Janet Ahrens Art Exhibit opens Oct. 5
Monday / September 12, 2016
Janet Ahrens will be the next featured artist at the newest exhibit in the Ray Frederick Gallery, room 306, on the Marshalltown Community College campus. The exhibit opens on Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 9 am, and will be on display through noon Friday, Oct. 28. Next month’s exhibit will feature 2-D mixed media abstract work.
“I want viewers to go on a visual journey—to be able to connect personal experiences or memories of places they’ve gone or dreamed about,” says Janet. “Many of my pieces try to capture a moment in time of Earth’s consistent evolution.”
Janet says she strives to create art that makes viewers want to reach out and touch. She does so by incorporating many different patterns and materials into a cohesive composition.
The exhibit will feature 2D mixed media abstract work consisting of handmade paper or flax and Kozo made in either the Eastern or Western method of papermaking. “Several of my pieces contain oxidations and are incorporated with industrial materials to increase the tactile qualities depicted Iowa’s multi-faceted landscape.”
Janet is currently an art instructor in the Grinnell Community School District. She holds B.A. degrees in Art Education and Communication Technology from the University of Northern Iowa. She also holds an M.A. and M.F.A. in Design from the University of Iowa.
“As a young child when I visited galleries and museums I hated the ‘do not touch’ signs. I understood why they were there but I always felt I needed to touch the art to better understand what the artist was trying to create. A fun fact—I almost failed art in fourth grade because I wanted to make something ‘different’.”
The Ray Frederick Gallery is open weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information contact MCC Art Professor Tim Castle at 641-844-5776 or Tim.Castle@iavalley.sites.flyinghippo.com.