the front wall of the studio – Sian Ka’an I and Sian Ka’an II – were named for the biosphere reserve  that Dave remembers paddling along in his kayak.

And finally, this spring Paula also displayed some of her nature photographs for the first time.  Paula’s photographs focus on the contrasts created by intersections, especially those of land and sky and is inspired by shape, pattern, and color.

Dave and I had a brief debate about whether to tell people the location of photo shoot.  As geographers, we know that place can provide a powerful context; however as artists, we believe the images should speak for themselves.  In fact, the framed Blue Sky Birch series of photographs on the wall could have been taken in many places.  In the end, we added a line to a posted artist statement that the work presented was a series from a recent trip to Door County, Wisconsin.  And, we also told people when asked.  We’re glad we did.  We hope everyone enjoyed the photographs – but Paula especially enjoyed talking with folks who live in or visit the county – it is a special place.