October 12 – December 29
Artist Reception:  October 12, 5-7 p.m.
Presentation at 6 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

Spirit of Ukambani is a mixed-media exhibit featuring fiber art and photography.

In 2017, painter and fabric artist Mary Therese and photographer Monika Lawrence traveled to Kenya. This collaboration of work is an outcome of that journey, reflecting on the memories the artists shared from their time together experiencing this rich culture.

The exhibit features silk batik paintings and black & white digital photography, depicting wildlife and landscapes from the Ukambani region of southern Kenya.

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Mary Therese, a painter/surface designer and art & yoga teacher, has lived on Fern Lake in the north woods of Bemidji, Minnesota for over twenty five years. Originally from Pennsylvania, she attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, receiving degrees in Painting and Printmaking, and Art Education. As a fabric artist, Mary Therese paints on silk and other fibers, using the ancient technique of batik, a method of layering dyes and applying hot bee’s wax as a resist. She creates wearable art, hangings, paraments, window dressings and flags. In 2017, Mary Therese was awarded an artist fellowship grant by Region 2 Arts Council.

 

 

Growing up in Germany, Monika Lawrence began her career as a foreign language teacher, later shifting to social work.  She started studying photography in the mid-nineties at the prestigious photography school Am Schiffbauerdamm and the School of Photography and Design Ostkreuz, both in Berlin.  In 2007, she moved to Bemidji, MN, where she lives with her husband Mark. Monika now teaches photography and photojournalism at Bemidji State University and works as a freelance photojournalist for Minnesota Public Radio, all while pursuing her own exhibition work in the US and overseas.