
Karen Koch’s “Seascape” is among the artwork featured at Margaret Clark Morgan Gallery’s “An Explanation of Portals” exhibit.
A public reception will take place April 10, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Margaret Clark Morgan Gallery, 10 W. Streetsboro St., Hudson, to meet the artists of An Exploration of Portals, an exhibition which continues through May 28.
The artists are Karen Koch, whose studio is located on Main St. in Hudson, and Jan Noden of Ravenna. Koch relies on her love of nature and memories of days gone by for inspiration. Her recent work explores distant memories and the feelings they evoke; the results are colorful abstract paintings and collages. Noden explores water-based media as well as collage by combining printing, painting, drawing and photography.
When the artists met to begin collaborating on this exhibition, they talked about where they normally find inspiration, such as nature and memories, which are recurring themes in their individual work. They talked about memories being transitions between past and present.
They also talked about types of transitions, or portals. Portals can be a door, a gateway, or an entrance, often one that is large and imposing. Portals are symbols of entry points marking the passage from one place to another. The theme for the show was born – An Exploration of Portals.
For this exhibition, the artists created all new artwork, and most of the works are for sale. Visitors will see arches and bridges, windows and gates. Some look real, some are abstract. Some are based on specific places, others are imaginary.
The Margaret Clark Morgan Gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It hosts several exhibitions each year. To learn more about the gallery and The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation, visit www.mcmfdn.org.