Robert Michaelson

Artist Statement

Robert Michaelson turns his camera skyward, observing the grandeur of astronomical phenomena in the night sky, the migration and flight of birds, and the nature of water in his stunning images for this exhibition. Largely self-taught, Michaelson’s photographic interests are centered around subjects that can get him outdoors. He is a passionate bird and wildlife photographer as well as an underwater photographer.

Kyle Petersen (“Tiny & Wild” Series)

Artist Statement

The pandemic created many challenges and hardships for all of us. However, it also afforded me the rare opportunity to slow down and take a closer, deeper look at my immediate surroundings. With many of our face-to-face human interactions gone, I instead connected with anoles, frogs, and bugs. Instead of sitting in traffic and running errands, I staked out spiders, skinks, and squirrels. This project began as a way to connect with the wider world while not straying far beyond my backyard. I was able to escape to, and participate in, a tiny world that was largely unaffected by the pandemic. I have continued this project over the last several years and still find comfort in the quiet moments of contemplation that it offers me. Looking at these small life forms and their ecosystems reminds me of how fragile, beautiful, and wild our natural world can be.

Barbra Riley

Artist Statement

Subjects that have occupied my mind for a while, stirring around, are where I start when I make a still life. Although, the symbolism utilized in the Dutch Still Life paintings of the 17th–19th centuries is complex, I consider the latent, historical meanings in the subjects used in my still lifes. Everyday objects and items found around my living environment are familiar to the viewer, but personal objects that have significance to me go deeper than a shared experience. So, the viewer imagines a story that has context in their life rather than mine.