River Arts Center Art Gallery
The River Arts Center Art Gallery displays art exhibits curated by River Arts Inc, featuring both professional and student artists. Art Exhibits often extend into the River Arts Center Main Lobby. For information on upcoming art exhibits, please visit River Arts Inc's website.
The gallery also serves as a small meeting and event space. With the adjacent serving kitchen, it is an ideal venue for meetings, luncheons, and other small events.
For information on renting the gallery for an event, please visit the Plan Your Event page, or contact us.
Next Exhibits Open October 21st:
Nuestro Sueños / Our Dreams Curated by Roberto Torres Mata
Exhibition Dates: October 21 – November 29, 2024
Reception: Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5:30-7:30p, also celebrating Queering Rural Spaces by Sarah Stellino
at the Sauk Prairie River Arts Center (105-9th Street, Prairie du Sac)
“Nuestro Sueños / Our Dreams is a vibrant and multifaceted exhibition that celebrates the rich tapestry of Latin American artists in Wisconsin. Through a diverse array of mediums including printmaking, painting, drawing, sculpture, and mixed media, this collective of artists comes together to explore themes deeply rooted in the Latin American experience.
At the heart of the exhibition lies a profound reflection on colonialism and its enduring legacy. Through their art, the artists delve into the complex interplay of power dynamics, cultural hybridity, and resistance that characterize the colonial experience in Latin America. They confront historical injustices and challenge dominant narratives, offering nuanced perspectives that speak to the ongoing struggle for decolonization and liberation.
Central to the exhibition is an exploration of identity within the Latin American sphere. Drawing from their diverse cultural backgrounds and personal experiences, the artists grapple with questions of heritage, belonging, and diaspora. They celebrate the richness and diversity of Latin American cultures while interrogating the complexities of cultural identity in an increasingly globalized world.
Furthermore, the exhibition serves as a powerful platform for addressing contemporary social issues that continue to shape Latin American communities. Through their art, the artists confront issues such as inequality, migration, environmental degradation, and social justice, shedding light on the pressing challenges facing Latinx individuals today. Their work serves as a call to action, inspiring viewers to critically engage with these issues and work towards positive change.
Ultimately, Nuestro Sueños / Our Dreams is more than just an exhibition; it is a testament to the resilience, creativity, and collective spirit of Latin American artists in Wisconsin. It celebrates their voices, stories, and dreams, inviting viewers to join in a journey of exploration, reflection, and solidarity. Through art, the artists offer a glimpse into the beauty, complexity, and enduring spirit of the Latin American community, inviting viewers to join in the conversation and envision a more just and inclusive future.”
Artist Bio: Roberto Torres Mata, a native of Huntington Beach, California, now residing in Madison Wisconsin, is a multidisciplinary artist whose work delves into the profound issues surrounding migration in the Americas and beyond. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Madison-Wisconsin.
Torres Mata’s impactful artworks have garnered recognition and have been showcased in prestigious institutions, including exhibitions at the Metropolitan Art Museum, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Chazen Art Museum, and Antigua Academia De San Carlos. His compelling artistic expressions have resonated with diverse audiences, leading to the acquisition of his pieces by universities, museums, and private collectors.
Throughout his academic journey, Torres Mata has received notable achivements, including the Graduate Research Scholars award and the esteemed Chazen Prize. Currently, he recently received the Laguna Arts Prize, an honor that affords him the opportunity to exhibit his work at the Arsenale in Venice, Italy.
Learn more about the curator:
https://www.robertotorresmata.com
@santomatapress
Queering Rural Spaces by Sarah Stellino
Exhibition Dates: October 21 – November 29, 2024
Reception: Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5:30-7:30p also celebrating Nuestro Sueños / Our Dreams Curated by Roberto Torres Mata
at the Sauk Prairie River Arts Center (105-9th Street, Prairie du Sac)
“Queering Rural Spaces started as an internal exploration when I was contemplating the future of my family with my wife. We were deciding whether to return to living on a farm, or stay in the apparent “safety” of a larger city. In thinking about who was truly welcome in rural spaces, I wanted to learn from the queer people who called these places home. Has rurality supported and honored their identity? Do they feel safe and fulfilled? How do they find their own sense of community there? Society’s obvious love affair with small town life led me to speculate how gender and sexuality intersects with the love of rurality. In exploring this, Queering Rural Spaces aims to reimagine the rural community’s past and present. For this work, I have traveled to different states to photograph and interview queer farmers. I wanted this under recognized community to have the space to speak their own truth and show the nuances of their own experiences, and so each person’s interview is as important as their portrait. As I continue this exploration, I have been going back to revisit farmers in order to go beyond creating a representative portrait of them. To achieve this, I have been collaborating with them to represent their perspectives and life experiences visually by exploring movement, the cycle of life and death, or the creation of safe spaces. Queering Rural Spaces is an ongoing project that continues to evolve as the people in the series grow in and build community.”
Artist Bio: Sarah Stellino uses imagery to explore queer identity and legacy. Her practice utilizes a view camera that inherently blurs fact and fiction and this ambiguity allows space for the duality in any given moment. She was a 2022 Finalist for the Women Artists Forward Fund and has exhibited work in Manhattan and Madison, WI. Sarah makes all of her silver gelatin prints by hand in her home darkroom in Madison, WI where she lives with her wife and child.
Learn more about the artist:
sarahstellinophoto.com
@sarahstellinophoto
Visiting the Gallery
The gallery is open to the public from 8AM to 8PM on school days, and is open for viewing during most public events in the theater. Please see the calendar below to see the hours of the Gallery on each specific day. Please note any scheduled events that may also be taking place in the gallery.
The gallery garden entrance is located between the River Arts Center and Sauk Prairie High School. The garden entrance is shown in blue in the image to the right.
Parking:
Visitors to the gallery may park in the teacher staff parking lot, which runs parallel to 9th Street (you may ignore the 'Permit Required" signs). Two "River Arts Center Visitor" parking stalls are located near the River Arts Center. You may also park along 9th Street, or in the parking lot on the south end of the building. Parking in the south parking lot is not allowed from 3pm-3:45pm on school days, as the school busses use the lot.
Please see the calendar below to verify gallery hours and see any other events scheduled in the gallery. The gallery is still open for viewing during events, but we ask that patrons be respectful of meetings or events being held in the gallery.
On rare occasions when large school events use the theater, we may lock the gallery's garden entrance. In these occasions, please enter the main entrance of Sauk Prairie High School and request a visitor's pass.
If you have questions on gallery hours, availability, or the facility, please call or email the River Arts Center administrative office. Phone: 608-643-5636 Email: director@riverartscenter.org
Gallery Exhibits
Exhibits in the River Arts Center Art Gallery and Main Lobby are curated by River Arts Inc. Our calendar below lists the exhibits, as well as events, and gallery hours. If you would like more information on the exhibits, please visit River Arts Inc's website.
For questions on exhibits, or to request a docent for a group tour, please contact River Arts Inc via phone at 608-643-5215, or email at info@riverartsinc.org