Chesterton Art Center is pleased to announce a new exhibition, Of Giants and Warriors, featuring local artists Diane Grams and Timothy D. Lace from September 6 through October 30, 2024. An artist reception is planned for Friday, September 20 from 4-7 PM as part of Chesterton’s Third Fridays and will include a cash bar and light refreshments. There will be an artist-led gallery tour and discussion with Grams and Lace on Saturday, September 28 starting at 12PM. Diane Grams will also give a fresco painting demonstration on Saturday October 19 beginning at 12PM. All events are free and open to the public, and all are welcome. An RSVP to gallery@chestertonart.org is requested for those interested in attending the October fresco demonstration.
Of Giants and Warriors delves into tales of memory, metaphor, ancient artistic processes, resilience, joy, and passion. Grams' fresco paintings offer a feminist gaze into modern gender socialization and the masculine history of fresco-making. Lace's large-scale photographs of Mardi Gras Indians in brightly colored suits of feathers and beads tell of the rituals taking place on the backstreets of New Orleans celebrating connections between African and Native American traditions. Both artists push contemporary boundaries to offer explorations into worlds of modern narrative imagery with roots in ancient history. Two themes. Two artists. Two rooms. Shared visions. As is evident in these simultaneous exhibitions, their works are intertwined through their collaborative approach to living and working.
“We are very pleased to welcome Diane and Tim to CAC with this beautiful and thought-provoking exhibition,” says Hannah Hammond-Hagman, CAC Executive Director, “and we look forward to having visitors join us for the reception and subsequent interpretive programs to learn more about them and their work. We love building access to the artists and artwork we exhibit in meaningful ways.”
Diane Grams is an award-winning artist and writer. She is the recipient of the 2023-4 individual artist grant from the Indiana Arts Commission for her work in fresco painting. Being the medium of choice for painted walls in Pompeiian villas and Renaissance-era palaces and churches, fresco painting is an ancient painting technique where pigments are laid onto fresh plaster, and after drying, the painting becomes an integral part of the wall. Grams’ work has been featured in galleries throughout Chicago and Michiana, and she has been awarded several residencies, including at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture where she first learned fresco painting. Grams holds a master’s degree and PhD in cultural sociology from Loyola University Chicago and is the author of two academic texts from her research into Chicago art networks.
Timothy D. Lace’s lifelong fascination with photography began as a young boy with a Tru-Vue and box of film strips. Lace has exhibited extensively throughout Chicago and Michiana, and his photography has been featured in many publications, including Pan-O-Ply, The Chicago Reader, Art in America, and others. As a technician in the commercial photo industry in Chicago, he has also produced an extensive amount of work for agencies and museums.
Chesterton Art Center
115 S. 4th Street, Chesterton
chestertonart.org
(219) 926-4711
Diane Grams, Underwater Venus, fresco on tile - 12 x12 inches.jpg
Timothy D. Lace, The Sun, archival inkjet print - 28 x 20 inches.JPG
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