This year I was invited to collaborate on a show with ceramic and textile artist Kelly Carambula. Kelly and I met about 2 years ago when she moved from San Francisco and I just adore her spirit, her work, and her entire family is pretty epic. Kelly has a studio/gallery in downtown Excelsior, MN aptly named Polka Dot House.
CONNECTIONS
ashley mary & kelly carámbula
NOVEMBER 22-DECEMBER 20
Gallery open Saturdays 10-3 between November 29-December 20
appointments available upon request
What keeps you going? For artists Ashley Mary and Kelly Carámbula, it’s nurturing connections—within relationships, careers, and themselves—while building new lives in new places. The show featuring new artwork from both artists will explore these ideas through multiple mediums but at their core will have the color and forms these two artists are known for. Guests will also be treated to multiple collaborations between the two in which they sent materials back and forth to each other via USPS.
Opening night in front go Kelly’s “Gulps”
Image from Kelly’s website.
I prepped for this show while I was pregnant and then for the first 5 months of my baby Kit’s life! It was deeply meaningful to get to explore this theme while I was going through the biggest transition of my life becoming a mother. Also within this time period I was settling into my new second home of Des Moines where my partner and I recently bought a house together. Making new community and creating new family while in a new place, the theme was not lost on me. I used some play time in ceramics at a local studio (Kunzler Gallery) near my house to create a number of small pieces I used through works in this show. Kunzler turned into a very meaningful place of connection when I first move to Iowa, it’s where I met a bunch of new people and explored a new medium for myself.
I created about 12 new works for Connection and there’s 2 weeks left to go view it. Hope you do!
