Two Midwestern lifelong multidisciplinary artists have the next show at the Schoolhouse Art Gallery, 427 Main St. in Brownville.
Prairie Echoes by Kevin Callahan and Marti Dodge opens Friday, July 31. A reception is at 6 p.m. It will feature artist talks, a question and answer session, and an opportunity for guests to mingle with Callahan and Dodge and hear directly about the inspiration behind their work.
The exhibit continues until Sunday, Aug. 30. The gallery is open Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please contact 402-414-2082 to see it at other times.
The display honors and reimagines the artists’ shared love for the natural world. Drawing from the prairie landscape that surrounds them, Callahan and Dodge transform what they have observed in nature--from fallen trees to birds on the wing--into work that brings those moments to life. The exhibition is primarily sculptural, with pieces that arise from the land itself before being presented to the viewer.
Both Callahan and Dodge are lifelong multidisciplinary artists who work across a range of media, including paint, wood and metal. Their distinct yet complementary visions give the show its name: an exhibition that lets the prairie speak, and echoes it back through art.
Callahan creates work under the name the Elegant Line Studio. He draws on natural forms and the landscapes of the prairie to shape sculptural and mixed-media pieces. Callahan has a bachelor of fine arts degree from Drake University, post-graduate work at San Francisco Art Institute and the Ox-Bow School, Art Institute in Chicago. The latter is an affiliate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His award-winning artwork hangs in collections throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Israel. Callahan is the author of two books published in 2019 and 2022, respectively. His art, stories and poems have appeared in numerous anthologies.
Dodge works under the name 3Herons Art. She explores the natural world through paint, wood, metal and sculpture, reflecting a deep connection to the environment. Dodge is a Kansas City native who graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute in the 1970s. She helped pioneer the photography program at the time. Since then, Dodge has traveled extensively, living throughout the world where she accumulated the knowledge and insights necessary to comprehend and sculpt visions--from a client or her own--into a vibrant and tangible work of art.
