ESCANABA, — Bay College announces two exhibitions, featuring artist Carrie Vander Veen and artist Joyce Koskenmaki. These are the first two exhibitions of the semester. An artist talk / panel discussion will take place in the Besse Gallery on Tuesday, September 17 at 2 p.m. with a reception to follow. This event is free and open to the public.

For questions, contact events@baycollege.edu or (906) 217-4040.

Carrie Vander Veen’s work, Analog or Digital, will be on display in the Besse Gallery.

Artist Statement

“I often say that I am an atheist with two religions: the natural world and a deep love for experiencing life. My art is about how we choose to live our brief lives, what we give power to and what gives us power, what we share with others and what we hold close – decisions made daily that form our experience of the world.

“I am interested in human relationship to nature and the influence of technology in our lives. The speed of technological change has made it imperative that we examine how technology structures our lives. Are we living in the analog or digital world? I believe these distinctions are blurring.

“With the increasing access to information, we are hyper aware of the lives of others. Injustice, comparisons, judgment, conflict, empathy, connection, strength. We know more about each other than ever before, and yet we seem to be lonelier and more isolated than ever. I feel both grateful and overwhelmed by my knowledge of the world.

“At the same time, labor is moving out of the workplace and increasingly online. AI is changing the way we live and work. We are less connected to the physical world and to each other. Each of us must find ways to deal with this rapidly changing world, to protect our mental health so that we can bring our best self to our community, our work, our relationships, and to ourselves.

“What does happiness and contentment feel like in our present moment? What does a peaceful day look like? Can we regain a sense of wonder? Through my artwork, I have made a concerted effort to reconnect with the sensual. I started to look at nature closely, marveling at its structure, its color, its beauty, and its incredible resilience.

“Have you been outside recently? Felt the wind? Been a little frightened of the dark? Do you know what the face of a bat looks like? Can time in nature soothe? Heal? What if we reconnected to the elemental? Swam naked? Cut the grass to smell that smell? Spat watermelon seeds (wait, do watermelons still have seeds)? Learned bird calls (there’s an awesome app for that)? Picnicked in the park just to watch people?

“BREATHE…. Relish the moment, the world will return in full force in a minute.

“My work embraces the analog as a counter-balance to the power of the digital. With a nod to the mental, physical and communal benefits of labor, my detailed, layered gouache paintings ask us to value the handmade, the laborious, the incremental marks that make the whole. The incremental marks that life leaves on each of us.

“My imagery uses nature as a metaphor for universal life experiences. Mating, territoriality, nurturing, solitude, community, extinction, beauty. And yet, there is the suggestion of the digital in the pixelated marks that layer, blur, conceal, and connect the imagery. How are we connected to each other? How do the analog and digital combine to create our experience of life?

“I look to the natural world for solace. The imaginary environments I create are dreamlike, combining both living and extinct species in a swirling vision of life in all of its beauty, its conflict, and ultimately, its interconnectedness. Life is ephemeral, happiness is transitory, suffering persists. I recently described myself as a grain of sand in a sandstorm; unexpectedly perhaps, I find some comfort in that image.

Carrie Vander Veen received her BS in Architecture from the University of Michigan and her MFA in painting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the Director/Curator of the Finlandia Art Gallery in Hancock, Michigan.

Joyce Koskenmaki’s work, Forest Spirits, will be on display in the Hartwig Gallery

Artist Statement

“This exhibition has small wall sculptures of imaginary animal figures made from clay, sticks, and old fabric scraps.

“They are accompanied by small paintings and small framed drawings of the trees, waterfalls and landscapes which surround us here in the Upper Peninsula, and are the result of daily meditative walks in the forests. The animal figures have a function: to serve as protectors, to those of us who are concerned about the welfare of our environment. They evolved from a history of doll making, inspired by my Finnish mother telling me that there are spirits living in the woods.

“I still believe that the forests and waterfalls are all connected, to the Universe that is in us and holds us all together.

Joyce Koskenmaki is a contemporary artist known for her evocative and dynamic work that explores themes of nature, emotion, and her Finnish heritage. With a background in fine arts, Koskenmaki’s practice is deeply informed by her fascination with the natural world and its intricate processes. She exhibits both nationally and internationally.