A Brush with Nature: A group exhibition of paintings created en plein air
South Shore Arts * Atrium Gallery * 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, IN
July 5th – August 30th
Artist Reception: Thursday, July 16, 6-8pm
“I love nature, I love the landscape, because it is so sincere. It never cheats me. It never jests. It is cheerfully, musically earnest.”
— Henry David Thoreau, Journal, November 16, 1850
There is a particular kind of attention that only the landscape demands. It asks for patience before spectacle, observation before interpretation. Unlike nearly all other subjects in art, it is in constant movement fully indifferent to the artist observing. The landscape neither performs nor explains itself. It simply exists.
Mark Vander Vinne, "Out There Somewhere," oil on panel, 9 in. by 12 in.
This enduring challenge lies at the heart of A Brush with Nature, on view in the Atrium Gallery at South Shore Arts from July 5 through August 30, 2026. The exhibition brings together more than twenty paintings by Andrea Williams, Mark Vander Vinne, Carleen O’Connor Rivera, and Don Yang; artists who share a commitment to working directly from life, outdoors, in the tradition of plein-air painting.
The phrase en plein air (French for “in the open air) is less a descriptor of a particular style of painting than a discipline to which artists commit themselves. Rather than relying on photographs or studio invention, these artists place themselves within the landscape itself, accepting the conditions of a particular place and moment. Landscape painting remains unique among artistic subjects in the breadth of its demands. Its grandeur and complexity, its atmosphere and constantly changing color relationships, resist easy translation into paint. Like all artists, landscape painters depend upon the fundamental principles of shape, value, color, composition, and mark-making. Yet nature rarely yields her secrets so easily. Vast in scale and infinite in variation, she requires a deeper form of looking, one that moves beyond description toward understanding.
Don Yang, "Ludwig Wolff in Snow," oil on canvas, 11 in by 14 in.
The works gathered here reflect that pursuit. Captured across a range of seasons, weather conditions, and locations, these paintings are less records of scenery than conversations with place. Some revel in the fleeting brilliance of light; others attend to subtler moods of atmosphere and structure. Together, these artists reveal four distinct artistic voices responding to a shared subject that has inspired painters for centuries.
What emerges is not merely a survey of landscapes, but an invitation to experience the world with heightened awareness. In an age increasingly mediated by screens and speed, the act of standing still long enough to truly observe a horizon, a riverbank, or a grove of trees can feel quietly radical. These paintings remind us that nature’s sincerity, as Thoreau recognized, is not found in grand gestures but in attentive presence.
Don Yang, "Graceland Autumn," oil on canvas, 16 in by 10 in.
But this leaves us with a question: if every kind of landscape (from the Grand Canyon to Mount Fuji) has already been painted, what still makes landscape painting compelling? The answer is simple: each artist interprets the world through their own eyes, and each viewer encounters that vision anew. No two moments in nature are ever quite the same, and no two artists respond to them in exactly the same way. As the ancient observation reminds us, “No one can step into the same river twice.”
A Brush with Nature celebrates the ephemeral through the enduring dialogue between artist and landscape - a dialogue conducted outdoors, amid shifting light, changing weather, and direct engagement with the natural world itself. These paintings remind us that the familiar can still surprise, and that the act of looking closely remains as vital today as ever.
Running from July 5 through August 30, 2026, the exhibition offers a rare invitation: to slow one’s gaze until the spirit of nature, almost imperceptibly, comes into view. A free and open to the public artist’s reception with exhibiting artists will be held on Thursday, July 16 from 6–8 PM alongside an evening of artists micro-talks for the 83rd Annual Salon Show – My America beginning at 7 PM.
About South Shore Arts Atrium gallery
South Shore Arts Atrium gallery is a contemporary art gallery dedicated to showcasing innovative works created by both emerging and established artists in Northwest Indiana and the greater Chicagoland area. The gallery’s mission is to help transform and represent the South Shore through the arts. The gallery has a focus on inclusivity and diversity, South Shore Arts stives to connect with audiences of all backgrounds and interests through its exhibitions and arts programming.
Exhibition Dates: July 5th through August 30th
Artist Reception: Thursday, July 16th from 6-8pm
Gallery Hours:
- Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesday, Friday from 10am – 5pm
- Thursdays from 12 – 7pm
- Saturday from 10am – 4pm
- Sunday from 12 – 4pm
Location: South Shore Arts Atrium gallery, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, IN