Freeport Art Museum unveils printmaking exhibit July 22

Staff Report

Freeport Art Museum (FAM) will unveil a new exhibition of printmaking by Barry Carlsen, Darren Houser, David Menard and Peter Olson with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, July 22.

The exhibition, which will remain on display through Sept. 17, provides a diverse anthology of printmaking techniques, subjects and perspectives.

For the last 20 years, Madison, Wis., artist, Barry Carlsen has been predominantly known as a landscape painter, but since acquiring a printing press three years ago, he has been able to use the skills he obtained while earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in printmaking.

DeKalb, Ill., artist, Darren Houser will present works from a recent series that express a struggle to reconcile the dualistic nature of religion; its altruistic foundations and its malevolent complicities.

Exploring the veneer of the American Dream, Rockford College Assistant Professor of Art David Menard’s work incorporates images from popular culture that have become part of a nostalgic past in an attempt to reconcile the experiences of a media-saturated suburban childhood with his hopes and fears of fatherhood.

He exploits this nostalgia by using it to create a more dystopian narrative.

Peter Olson is the assistant director of the Northern Illinois University Art Museum and holds a master’s in printmaking. His work has been shown throughout the Midwest, and was selected for the fourth International Triennial of Graphic Arts in Prague. He has also provided numerous works for book and magazine illustrations.

FAM is at 121 N. Harlem Ave., Freeport, and is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Friday, and noon-5 p.m., Saturday. Admission is free. The museum can be reached at (815) 235-9755.

Printmaking workshop

In conjunction with Highland Community College (HCC), FAM will offer a two-day workshop taught by exhibiting artists Barry Carlsen and Darren Houser.

The workshop will demonstrate two printmaking techniques: a planographic process using a polyester plate and an easy relief method using MDF board.

Both allow participants to create brilliant images and multiple copies.

Cost is $80 for members of FAM or students currently enrolled at HCC and $100 for general participants. Class size is limited to 15.

The sessions will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays, Sept. 10 and 17, at HCC’s Ferguson Fine Arts Building.

Call the museum at (815) 235-9755 or e-mail Curator Jessica Caddell at collections@freeportartmuseum.org for more information about the print workshop.