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The Petaluma Arts Center and the IceHouse Gallery are collaborating to present a special pop-up exhibition, “Retrospective of Mixed Media by Susan Hersey :: Recent Works by Robert Hersey,” which showcases the lifetime works of Susan and Robert Hersey. This special exhibition will be on display from August 25 through September 8, 2018. The limited-run exhibition is curated by Llisa Demetrios, artist and PAC board member. Artwork will be for sale with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Petaluma Arts Center.
Susan and Robert have amassed a large collection of work from a lifetime as working artists. This exhibition will offer an opportunity to experience a selection of their work which, says Ms. Hersey, “reflects my immediate environment of rolling hills with fields of grasses, oaks buckeyes, and fences.” Her work is formed of multi-media materials, much of it sprayed paper and metal. Other work is composed of sprayed paper over sculptural metal and bamboo frames that can be illuminated from within. She shares an appreciation of light with her husband Robert, whose work is also sculptural, made of found wood objects and lit from within with delicate LED light assemblies.
Susan Hersey began her artistic career as a painter in college. In the 1970s she began working with handmade paper utilizing a sprayer to build up layers of paper pulp on her wall hangings and illuminated sculptures. More recently Susan has developed designs for wall pieces with rusted steel, screening, and fibers. The sculptures are made of sprayed paper on a reed armature with a twig or bamboo frame. Susan has shown her work extensively, as well as creating commercial installations and private commissions throughout the United States.
As a teenager, Robert Hersey took up photography. Using a 1930s Kodak Bellows 120 camera, Robert recorded a family trip to Guatemala. Throughout his fifty-year career as an architect, he continued to pursue his interest in photography and, after 2010, began a series of make book projects that explored the concept of “photographs as sculpture,” in which he combined natural materials and prints. Robert’s interest in making illuminated sculptures began when a friend asked him to commemorate a storm-damaged oak tree using a bark knothole. The resulting sculpture used the knothole to view a changing colored interior. He continues to expand on the handcraft and design skills in his bookmaking and sculptural projects.
Stop by to see this exciting two week "Pop Up" exhibition and support the arts in Petaluma. Both Robert and Susan have contributed greatly to the Petaluma Arts Center and the local art scene (and beyond!) for many years.
Opening Reception: Saturday, August 25, 2025 from 5-7pm |
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