Ash Dahlke, mixed media artist and art instructor at Cochise College, has been displaying her work in Tucson at the Tiny Town Gallery located at 408 North 4th Avenue throughout the month of January.
“Shilly Shally is a mixed media exhibition investigating the relationships we have with the objects we surround ourselves with. Specifically, how the things we accumulate become portals that connect us to people and places,” explained Dahlke. “The textural experiences we have are the easiest for us to recall; however, the more we think about a specific memory, the more it gradually changes, becoming less grounded in its original reality. I create conglomerations of materials, drawings, and paintings that mimic these realities and falsehoods.”
Dahlke holds a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing from the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater. Her work has been exhibited at the University of Arizona Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art in Tucson, and Tubac Center of the Arts.
“As an artist, I am constantly creating. It’s important to show students how to be a practicing artist and creative professional within your community and beyond,” said Dahlke. “Sometimes this means putting your work o
ut there and inviting folks to enjoy it too. The conversations that artwork can facilitate are deeply meaningful and provide an opportunity to continue to learn about your work from the viewpoint of others.”
The public can view her work Sunday through Thursday from 12-6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 12 – 8 p.m. Some of her art can also be viewed online at www.tanlineprinting.com/.
