Sanctuary brings together Lily Smith and Ellie Eklof whose work explores identity through personal and cultural lenses.
“I have been diving deep into the intersections of gender expressions and folk craft,” says Eklof. “The show’s intention is to put a new lens onto gender expression in a 21st century world that balances precariously between nature and technology. Sanctuary behaves as an alternate reality. For me, Sanctuary is what life can look like when we break beyond norms and interrogate binaries.”
Exhibiting alongside Eklof, Smith presents a bold, satirical take on regional and gender-based identities: “Through painting, I work to satirize overarching attitudes and stereotypes towards women and femininity by examining imagery of subculture and Midwest cultural ideals.”
The Bud & Betty Micheels Student Artist-In-Residence program provides an opportunity for UW-Stout students of all majors to explore the relationship of art and technology. Recipients of this grant each receive a $2,000 stipend for the academic year, up to $1,000 account for materials/related expenses, and an appropriate workspace. Award winners are honored by two exhibitions: a year-end exhibition of their work in the Furlong Gallery in Micheels Hall as well as the University Library. One piece from each recipient is donated for the permanent collection housed in the University Library. The Student Artist-in-Residence Program is a valuable learning experience for all recipients and a continuous and growing aesthetic resource for the University of Wisconsin-Stout and the community.
