This fall the University Library Gallery is presenting Reflections: After the Fire, an exhibit with 21 participants documenting and responding to the fall 2017 firestorm through painting, photography, video, and mixed media work. The show is located in both the Library Gallery and 2North exhibit area on the second floor, and is showing from Monday, August 20 through Friday, December 14, 2018. There will be a reception on Wednesday, October 17 from 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Reflections: After the Fire is distinctive because it includes artists, photographers, videographers, first responders, and community members sharing their reactions to the fall 2017 firestorm. The show is deeply personal, as all contributors were greatly affected by the fire. Their artist and exhibit statements reveal varied purposes. Some want to convey inner feelings, report and document for the community, reflect on the sadness of loss and the immense power of nature, and acknowledge the community outreach that occurred. Others wish to use creativity as a way to process the immensity of the fire, show gratitude to first responders, help others understand the experience, and memorialize the landscape. Some desire to recapture people’s stories, offer a sense of optimism and inspiration, understand and contemplate the disaster, and use their creations as way to instigate discussion.
The exhibit is a compendium of creative expression. Painting materials include acrylic, watercolor, and ink on canvas and handmade paper. Some works utilize mixed media, including found objects from burned homesites. There are panels from an upcoming graphic novel about a family’s experience. Videos portray the fire as it happened and share follow-up stories. Photographs of the fire and its destruction are displayed in the 2North exhibit area.
RSVPs welcome but not required. The event is open to the public.
Parking pass required 24/7 - $5
The October 17 reception recognizes the day Sonoma State University reopened. A sign of perseverance after the fire. For a complimentary parking pass for the reception, email library@sonoma.edu or call 707.664.2397 by Wednesday, October 10, 2018.
More details are available in the Wildfires research guide.
For inquiries, contact library@sonoma.edu.