By Stacie Boyls | Arts & Life Writer
Art Center Waco will spotlight five Austin-based female artists at the In Her Element exhibition. The showcase is in partnership with Women & Their Work, an Austin-based nonprofit focused on uplifting and advancing women in the arts. The opening reception is Thursday at 6 p.m. and will run through Oct. 31.
The exhibition features the works of Valerie Fowler, Tara Eales, Georgie Miller, Amy Twomey and Philana Oliphant, curated by Exhibit Chair and Curator Andrea La Valleur-Purvis. Each artist illuminated and explored personal creative narratives through experimental materials, bold concepts and vivid visuals in their works.
For Houston native and oil painter Valerie Fowler, participating in a female-focused exhibition emphasizes the importance of equal representation in the world of art.
“We would all like to have the art speak for itself and be gender-neutral, but it’s not usually,” she said. “It’s important to boost any part of society that doesn’t get a fair shake and give it more of a platform.”
Miller, a collage artist, said she shares a similar sentiment.
“There’s not nearly as much attention given to female artists,” she said. “I think it’s super important for organizations like Women & Their Work and [In Her Element] really just focus on women for a second, and show that a lot of talents exist that maybe just don’t have as big of a voice.”
Fowler said the inspiration for her art derives from concerns for the environment and feminine experiences across womanhood.
“I’m really concerned with human history, the history of our planet and native plants and women,” she said. “I want to put it all into one big painting.”
Fowler said she hopes her art makes viewers consider the power and beauty of nature, offering a serene and thoughtful viewership experience through “visual poetry.”
“I want my art to encourage people to slow down, look closely and think about their relationship with the environment,” she said.
Miller said she will present a collection of seven collage works based on her muses and their last meals on Earth. The still life meals are constructed digitally, then handcrafted through paper and patterns. Once printed and assembled, she is left with a tablescape reflective of her close friends or family members.
“I’m obsessed with finding out people’s ideal meal – what they would want as their perfect meal on earth,” Miller said. “From there, I create celebratory tablescapes that honor indulgence, consumption and personal joy.”
Showing her art in Waco has been just as energizing and exciting as showcases in larger, more “artsy” cities, Miller said.
“It doesn’t feel like a small town — it feels like a big art community,” she said. “Everyone at Art Center Waco has been amazing, and the community seems really excited to support artists.”
Miller said going to art events and engaging with them at any level is important, even amid distressing times.
“Art gives the viewer something even if they’re not directly asking for it,” she said. “Even if it’s just a moment of delight or hearing about something really important through a creative avenue.”
Fowler echoed these sentiments, highlighting the importance of using art as a medicine for overexposed and exhausted minds.
“I almost feel like we live in a war zone with all the news we’re exposed to,” she said. “Humans need an escape from that, and to see beauty is like a Band-Aid. You get away from your screens when you go into a museum, and get to replace it with is so gorgeous and thought-provoking and soothing.”
An artist talk regarding the exhibition will take place with all five contributors at Art Center Waco in October.
