(Coelho Banyan by Karen Z. Ellis)
Central Oregon Community College (COCC) is showcasing the work of local multidisciplinary artist and art instructor Karen Z. Ellis in a nature-inspired exhibition titled Roots and Wings: Then and Now, March 13 to April 19 in the Pinckney Gallery (note: the gallery will be closed March 25-29 during spring break). A reception is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13, from 4-6pm, to include an informal artist talk at 5pm. Gallery hours are 10am to 4pm, Monday to Thursday, and Fridays 10am to 2pm.
The exhibition includes original paintings, drawings, hand-pulled prints, photographs, ceramics, as well as some poetry and an installation. The show’s title, Roots and Wings, borrowed from German writer-philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (“There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings”), represents to Ellis both a connection to the past and the reaching for new potential, which reflects the span of her selected artwork.
“My art has always been inspired by nature with a special affinity for flora and fauna, particularly plants, trees and birds,” she said. “It constitutes ‘souvenirs’ of a personal journey of exploration, discovery and growth.”
An active force in the local arts community since the 1990s, Ellis is an instructor at COCC and has taught at OSU-Cascades, the Sisters Art Club, SOAR, Art Station and Caldera Arts. She earned art degrees from Northwestern University (bachelor of arts) and the University of Hawaii-Manoa (master of fine arts).
For more information, contact Karen Z. Ellis at kzellis@cocc.edu. In advance of college events, persons needing accommodation or transportation because of a physical or mobility disability should contact Caitlyn Gardner at 541-383-7237. For accommodation because of other disability, such as hearing impairment, contact disability services at 541-383-7583.